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01:00:27 am on June 11, 2004 | # |
Tags: library

Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions

Cindy got me this book right before our trip to Tahoe last week. Wow… what a great story! Brings back memories of when my friends and I would make trips to Vegas, Reno, and Lake Tahoe to gamble. I wasn’t much of a gambler back then (nor am I today) — it was more of a bachelor’s habit than anything else.

Ben Mezrich, the author, writes about “The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions.” Although this is a non-fiction, it certainly reads like fiction. Double lives, private investigators, backroom stories to make your skin crawl, the VIP life, and lots of money on the table make for a great Hollywood movie. This book is like Ocean’s 11 mixed with A Beautiful Mind and Maverick all in one. Definitely a good read if you’re looking for a little action.

At the end of the book, Kevin Lewis (the main character — I doubt that’s his real name), wrote an essay about “How to Count Cards and Beat Vegas.” The card counting technique they used may have been developed by mathematicians and game theorists, but the actual practice of the technique is rather simple. It’s how well a player executes the technique without being noticed by the casino staff that will determine how successful one is at the blackjack table. This essay is a good addition to the book for those who are interested in the details.

Definitely worth a read.