Although the first book about mastering blackjack, Beat the Dealer, was penned by Edward O. Thorp, one of his contemporaries who actually worked in the casinos of Las Vegas wrote a book that may have cost the casinos more money in the long run. Lawrence Revere, who was born Griffith K. Owens, is said to have learned to deal blackjack at the tender age of 13 in the back of a barber shop. Years later, after graduating from the University of Nebraska, he ventured to Las Vegas where he quickly found work in the casinos as a dealer and then a Pit Boss.


He developed a keen interest in the game of blackjack, playing on his weekends and developing a system of play that kept him mostly even with the house. After Thorp's book exposed what he called Basic Strategy, Revere adjusted his game slightly and also tried Thorp's count-system. Unfortunately, he found the counting system to be clumsy and awkward to play in the casinos of North Las Vegas. He continued with his own system and on occasion would travel farther north to try his luck at the casinos of Reno, where he had success with a simple Aces and Fives count and a progression of wagers when winning.

As his bankroll grew he got in touch with Julian Braun, who had worked with Thorp on an improved count system and convinced him that a better Plus-Minus count would make for a good book also. Eventually the book was released as Playing Blackjack as a Business. It was a good read, if a bit choppy and filled with some unscientific beliefs about blackjack and the way the casinos tried to protect their assets, and it made Revere a well-know coach and player.

With his success as an author, Revere released an Advanced Point Count System that was fairly popular also, but he fell into the same trap that Thorp had by trying to provide the most accurate system available. Players who bought Revere's book were prompted near the final pages to work on their game and then purchase the Revere APC for $200, which could include actual sessions with Revere himself.

Being Barred

Revere stayed close to home in Las Vegas for most of his playing days and didn't venture into playing on any teams. He loved to play during graveyard hours at the casinos around town, but his success wasn't nearly as financially rewarding as penning a Best Seller. He despised being barred from play, so he became a master of disguise and worked hard on his cover play to keep the Pit Bosses from snapping to what he was doing. His picture never appeared on his book and he kept up his play as long as he could until he was too sick to get to the casinos.

Players like Ken Uston refused to take his advice on keeping a low profile, and although Uston eventually went to great lengths to play in disguise, his own act and persona made it very difficult for him to get in any action after his own books were published.Lawrence Revere never had that problem and was rarely barred from play. Of course his method of play was different than that found in team-play, and his wagers stayed at a much smaller level than readers of his book.

This may have been due to his continued belief that the casinos were trying to ruin his play by sending shills to his tables to distract him and ruin his count. In most of these cases, if the  new-player was actually sent to his game by the casino, the ruse worked, because Revere would simply leave the table or leave the casino.

For players who purchased his book, the advice was very helpful, and while Thorp's count was tough, readers who tried Revere's Five Count could actually see a tiny profit and build their way up to being a successful card counter.

The Plus Minus Count is still relevant in today's casinos, although the edge has been whittled-down considerably. If you don't know the Good and Bad Rule Variations found at casino blackjack tables, you can be assured that the single-deck games of the 1960's and 1970's on the Las Vegas Strip were great games. Unfortunately, with many changes such as no re-splitting of aces, 6-deck shoes, and (heaven-forbid) the 6-for-5 blackjack payoff tables, the game today is tough.

In fact, the Revere Plus Minus has only a tiny edge in games found in Reno and Lake Tahoe and many other casinos across the United States. However, with a healthy bet-spread of 10 to 1, a counter can still make some money, especially with many games found in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
Revere passed away on April 23, 1977 of cancer. He left today's players with several blackjack card counting systems that are easily mastered and still profitable, and that's certainly a good thing.