Lawrence Revere

Lawrence Revere earned his place in the Blackjack Hall of Fame as the author of the classic Playing Blackjack as a Business. He was also a top professional blackjack player and blackjack teacher, as well as performing stints on the other side of the blackjack table as a pit boss and casino owner.

The Early Years

Revere was born Griffith K. Owens. Over the course of his lifetime, he adopted the pseudonyms Leonard Parsons, Spec Parsons, Paul Mann, and Lawrence Revere.

Revere commenced his blackjack career as a 13-year-old blackjack dealer in the back room of an Iowa barbershop. He earned a degree in mathematics from the University of Nebraska, and then went west to pursue a career as a professional gambler in 1943.

Author of a Blackjack Classic

Revere experienced the world of blackjack from both sides of the table and from every possible vantage point: at different times in his life, he was a pit boss, dealer, casino owner, troubleshooter, professional blackjack player, author, and blackjack teacher.

Revere's book, Playing Blackjack as a Business, was originally published in 1969. It is the best-selling gambling-related book in history, and it is still considered the best instruction manual on how to win at blackjack through card counting. In Playing Blackjack as a Business, Revere discussed the Revere Point Count Strategy, the Revere Five-Count Strategy, the Revere Plus-Minus Strategy, and the Ten-Count Strategy. These strategies, some of which were developed with the assistance of Julian Braun, were based upon the foundations laid by Edward Thorp but were substantially refined and are much more accurate than Thorp's. They were simplified so that, for the first time, blackjack card-counting strategies could be understood and used by beginning and intermediate blackjack players. Revere explained each strategy in detail, and also included color-coded charts to guide the blackjack player through every possible situation. Revere also emphasized the importance of discipline, practice, and patience, and reminded his readers that even the most highly-skilled blackjack player will sometimes have losing sessions. The important thing is to retain one's composure through the bad times so as to come out ahead in the long run.