Kevin Blackwood

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There are many ways to enter the world of professional blackjack. One can be a player, a teacher, a card counter, or even a writer. Kevin Blackwood is a rare specimen. He has managed to combine all of these designations and a few others to create a lucrative blackjack career. It is hard to shove Blackwood into a pre-made description of what a blackjack player can be, and that is what makes him an interesting study.

We are going to take a look at Kevin Blackwood. Much of the information that we have been able to glean has been gathered from Blackwood’s own interviews. Anyone that has played blackjack for a while has probably come across his name.

About Kevin Blackwood

Kevin Blackwood was born and raised in Maine. He grew up with an affinity for mathematics and numbers, and that led him to a successful stint in college. This is a common occurrence among many blackjack professionals, especially those who are card counters. The love of numbers surely prompted Blackwood to study the game of 21.

While Kevin was in college he started to read the books of blackjack legend Ken Uston. These books inspired Blackwood to try his hand at the game. In the beginning he was playing for very small stakes. The $10 games were those which allowed Blackwood to hone his craft. This is also a common story among professionals. A lot of them started at $5 or $10 tables in Las Vegas or Atlantic City. Today, the Internet has made it possible for the new crop of players to join an online game for as little as $1 per hand.

The good players do not remain at the low limits for very long. That was true for Kevin Blackwood. Using the knowledge that he had gleaned from Ken Uston‘s books, Blackwood was soon playing blackjack for $1,000 per hand. He was known for marathon sessions, and he would sometimes gamble for up to 8 hours at a single time.

It was not until Kevin Blackwood began to master card counting that he saw a consistent increase in his profits. In the beginning, Blackwood has stated that he was a pretty big fan of the Hi-Opt II system. We have written about that system here on Counting Edge, and you can use it when you play blackjack at a live casino. Be advised that it is a system that is designed for the card counter with some experience.

Another counting method that has become associated with Kevin Blackwood is the Zen count. We have also reviewed this system. It is natural for professional blackjack players to adapt their card counting methods as their understanding of the game improves.

Kevin Blackwood’s The Counter and Other Works

There are many professional blackjack players who choose to write about the game. Most of them prefer to write instructional books on the subject which address matters like card counting and basic blackjack strategy. Kevin Blackwood is unique in that he chose to adopt a fictional format for one of his first written works. The book is called The Counter.

The Counter is a fictional story of how one young blackjack player becomes a master in card counting. It also looks at all the ups and downs of the card counting life. The novel’s hero has to evade detection as he practices his card counting craft and attempts to win millions.

After the publication of this book, Kevin Blackwood went on to write Play Blackjack Like the Pros. This was a non-fiction book more like the standard instructional fare that you would come to expect from professional blackjack players.

Kevin Blackwood and Tournament Blackjack

Being one of the more recent stars to emerge on the blackjack circuit, Kevin Blackwood has also had success in the area of tournament blackjack. He was featured in the World Series of Blackjack event, and he also participated in the CBS series Ultimate Blackjack Tour. Blackwood fared well in both events, competing against a mix professional blackjack players, gamblers, and celebrities.

The work that Kevin has done across many arenas also gave him the opportunity to be a contributor for Casino Gambling for Dummies. In this book, Blackwood gives his strategies for blackjack and many other table games. You can also find that he has considerable knowledge on the subjects of horse racing betting and sports betting.

We recommend Kevin Blackwood for all new players that want to master blackjack. His life and work is a good model for success. Even better, you can practice many of the things practiced by Blackwood when you play blackjack online at one of our recommended online casinos. Remember, you can get a nice welcome bonus when you create your account (consider the no deposit bonus, and casino reload bonuses). Blackjack is available on your computer, phone, or mobile device.