Revere

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Those who have been playing blackjack for a long time are probably familiar with the name Lawrence Revere. This was the pen name of Griffin K. Owens. Under the Revere name, Owens published important books on the subject of blackjack and card counting. He became one of the most important figures in modern blackjack.

Before his passing in 1977, Lawrence Revere left behind a legacy of blackjack writings and card counting methods in the books he authored. Of all these, Playing Blackjack as a Business remains the most popular. It is in this book that Revere details several methods and strategies that were developed in partnership with Julian Braun. These are usually grouped together under the Point Count banner.

Here is a closer look at a few of the Revere Point Count methods and strategies. This is only a brief review. We recommend that you seek out copies of Revere’s books if you want to truly master each method.

Revere Card Counting

Before we look at each individual strategy and method, we should first take a moment to explain that Revere actually produced multiple methods of his strategies.

Even though Revere passed away in 1977, up until recently it was still possible to purchase proprietary versions of his blackjack card counting methods online. It seems that Revere produced versions which appeared in his books as well as advanced versions that were sold to individuals. These advanced methods were thought to be more effective and beneficial to the expert.

One of the things that made Lawrence Revere such a force to be reckoned with at blackjack was his experience as a casino insider. At various times Revere worked for casinos. He may have even helped casinos learn how to spot counters. Because of this, Revere became known for his abilities at camouflage. He understood card counting from both sides of the table.

You can still find copies of Revere’s books available on Amazon.

The Revere Point Count

The Revere Point Count was the centerpiece of Revere’s work. It is a card counting system that bears resemblance to other systems in a few areas. It is important to understand when we speak of card counting that we are not talking about counting or tracking every single card that is dealt from a six-deck shoe. Rather, card counting usually involves a running total that is used to assess the favor of the deck to the player.

Card counting methods assign a point value to each card in the deck. These values are then used to establish and maintain a running count. In the Revere Point Count the assigned point totals are:

• Aces and 10-value cards are -2
• 3s, 4s, 5s, and 6s are +2
• 2s and 7s are +1
• 8s and 9s are 0

In the Revere Point Count you will see that there are more plus values than minus values. This creates what is known as an unbalanced card counting method. Many card counters would assert that an unbalanced card counting method is designed for more advanced counters.

Over the years there have been various methods that have been developed to judge the efficiency of a card counting method. One of these is known as a betting correlation. Betting correlation measures how accurate a card counting method is at letting you know when to raise or lower your bets. The Revere Point Count gets a 0.99 betting correlation rating. That’s right at the top end of the scale, making the Revere Point count a reliable system to use.

The Revere Five Count Strategy

One of the advanced card counting methods that was promoted by Lawrence Revere was known as the Five Count strategy. This strategy involves assigning 5 different totals to the cards. As you can imagine, having more point totals to assign means that a card counting system takes on a greater level of complexity.

The point totals in the Five Count are:

• 2s and 7s are +1
• 3s, 4s, 5s, and 6s are +2
• 8s and 9s are 0
• 10-value and Aces are -2

You will notice that the -1 index is missing from the above chart. This is because it was applied under specific rules and circumstances that were shared with those who purchased Revere’s proprietary products.

There are some versions online of the Revere Five Count which assign a 1 to the fives in the deck and a 0 to all other cards. Revere apparently believed that the five was the worst card in the deck for the player. There is a story that once Revere systematically removed the fives during a single-deck game. He was trying to prove that these cards had a big disadvantage for the player.

The Revere Plus-Minus Strategy

This is another card counting/strategy that first appeared in Revere’s Playing Blackjack as a Business. It is a simple method of counting. Those who have mastered the basics of card counting as well as the beginner will find it useful.

The values that are assigned to the cards in the Revere Plus-Minus card counting method are:

• 9s and 10-value cards are -1
• 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, and 6s are +1
• All other cards are 0

Revere himself claimed that this system was likely to be most effective in single-deck games. It is what would be called a balanced system because it would end at 0 if all the cards in a deck were counted.

The Revere Ten Count Strategy

The Revere Ten Count was an advanced strategy which regarded the 10s separately from all other cards in the deck. The system was further complicated by the use of a chart which detailed when to apply a specific code for each hand. The code was used to tell players when to up their bets and how much to bet.

Using the Revere Card Counting Methods

There is something to be said for a group of card counting methods that are still effective many years after their original publication. Lawrence Revere has remained at the top where card counting experts are concerned. The mathematics behind most of his systems is rock solid.

Today, you can use any of the Revere systems in the live casino of your choice. We would suggest that you begin with a simple method like the Revere Point Count. Once you have become more familiar with the various methods, you can begin to explore advanced systems for more profit.

Would you like to play blackjack online and win without card counting? You can when you sign up with one of our recommended online casinos. All you need is a solid grasp of basic blackjack strategy. You can play with your phone or tablet right from the comfort of your home.

If you are planning on counting cards at the casinos, you may want to read the article about the methods used by casinos to prevent card counting! Also, since you are interested in counting cards grab some coffee and read about Edge Sorting, Hole Carding, Shuffle Tracking, Wonging in Blackjack, Camouflage Betting, Team Play, Betting Spread, & Risk Of Ruin.