1536 Free Waters and Other Blackjack Endeavors
Finding Profit and Humor in Card-Counting
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
During a drive from Omaha to Oklahoma City to visit my parents, I stopped at a roadside casino near a small Kansas town. I wanted to play a few hands to break the monotony of driving. I sat at a blackjack table which had no posted rules. Since the dealer was in the middle of a chip exchange with the pit boss and security staff, I asked the only player at the table a couple questions. The man was diminutive, probably weighing less than 100 pounds, and wore thick, black-framed glasses. "What are the double-down rules? Do they offer surrender?" Without looking in my direction, the wee man said, "Some dogs are named Talmadge." I responded inquisitively, "Pardon?" The man repeated with a ton of attitude, "SOME DOGS ARE NAMED TALMADGE!" I stood up and slowly walked from the table saying, "Oooookay then." The guy might have been mentally challenged. Some dogs are named Talmadge? What the heck does that mean? Or maybe he was intoxicated or under the influence of something stronger than alcohol. Either way, I determined that he should remain in solitude. I found another table where I played head's up with the dealer. A half hour later, a loud, obnoxious woman approached the game. She started blabbering even before taking a seat, and did not stop talking when the cards were dealt. "We have been on the road all day in that blasted sun--Cousin Mary is driving me crazy in the RV--If we don't get to Yellowstone soon, I'm gonna bust--Where is the potty in this place?" She wouldn't stop yammering. Eventually, she turned my way. "Hi, my name's Shelly, I'm from Rolla, Missouri. What's your name?" I looked straight ahead, thought a moment, and responded, "Some dogs are named Talmadge." "Dogs are whaaaaat?" Shelly responded with a puzzled look on her face. "SOME DOGS ARE NAMED TALMADGE!" The woman quit talking for the first time and gently pulled herself away from the table, all the while giving me a strange look. The dealer, pit boss and security staff gave me puzzled looks as well, but continued their business. At that moment, I realized that the little guy with the thick, black-framed glasses was a genius.
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Book Details
About the Book
Why is there a twelve on the cover of this blackjack book instead of the usual twenty-one? No blackjack author in their right mind would put a hand of twelve on the cover. Glen Wiggy did—he is full of surprises like that. Part how-to manual, part memoir, 1536 Free Waters and Other Blackjack Endeavors—Finding Profit and Humor in Card-Counting chronicles Wiggy’s amusing experiences while playing blackjack during more than eight hundred casino visits from January 2001 until June 2008. It also introduces blackjack card-counting in a fun and easy-to-learn format.
In addition to the everyday casino patrons, starving puppies, angry pit bosses, French doughnuts, talking sea gulls, and 1536 bottled waters make unforgettable appearances in these entertaining stories tailored for casual blackjack gamblers. For players pursuing the game for serious profit, Wiggy also presents practical tips on
• Aspects of blackjack basic strategy
• Fundamentals of card-counting
• Techniques for managing money
• Dangers of greedy gambling behavior
Unlike most blackjack strategy guides, 1536 Free Waters and Other Blackjack Endeavors won’t teach you how to “kill” the dealer or make a living playing the game. Instead, you’ll learn basic strategy and introductory card-counting skills that give you enough confidence to approach the table with a positive attitude and reasonable expectation of winning. Plus, you’ll learn what to expect from the cards and the wonderfully strange people and places you may encounter. Enjoy the ride.
“Undoubtedly, the most enjoyable blackjack book I’ve read in my twenty years as the editor of a gambling publishing company. It had me laughing out loud.”
—Deke Castleman, editor for Huntington Press
Read more at www.blackjackstories.com.
About the Author
Glen Wiggy was born in Midwest City, Oklahoma, in 1966. His father is a retired golf professional. His mother, before her death in 2007, was a housewife and mother of six children. Glen graduated from the United States Air Force Academy—Class of ’88, first class with refrigerators—and spent a twenty-year career as an Air Force officer. While on active-duty, he served as a Security Police Shift Commander, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, and Scientific Analyst. In June 2008, Glen retired from the Air Force and worked as a Department of Defense contractor at Task Force 134, Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq, performing research and analyses in support of detainee operations. In June 2009, he settled in the Colorado Springs area and currently works as a government civilian at United States Northern Command. He is also an online statistics instructor with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Glen is married with two children and three grandchildren. Besides card-counting at blackjack, his hobbies include golf and snowskiing. He has a BS in mathematics from the Air Force Academy, an MBA from Boston University, and an MS in mathematics from the University of Arizona.
Glen Wiggy blogs on www.blackjackstories.com.