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K"Hh TlJlt II davout 86pt/Sf , an d Ken Us lon , II ' " g hIrving Bx-s loc /fb, oIrer bfac /v llckod Vega s e llS/noslo r sm ll}1 l(# tIJfUI WI/It Ihe help 01 II r:om pu fefTHEODD5

COUPLEBY RRY HENN EDY

""

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' . ! t( t . I r )P N K I k I . t " .~ ... IO''''''''''"$.&nltingtIM CIIIfIII4J'" o.II/d W ./ ~ lIP ItN In . , , ; , COUP .....w.U$lOlf " . , ~ N J dC/NIIlJf>g ..,. h i. ftoI-' ' oom .

IIi(e i.. II game o( chllnce. Ihen Kcilh

Taft is an :lice in Ih e hole lind KenUston 1$ th e J0 1:er. Dolh pia), blndjlle1: bu t th e ((Wme r IS II dccepth 'e

(o fee . und elected . unkno ....n: th e 1lIIer I ~o nSlage . in cos lUme an d guin, (or Ihedbow to th e nb s . Indeed . s hu ffled :10)'which ~ a )' . Ihe od d s that tw o ~ ,h s.:.m1-ilar me n would meC'1 .lnd Icam up (or !Ica jX'r thlll d u ts tcd Ihe Nc\-ad :1 cII \"illOl'

o( SI )O.OOO In aile (ell :'\\\OOP I1IU ..1 be amllion to I .

Consider th e eo nl".lSt s, Kellh Taft IS-45. l I l > C l (- d e ~ r t b c drllbc Voho "a ) rni5Cdin the femalC Wilds o ( CUI l1.1nk . Mo nl ,I-Ie is II dt tp l )' rcl i si om Hap t is i. a d ire..::IOf of church eholr'\ and p , ' i n a" ~ 110 1 ofthe cur.-.cd wd o r de m on drin\.. . St a lillchfruml y man. Iow-kc y. ~ t n ua h l a r r oV o' "IIIhe wily .

Then there i) Ke n U' t on. Ue \I.'ou ld".lI her split 5s th:ln re\{'a l th:ll he is 45 , :_d iscllhu re he fccb I1Ilpl ~ m e h oV o deI,...IC! from " 111)' 1 x 1~ l c : l l I ) 'hl"tloni s li c lifC'l!ol)' le ," A I ~ l i Bela Kappa Voh o majIXc dIII econ Ollll"'" III Ya k . a gI1ldulltC or IheH:lr'l':lrd n t lS t n~ Sch oo l an d II fo rmer'lockbro1.er , he is bt'U\h . nam oo) 'anl :Uldas polygo nal :I ' the mlr ro ("!;O\ 'er the CIr -culaT be d in his. La) \'!! g.'lS bDCh d Of Void ,

In \ hort . T:lrt lind 'IOn :m ~11lC'o ng-mal od d couple , Ihe Os c ;u M adison :mdFelix Unger of he g rnfel l Jun gle

Th e on t ca mm o n U ~ I IIha l \Ilt"lllnclydrew them IQScther i) II burn ing ura" 10Cf;t.K'lnalcd by Ihe "Iiller lindhC':I\ ' )' ac t ion . p: m ic ul:lrl)' at IhC' table, o f-

~ " U l" r d

67

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fennl a bcluili n l llltlc' lame ca Ued blac t Jack , Of" 2 1, Unfamiliar with Ihe rules . he,"ked a b) lander to plC'liSeuptain .

Pic ture ('ar m roun! as 10 points , heWitS lold . Aces IIrc eil her one: or I I. AllO1hu cards arc counled ti t face yal ut'.To begin, !he deal e r an d thc phl),C'1"$ rc '('C'iYe IWO ca rds apiece . The player thenha s the optio n to ~ t a n dpat O f " take IIhil ." Ihat b. draw on e or more addi t ional card$. Th e ob)ttl is to achieve I lotalof 2 1 poinu. - lhc perfecl h a n d - o r com.:closer 10 Iha l sum Ihlln thC' dellie r does .If eIt her Ihe player or the d ealer ucceds2 1. he busu ." or loses . If t he pla)'c rdr1lW1ian ace and a IO-' 'lllue card on lhefirst tw o card s dealt . Ihal is II " muural,"or blad;j!lck . and it pays 3 ro r 2.

Simple en ouah, Taft though l, and wilhhcart r.tClnz,he sal do wn a t one ofthe kidn e y ~ h a p c dlables and too t the lucley'buck plunse . On lhe fi n l deal he d re w IIpair o f lOs lind ~ ' o n. On Inc seco nd handIhe dcalerbu sled, and he: pocketed a nat h er dollar , And o n the Ih ird h:lod-biaCkj ack! " I was $ 0 exc ited ." Tan ralb." lh3 1 1 loot my S) ,SO klllina a nd ra n . "

OUI I he hook WIJ,S SC'l. On Ihe five-ho urdrl\'e home . h is mind jugalin, equationslike a UN IVA C in o ' erdrive . TaO s ~ uh!olcd thai by kpi ng troc k of all Ihccard s th :1I wefe dcal t, he m ight be able10 deVise a mathematica l sysI e m Iha lwou ld tip Ihe odds in his favor . " Gener.alty,' he SiI)'$. "t he problem requir edthe: kind of IcchnolOJY Ihal I deill! ... lhin my IJ>ork ." In fact . he Ihought , h()\lo'much easie r. faster an d more: occ umte itwould be.- 10 fet'd Ihe data 10 :a co mputerand le:I It eal'e.re eonnttled 10 Ihecompute r by copper wires nl n n ing dov.'J\Ihe insides or h is pants leas , he had been" inputlin& " the:! \-alue of each card as itw a~ d C i l l t. In tur n. thecompuler . whi rlingIhroug,h 100 ,000 caJeul:l lions a ~ n d," Iold " Taft Ihe best pas ibfe play bymeans or a lappi ng dcvi bUIlt hu o Iheins tep of his len shoc ,

In Ihls iOSI2ncc:. respondi ng with" $C .ries or short and lo n8 taps similar to thedol!; and dashes or thc Morse code, 0:1 '\i d dlrecled hinllO ; l s u p lap (qU3druplehis be l) an d rllllllp -11I88p - lf lltllp(spl i t) and11p (hilj and , . . p (lt3nd ) .

True to the law of p r o b 3 b il i t i ~- a n dT" n 's adaAt'" Ihal "one tap Is worth IIt housand words " - the dealer , drawing 10a 13. pullw a 101100 busted . "'Mister .M~ said , shoving a stack of 5100 chipsaI Tafl . " yo u ma y be d u mb, bu t you Sure:m ~lucky." TaR beamed . palled Ihe computer purrin, wa r mly apins l his slom ach and ,ushed, " Oc t . "",,'OW, I dunno . Ij usl had this su t flinS- "

Ken U$\on first 1(11 Ihi l l sf/ttial ret' ling for the same: of blad;ja ck one glimm e:rinB afternoon w hile toolit\ his MG:.cross the San Francisco-Oakland BayBridge . AI Ihe lime he was a senior vicepreslden! of Ihe PlcirK: lock Exeh a nge .a nd bo red - s o bored that he !r.l\'ef'S('dthe bridlC cach lunc h ho ur to pra c liccplayinl blad;jack in a rundo ...n bun galow .....llh II leam of " countcn ," pro(nsional ,amblers ""'ho employ a card

C

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noon . I JOt 10 ' hint ini 300m wh e re" r dbeen a nd where I wa s ioing. A nd sud de n ly it h il nit' . lI ey . Ih h i . just like A " i ~l i on : I m lK K S ib / ~ , ill gu y !> plo lt ing \0ou t ... l \he " cps bigg,ics at tll d r O 'A 1lpm e . Thi s coukJ be m chance 10 bU'lIOUt or my Brooks Urothc rs monke) ' ~ u l l ! "

Th ai WlLS In 1914 , Th f"n' Olonth5 agoUSlon ~ r o I l c dinto the nC'w R C '~ r t SIn It'rn ll1iorllll HOIe:1 C a . . ~ i n oin A IWIll Ie"Cll y - bul nOi so :lOyane \\,ould nOlICC',Ali th e maslC'rmi nd or his ow n tellOl orc o un u~n : ." Mr , lJiackja d :" was r laYll1g II

10. . profIlC' . Or m ~ pr ccisc ly. ri C \> profile , His bC' a rd \\,':&s sp rayed gny , an d hewa s w n n n " a l 1u l I~ h i l ll WI&. "C o ke bot Ile - "asses and:a s lli d b u~ ; no ; s!>UII 'A hh Shrinu 's pin in Ihc l::Iprl. IhC' bene r 10pass hi m Kclrorr a . D r , John W a ~ < i C ' r r na n ,a welIllon ing J'Sychi :nris l from l)h ()('nI.lL- nak in a o lf a clbino SCI.) into yo u rblood. - sa ys USlon / W uc;o;trm :II1, "but)'OU' VC JOt 10 h;l\'C' 3 co"c r 3Cl ,"

Th in t t n (b ys 1;lIc r. 31 9 :4 5 p .m, onJ an. )0 , Usto n finished 4 Ionl round 01thC' R ~ s ' Il'Ibies und .. C'ighlC:d do ....nwi\h S43.000 \n c hip" . went 10 l::'I

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l , ~ .' h" ' l" ,J.I ~ u u n l C rl ": l l l ' . ~ l e ' l''.l onun , a RC"-"l ' , t .cI" .....ttJ rtlt . "rgLll"th. ,1 Ih e '" Ia " " Ih: n I h ~ 'C":I'IJ"I('" ~ h : 1 1 IIlId lilk j : . , l m l ~" f , ' hanlC Il ul ... 11. " Th e Fa m N , " s " U ~ I '

II ..", ...h ould 1 ( ' l ' O p ' ' ' l ' Lh' lI l' a ld ~ ' m l 1 l l

In l'! h . , l.:fI.',lIed lTlurt" N : l c~ p d . pl;tH'r,,,"d In , r,.!-c " .. !!.illS I he ...... 1 g: ' ml.' In Ih e .... )rld . "II 1";\11~ h " n l ' Ir . . : u r l l t l th e l 'OU l1Il'r jlr" lloC1If\l'an d It. ..." " '''del!.'nl) fou nd u \.C.'11ho' , lilt-: " h ;I1 , lI Iltl un l c d 10 . , c"unll."r, 1.0 '"\1 '11' "'11 Bu. rl.,,11 '" " l ' ~ l ' III th .. ' ~ ~ .Inc I~\ l ' r h e " dn e l , , " O I~ of ( a l " " I ~ ~.. r\,Jcl ll,cd ..II . Ul1 T \ " ch : lw , ':lnK' m , . lh ..k '01.. d t". n nn Ih c !lan llng I : I ~I , ' , thmu!=h.1 ~ c lh l 1l l

,' fUl1 l " " ' , I ) 1 I I 1 1 f ( 11 ~. Ih l' L I ' I '

n l " , " l ' ' : L l nl ~ rClfCl' ' ' a . . tom,: ",('lI1l' counl '1 I l ~,' f 11 ... " ... n . '''to ;ld (.0 ' " ~ ~ .. Ollnl l ' ' ' ' III I h ~ 'Illomh 0 1 h n I l J r ~: ' "':I}' \. " , .'un ..a ll \ l l l I ... dTeel on \lUI ]-I", .., " c " ....1.'Uo.. l, II1I1. ,1 .

\ \ I,,'" ~ " , \ . C . . r "('/"llrt\,! II" , 11. , . ,,,, 11" i . ' ' ' l I l 1 a ' til I h l j!.lmlllt! c tJm ml ....It 'n .( h.llrman J ' ......rh I urJI :lIIO"'l'J Ihal " III,"" .1mml"" u n J .x .. nUl halt a n ~\t,IIIJarJ,un Ih\ ' "'1I!-Jl".:1 ,II Ih .. 1101\' T Ill" "::,, , , ' "

. , .. m ~ " "

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Ihertf ore. I ~ rr 10 devel op I I ~o ....n !>Inniliu(h . " Wilh in h o u ~U ~ t o n. Co . "' cr (~ r . . ; o n ano n y.u:. anlt the 01>100 W1ISbusil)' p m l i n B S i l l ' ~I h ~ 1rC'ad: Wi: MOU\ ' II I IL klC , 1I 1 10 U. CLI IJt I ' I tOH.) ' " J 'A L CAIIIl("tM ~ ' L M SfR O" I"l..\VAI ooa "'-"'('):JACKI,, I I L L ~. " l1l1"oiC'ally." cou nlcrC'd U,ton . "IImC'aM. \ I o ~resC'r'\'c IhC' ngtu 10 e.xcludt",,inners. .

,

n II qU=lndary. Ihe Jl lm lngcomml'iSIOnt;Ch('dukd he:armgs in an atl('m pi to.....o rl. OUI addinill On Qrt h c u:rm "prof(',"'lonal co un l t r . " ThC') mlsh l j usl a ~

.....coll try ror II tidy ICg:J1 ddnhion orpornogmphy . ,' \ Comm i"io nt'r AlbenMerck (1)

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It tS( ' cmmmin g to m:btc r , T h~ bo tco unte:rs pnK"Iict' daily ""h h na sh ca r d"mumb ling 10 t h e : m~ h ' , " W hen do you

Iii u pa ir o f 90s? W he:n the dc ,iIle:r "howin , an),lh ln, from 2 10 9 but r.m 7."

Q. Wh at b yO\lr bQa pla y If )0 \1 h." e:~ I}!"drof7s , Ig:Jl nsl Iht' d e; l le r ' ~ 10'

A . !-Iii In Las Vt sas, sta nd In Iht' U ~I -h,unO ' u n d surren de r In At lan tic Ci t y.

u r r~ n dt r docs nOI ml' an tt1e co un terhould IUm himsclr in to the ~ u n t ) "

, 1J.lR k II is bUI ~ of ~ \ ~ r , , 1hou w rul",lh

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led ml o a n 'Ipron lmt! Iru,-.cd t o In , Uppelb o d ) ' by a n A c ~banda ge , he loo ked M,\.'~ n Kl hi n J . o ul o( SlIl r IVan..

Ew: n 0;0. tilt S)'Slem s go, h ~ -.ct OUI 10la p Nc ..ada in 3. lICries of v.cdcnd fOf 'ays... Though j illef )' an d limping bec-dUSC'of lOC f:niguc . h ~ ""enl largciy unn o liccd: t ~ he dr!lggt"d h imself throu gh the 1: popul31ion -mobil it)' e Uf\'e5 to Cal iforn ia,""here he ~ r v e das a financ ia l eoo. .ultllnt before jo i ninc (he Pacific Siock EA ch :ln se in 1969 . Th ough upward ly roobill', he w.:tnltd II) gcl OUI (rom und er. ' 1J USt coul dn ' , slulld Iltt office poli tics Iha lc:cilt'tl in e ..ery plac e I worked ." he i>a )'S.Dj\'o rccd in 1973 , he 50ughl Iherolp), b)pL'l)'lAg J 3Z L pillna in Ihe mannel 0( Erro\1 G;t.rnc:r, " m)' ;absolut e aUI\mc favO\"lie musical KIoI. DUI the ~ u a r e sa ilhi.'sioc k cx c ha nSoCh:trrumplu .d when ht "" 3 ~diSCO\'ered plo)'ing rilfs in ", , ho u r bb Iros in Iht l1n:mci:c1d islric l, ndignlfied ,

l 1 I: t c ~ c kwas (m Olher occa siona l es 'e a ~, an d .. was IhrOUgh 3 (rlend th:!!USlo n heard aboul a kgcndary counlercall him Hig AI- w h o had repuledl) ' "" Oft""ueh!l bu ndle :1I small ClIIslno ill Dieppe ,Fran ce Ihal he pu t Ihc dub OUI o( buSi -nes .., U ~ l o nfou nd his first metlin g .....lt hthe old pr o in t.he tumbl edo ....n hou)\!.lieross Ihe ~ ) ' 8 ridge " Iro nscendent ."NO! only was he imprcssed by Il lg AI'sdr ill-scrgean l lra ini ng roulincs. bUI hea lso sa .... in the maro'elous " DIS I' layc, "CO\'er scam-about whic h more latera role for wh ich h t ft ll pfl:dcsline d.

U ~l o n was tnn:ly w ithe u l a deck 0 (car ds Ihcrc!lfl t r , fi e prnc liced :11 SlOP.lighl s- in ele vulo($ an d ~ hi n dlhe lodeddoor of his offict wh ile h is sec re\ul)' putIhe outside world on ho ld. Th e \ r .msformali on, grlldU:11 al f i ~ l. beeamc n ' V f~pronounced .....I\h ea c h s u c C ~ U \g wttl.: e nd thm h(' joined Oil AI') lellm (or mId,o n I h ~ Ne \ 'ada cllSi nns . Finally . one Fnda)' ..fternoon \\hen U \ IOO ""':&5 rushin ,10 ca te h Ihe neX! j t l to Ve gas, his '< a 'retar)' .... id. " Mr. USlon. yo u loo k ,tr ylump )' " U' lo n recall;o.. " An d )u d delll ) Irea h,e,J. 85 gn1nd in tlt sh d ocs 1001.lump), ,),Qtl ).:no\\' ."

A 101 lump ier Iha n Ihe S4 2,SOO II yea rhe " " "~ earni ng ' lI Ihe el'change . U't on \res igl1lll 1011 U\ 197

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pjnkie ringand m:llchinl bimbos on eacharm-was dh'e n in . mou,&h,

oUI Ihe mo,'es! int Vil\ls . , . . ~ " '..eus. the moves loo ked like triptercvel'$Cmin uets , His Riclmarn e s - the Ph:lntom,the MLMI Bomber. the Roadrunner-

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II n bm at u.l.;: T uhoc . Ihc) k fl fo r Nc..-ada. " Wcahll from g.lmblm,

,\ ","urd Outl,loR;U if . .. . . . .