Status
Available
Call number
Publication
William Heinemann Ltd (2003), 272 pages
Description
When M.I.T. student Kevin Lewis meets classmates Jason Fisher and Andre Martinez, he is intrigued. Although neither seems to have any real responsibilities, they always have plenty of cash. One evening, they tell Kevin why. Using card-tracking calculations, they have devised a way to beat blackjack. Once he learns the system, Kevin joins Jason and Andre at the casinos. There to the growing dismay of gambling kingpins, they make a fortune--all perfectly legal.
User reviews
LibraryThing member brendajanefrank
An amazing story of very nervy students making money against the odds.
LibraryThing member kanata
A fun read that took a somewhat boring concept of advanced math applied to gamboling and made it interesting. Engaging characters but I am sure they will be much watered down for the movie.
LibraryThing member sdave001
Wonderful book - One of the most entertaining non-fiction books I have ever read. I caught myself feeling very envious of the group while they were flying high - the cash, the red carpet treatment, the excitement - it must have been a wild ride. On the other hand, this book also really made you
Excellent book - highly recommended.
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feel the pain, loneliness and emptiness that they felt as it all started to crumble. Excellent book - highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member HvyMetalMG
If I had superior intellect and extraordinary mathematic skills I would take my gifts to help design something that would change the world. Yeah. Right! I would do exactly what these MIT students did and learn to count cards and rob the casinos blind! This is a great book based on a true story of
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the MIT kids who formed a gang of card counters and the consequences of their high stake exploits in casinos around the country. Written very well, this book makes you want to go out and learn how to count cards. Than you realize it is impossible and go back to playing $5 tables and losing your money before you get refreshed on that comped Jack and Coke. One can dream though... Show Less
LibraryThing member ctmsrybo
Bringing Down The House by Ben Mezrich is the story of how a group of MIT students used card counting to take Vegas for all the money it had. The book is centered around student Kevin Lewis, who is going about his college duties, studying and working for his degree. Then one day, Kevin is asked to
Bringing Down The House includes a very exciting, action-packed, and on the edge storyline told by Mezrich himself. The thrill of winning huge sums and the life of partying almost every weekend is almost paradise for Kevin Lewis. This thrill, told very thoroughly and expertly by Ben Mezrich is filled with a great deal of action some of it good, some of it bad. The MIT team eventually runs into issues from casinos, such as being forced to leave, being privately confronted, or being threatened to have their money taken away. This excitement, as well as the problems cre ate a great storyline that leads to a shocking ending to Bringing Down The House.
Another aspect of Bringing Down The House which I enjoyed was the theme, or moral of the story. The theme really and truly is saying not to push your luck too far, especially in Vegas. In the book, the MIT blackjack team earns lucrative cash, as well as endless luxuries in Vegas, that is, until the casinos start to catch on to their card counting. In our lives, we can take risks financially and physically, but eventually they will start to catch up with us. This is a great moral on life, as it can be proven fairly easy.
There are also other parts of Bringing Down The House which I enjoyed, such as the layout of the chapters, and the character personalities. The layout of the chapters went so that the story always resumed on a certain date, summing up what happened in between and skipping right to the key parts to the plot. I really enjoyed this, as the story was spread over a long period of time and you really get to see all of the ups and downs of everyone. The second thing I enjoyed were the differing character personalities, which really played a role in how Bringing Down The House played out. This is shown in how each of the characters acted different while in Vegas, some more cocky, while some laid back, which eventually led to them being caught for card counting. Now, they have to try to escape the authorities and continue to card count.
Overall, Bringing Down The House is a story of gains and losses, exactly what happens in real world Vegas. I have decided to give the book a 4-star rating out of 5. The storyline of the book is very interesting and action-packed, and really takes some unexpected turns. The theme of “don’t push your luck” is also very good, and true to life as well as real world Vegas. The personalities of each character really contradict each other, and make a difference in how their card counting scheme works out. I also really enjoyed how the book spanned multiple years, making the whole card counting adventure seem like an endless party. I would certainly recommend this book, especially to any adventure seeker in a book, as it will keep you on your toes.
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come to a MIT blackjack team meeting by Fisher and Martinez after one of his swim practices, and he complies. Kevin is then asked by legendary blackjack player Micky Rosa to join MIT’s blackjack team. Kevin soon agrees, and goes through rigorous training to eventually learn the game inside and out, and be ready for Vegas. When the time comes, Kevin gets ready and sets off for Vegas with team. Kevin can’t believe the amount of money to be made through card counting.Throughout the next few years, Kevin and the team go on to terrorize Vegas, taking millions from casinos and striking it rich. Eventually however, the casinos catch on. They don’t like card counting, even though it is legal. Will the team continue to rack in the dough, or will their new partying lifestyle in Vegas go up in smoke?Bringing Down The House includes a very exciting, action-packed, and on the edge storyline told by Mezrich himself. The thrill of winning huge sums and the life of partying almost every weekend is almost paradise for Kevin Lewis. This thrill, told very thoroughly and expertly by Ben Mezrich is filled with a great deal of action some of it good, some of it bad. The MIT team eventually runs into issues from casinos, such as being forced to leave, being privately confronted, or being threatened to have their money taken away. This excitement, as well as the problems cre ate a great storyline that leads to a shocking ending to Bringing Down The House.
Another aspect of Bringing Down The House which I enjoyed was the theme, or moral of the story. The theme really and truly is saying not to push your luck too far, especially in Vegas. In the book, the MIT blackjack team earns lucrative cash, as well as endless luxuries in Vegas, that is, until the casinos start to catch on to their card counting. In our lives, we can take risks financially and physically, but eventually they will start to catch up with us. This is a great moral on life, as it can be proven fairly easy.
There are also other parts of Bringing Down The House which I enjoyed, such as the layout of the chapters, and the character personalities. The layout of the chapters went so that the story always resumed on a certain date, summing up what happened in between and skipping right to the key parts to the plot. I really enjoyed this, as the story was spread over a long period of time and you really get to see all of the ups and downs of everyone. The second thing I enjoyed were the differing character personalities, which really played a role in how Bringing Down The House played out. This is shown in how each of the characters acted different while in Vegas, some more cocky, while some laid back, which eventually led to them being caught for card counting. Now, they have to try to escape the authorities and continue to card count.
Overall, Bringing Down The House is a story of gains and losses, exactly what happens in real world Vegas. I have decided to give the book a 4-star rating out of 5. The storyline of the book is very interesting and action-packed, and really takes some unexpected turns. The theme of “don’t push your luck” is also very good, and true to life as well as real world Vegas. The personalities of each character really contradict each other, and make a difference in how their card counting scheme works out. I also really enjoyed how the book spanned multiple years, making the whole card counting adventure seem like an endless party. I would certainly recommend this book, especially to any adventure seeker in a book, as it will keep you on your toes.
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LibraryThing member GabbyReElle
A good story that could have been made great in more capable hands. The writing was grandiose, if not melodramatic, and often a bit too cliche for my taste. Along with the writing, the story itself bordered on redundant at times.
LibraryThing member bribre01
Reads like a suspense novel, but it's a fantastic and interesting true story! Loved it! One of the best non-fiction books I've ever read!
LibraryThing member DSD
Bringing Down the House was a very enjoyable and easy read. It grips you from the first page with a nerve wrecking description of a mule's walk through airport security till it spits you out at the end after having shown you the various facets and history of Las Vegas' card counters. It's a book
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that definitely opens your eyes to the life styles of a select few and I don't mean celebrities or business/entertainment moguls. At the same time it covers the people involved in a very personal way which makes you identify with the characters very quickly. If you like strategy, suspense and a good story then you'll like this book and no doubt, the other book swritten by the author. Show Less
LibraryThing member gobucks578201
Reads like a screenplay. A little hokey, but an enjoyable read.
LibraryThing member shawnd
I like this. A very quick and enjoyable read. Made me remember college days and some students. I'm not a gambler but made me wonder if I could be a professional gambler. A real life John Grisham!
LibraryThing member BrianDewey
I bought this book in the Reno airport and finished it by the time the plane touched down in Seattle. (I had a long time to spend in Reno!) It's a suspenseful tale written in the easy-to-consume style of a modern detective story. I suspect that facts were liberally rearranged for maximum drama, so
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don't go reading this as a piece of history. Instead, read it as a fun Ocean's-11 style story that happens to be strongly based in reality. Show Less
LibraryThing member nbmars
The title of the book pretty much summarizes its thesis. A small group of students from M.I.T. learn to count cards and play blackjack, taking ostensibly sophisticated Las Vegas casinos for millions of dollars over a short time. Actually, they returned only a little over 30% per year on their
The casinos made quite an effort to identify these kids and certainly pushed the borders of legality in discouraging them from plying their "trade." The kids used team work rather than rely on individual card counters. Some served as low betting counter/spotters, looking for tables at which the odds had turned against the house. The counter/spotters would then signal a Big Player, who would sit down at the table and start betting near the limit. The process worked for quite a while. One time, they were discovered at a casino when they had accumulated a large cache of chips. They could not cash in the chips, so they relied on their contacts among the local strippers and lap dancers (who often received tips in chips) to launder their winnings.
An unimportant book, but a fun read.
(JAB)
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investments--pretty good, but a lot of sweat equity went into those returns. They probably would have made more working in a high tech industry during the relevant time period. The casinos made quite an effort to identify these kids and certainly pushed the borders of legality in discouraging them from plying their "trade." The kids used team work rather than rely on individual card counters. Some served as low betting counter/spotters, looking for tables at which the odds had turned against the house. The counter/spotters would then signal a Big Player, who would sit down at the table and start betting near the limit. The process worked for quite a while. One time, they were discovered at a casino when they had accumulated a large cache of chips. They could not cash in the chips, so they relied on their contacts among the local strippers and lap dancers (who often received tips in chips) to launder their winnings.
An unimportant book, but a fun read.
(JAB)
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LibraryThing member MissWoodhouse1816
A great story with much potential. I did find the language to be objectional and gratuitous for the most part. In all, I really enjoyed the fictional flair of this real-life event, and I can't wait to see what they do with the plot in "21".
LibraryThing member Nekosohana
The single best blackjack book I have ever read. It's so well written I would often forget that this was based on a true story.
Also, it's an easy read. I read this on a flight home from Vegas in about 3 hours. Loved it the first time I read it, and loved it every time since then.
Also, it's an easy read. I read this on a flight home from Vegas in about 3 hours. Loved it the first time I read it, and loved it every time since then.
LibraryThing member kd9
A thrilling, but lightweight, tale of several MIT students who discover that card counting in blackjack is more lucrative (and more exciting) than education or traditional businesses. Although card counting is not strictly illegal, it is hated by casino owners and their employees. Getting caught
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counting cards can lead to long hours in a dark basement. But winning is addictive and when your only friends are the members of your card counting team, leaving the action can be difficult. Now with new surveillance methods and facial recognition software used by casino management, the height of successful card counters is over and their tale can now be told. Show Less
LibraryThing member jpsnow
Applied statistics turn into a page-turning thriller that is the basis for the currently popular movie, "21." The underlying mathematical assessment of blackjack is interesting in its own right, but the suspense comes from this true story about the scheme these students used to beat the house.
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Mezrich subtley overlays observations about the effects of the Vegas culture and the impact of the whole experience on Kevin Lewis. Show Less
LibraryThing member ague
Could not put it down. Probably a 9.5/10. Amazing true story. I can't wait to see the movie that is to come out at the end of March 2008.
LibraryThing member etoiline
A very fast-paced, thoroughly understandable book about a subject that seems not-quite-legal and incomprehensible to most of us. It made me want to go back to Vegas and try my hand at blackjack, even though I never managed to make anything when I went there a few years ago. I identified with the
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main character even though he is nothing like me, and for a while my head was filled with dreams of making a killing at the little half-circle of green felt. A fun read. Show Less
LibraryThing member jennyo
I ripped through this book in less than a day. It's the story of some math whiz kids from MIT who developed a very sophisticated system for counting cards while playing blackjack. Now, counting cards, as long as it's done without mechanical devices, is not illegal, but casinos tend to go to pretty
This book reads like a thriller. So much so, that I wasn't the least surprised to find out that Kevin Spacey is making it into a movie. I think it'll be a good one.
Even if you don't normally read non-fiction, you might want to check this book out. It's completely engrossing, and you'll stay up late in order to find out what happens to these kids.
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great lengths to discourage it.This book reads like a thriller. So much so, that I wasn't the least surprised to find out that Kevin Spacey is making it into a movie. I think it'll be a good one.
Even if you don't normally read non-fiction, you might want to check this book out. It's completely engrossing, and you'll stay up late in order to find out what happens to these kids.
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LibraryThing member dvf1976
MIT nerds vs. Las Vegas makes for a compelling story. I'm itching to see how much hi-lo card counting I can use when I play.
I thought the main insight this book gave me (and it's probably pretty obvious to most folks already) is that Blackjack is one of the (if not only) casino games that has a
I thought the main insight this book gave me (and it's probably pretty obvious to most folks already) is that Blackjack is one of the (if not only) casino games that has a
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'history'. What you've seen before can help you figure out what you're going to see. Show Less
LibraryThing member Djupstrom
Great nonfiction book that reads like a fast-paced action adventure. It was just a matter of time before they made it into a movie. Now if only this group of students could use its talents for the good of mankind...like erasing our national debt.
LibraryThing member MortimerRandolph
Essentially a novel arranged around the wraith of a true story but prossing itself as non-fiction, it can‘t even fare well as fiction.
Its focus is off. Instead of depicting the MIT blackjack team as it operated, the book spends manifold pages exaggerating the seductions and the dangers of the
A book that should have been interesting instead bogs down in pitiful attempts to be grandiose and cinematic.
Its focus is off. Instead of depicting the MIT blackjack team as it operated, the book spends manifold pages exaggerating the seductions and the dangers of the
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trade. Too much space is devoted, also, to attempts to justify morally something few readers will find problematic to begin with.A book that should have been interesting instead bogs down in pitiful attempts to be grandiose and cinematic.
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LibraryThing member skokie
I couldn't put this book down. A story of how a group of talented students were used by some savy investors to make a lot of money playing blackjack. The author takes you behind the scenes of this story, while giving you some insight that could only be provided by one of the cheaters themselves.
LibraryThing member sweetiegherkin
I wouldn't have necessarily picked this book up on my own but now that I've finished it (for a book club discussion) I'm glad that I read it. The book tells the true story of a team of highly intelligent, mathematically-inclined students (mostly from MIT) who use sophisticated strategies to legally
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win millions by playing blackjack. (On a side note, I really don't get the subtitle as the book describes a team of 12 players, not 6.) The writing is not top-notch, but it is fast-paced and works with the subject and setting (most of the major action takes place in Vegas). At the end, there's a short essay by one of the MIT insiders giving more detail on exactly how the team was able to win at blackjack, which was written to be understandable even to someone like me, who is not a math whiz to say the least! I'd recommended this book as a short, light read that opens up your eyes to a world you probably wouldn't know much about otherwise. Show Less
LibraryThing member foof2you
A facinating read of how a group of people went to Vegas and made money. Interesting how it was done eventually made into the movie "21"
Subjects
Awards
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
272 p.; 9.21 inches
ISBN
043401124X / 9780434011247