About Parker
Most of what follows is true.
I was born on April 13, 1866 in Beaver, Utah, the eldest of 13 children (we didn't have television back then). I recently turned 136, but thanks to a healthy lifestyle I don't look a day over 95. In my younger days I made quite a reputation for myself, along with my friend Harry Longbaugh (better known as the Sundance Kid). I had to lay low for a long time until those Pinkerton guys finally stopped looking for me. In 1969 George Roy Hill made a pretty decent movie about us, although I'm better looking than that Newman fellow.
(The photo used for the poster at right was taken in 1893 at the Wyoming
State Penitentiary, which is why I don't look very happy.)
But that's all ancient history. These days I only rob casinos, and I do
it legally.
In the late 1970's I moved to San Diego and discovered that Las Vegas was
only a few hours drive away. Thus began a love affair with the city that
continues to this day. I was drawn to blackjack almost from the beginning.
Unfortunately, the first blackjack book I read was Griffin's Theory of
Blackjack. From this I concluded that one had to have a PhD in math
and be a genius in order to successfully count cards, so I did not pursue
it. However, I did learn basic strategy from Griffin, which immensely improved
my game.
Over the years, I made frequent trips to Las Vegas. I usually stayed
at the Hacienda (now the site of Mandalay Bay), where I received my first
comps. I've even gotten married in Las Vegas - twice!
In 1997 I discovered blackjack websites on the Internet, obtained a
copy of Knockout Blackjack, and realized that counting was much
easier than I had previously believed. I quickly mastered KO and have been
tearing up the casinos ever since. A little over a year ago I switched
to George C's Unbalanced Zen II count, which I am presently using.
I presently make 1-2 trips per month to Las Vegas, and can be found
most other weekends at one of the San Diego area Indian casinos. I occasionally
hit Laughlin, Reno, and other Nevada towns, and make a trip or two a year
to the southern casinos. I play mostly single and double deck games, spreading
green. Being a compulsive reader, I have accumulated a library of over
30 books on blackjack. I am not a full time pro, nor do I have any desire
to become one at this time.
This photo shows a much better likeness. It was taken in 1900 in Ft. Worth,
Texas. I liked it so much that I had copies made and sent them to the banks
we had robbed. That's me seated on the right, and Harry (Sundance Kid) seated
on the left. Between us are Bill Carver, Ben Kilpatrick, and Harvey Logan.