The Counter: The Man Too Good for Vegas

by Kevin Blackwood

THE COUNTER is a truly authentic gambling novel, written by someone who spent years in the trenches. This book offers a rare glimpse into the intriguing life of a professional card counter, certainly one of the world’s most unique occupations. The protagonist, Raven Townsend, decides he’s too good for Maine and shuns his poor New England upbringing. His grandiose plans of becoming a famous Biblical archaeologist suddenly get shelved when he takes a detour into the world of high stakes blackjack. His exceptional mathematical gifts, phenomenal memory, and incredible determination enable him to succeed where most fail—but at the expense of his girlfriend and original dreams. Raven’s quest to win a million dollars in blackjack becomes the driving force in his life. However, a sharp-eyed casino surveillance expert stands in the way of Raven’s goal, producing a dramatic, page-turning finish in casinos from Reno to the Caribbean.

311 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Neil R. Coulter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd wanted to read The Counter for some time, because I knew the person whom one of the book's characters was based on. While on vacation this summer, I actually found a copy of the book on the shelf at the house where we were staying, so I took the opportunity to read through it. In The Counter, Blackwood tells the story of a Christian from Maine who becomes a professional card-counter, winning hundreds of thousands of dollars at the blackjack tables across the USA, while struggling with his faith, others' expectations of him, and scars from his past. The book is at its best when Blackwood explains how things work in a casino--both from the gambler's perspective and the casino staff and security perspective. I knew very little about this scene, and I found it often riveting--though Blackwood's prose is too often clunky in its method of giving expositional information.

Blackwood is on shakier ground when his main character, Raven, is anywhere but inside a casino. I found the writing style bland and awkward, especially in scenes between Raven and his love interest, Cynthia. I was also disappointed that the faith issues Raven confronts throughout his journey are not explored with more nuance and depth. The choice Blackwood seems to present the reader is either fundamentalist Christianity or worldliness. There's little room for any other interpretation of Christian faith. Thus, Raven's greatest dream, which he must recapture by the end of the story, is to become an archaeologist and discover Noah's ark; Raven's friend and gambling partner, Joel, starts off as a good fundamentalist Christian, but quickly goes off the rails when he overindulges in the sensual pleasures of casino life (especially drinking). I think The Counter raises some serious questions about the Christian life and about gambling and its effects on communities and casino patrons, but Blackwood doesn't delve as deep as he might have.

In general, The Counter is just not my kind of book--and I knew that going in. Somewhere in the pages, there's probably quite a good movie script for this story, but as a novel I didn't find it as good as it could have been.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot -- mostly because I'd heard the author give a presentation on his former life as a blackjack counter, found it fascinating, and viewed his novel as a thinly veiled autobiography. A remarkable tale of close calls and randy characters...