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

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

List Price: $14.00
Your Price: $10.50
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Ok we've all dreamed of it ...
Review: Who hasn't dreamed of flying into Vegas and walking away a winner? I know I have. In my mind I know that the odds are against me. Yet the very sound of slots ringing is like a siren's call driving all of my common sense goes out the window, as this little voice whispers in my ear... "What if?..."

Apparently there are those that dream and others that do. This book is about several brilliant MIT grads that lived the dream. Written by one of these casino legends, this is the story about the plan,action and consequences of going up against the big shots of gambling.

Although the writing wouldn't put Shakespeare to shame, the story will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The story stands on its own - from an MIT alum
Review: Ben Mezrich may not be the best writer ever, or even one of the better ones, but with this story it doesn't matter. I zipped through this easy read in a few days, perhaps more interested in the story than others because I knew these people in college. I loved the 'fictional' descriptions of old friends I recognized immediately.

This is an entertaining, fast-paced read, and the fact that it's true makes it that much more exciting. Who cares if there are some narrative discrepancies?

I can't wait for this movie to come out. It's going to be better than Good Will Hunting, The Recruit, and Blown Away put together.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Blackjack will never be the same
Review: When I first heard that there was a book by a bunch of MIT students on a trip to Vegas, I was less than interested. Then I found out the book is about how they took a team card-counting scheme to the City of Sin and walked out with millions. Finally the word-of-mouth hype got the better of me, and I decided that maybe it was worth reading.

I decided wisely. This was probably the most fun I've ever had reading non-fiction. Follow six MIT students across the US hitting casino after casino getting rich, getting popular, and eventually getting in over their heads. From Vegas to Foxwoods, these guys counted cards like no one ever had before. Their system utilized a basic card-counting strategy, but at a team level. They revolutionzed and perfected the team card-counting process so that it was nearly impossible to spot. But eventually they find that all good things have to come to an end.

Either way, this book was great. Not only fun to read, but quick as well. You can probably tear through this in a weekend. If you like Blackjack, if you have ever tried to count cards, or even if you've never played the game before, this book is a trip that shouldn't be missed. My only regret is that casino-owners all over the world have read this by now and will be paying closer attention for the MIT system. Too bad....

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Cool with a capital C
Review: The game within the game, the lifestyle, the characters ....... its all too good. I've read few books as fast as this one. Albeit, its not that big. Mezrich has great story telling talent and he had some awsome material to work with here. It made me truely envy these guys. It may be all but impossible to pull it off at this point but after I read this I couldn't stop reading about counting and statistical analysis as it relates to gambling. I highly recomend it to anyone looking for a light fun read. You cannot be disapointed.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Read
Review: I got this book from my aunt for Christmas and I absolutely loved it. The story was entertaining and interesting because it was real. It was an easy read and hard to put down. I had to fight my brother for it. Anybody who likes gambling, Vegas, or just a good stort should read this book. Great.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: grave lack of foresight
Review: I am very disappointed that this book was published and gained so much popularity. I myself play blackjack, as do many others. But it is exactly this kind of publicity (as enjoyed by others-- such as Thorpe, Wong...) that alerts the casinos into making those changes that are injurious for the player-- bad table rules, auto-shuffling, etc. Yes, it is the popularity of these blackjack-secrets books that have helped inspire all those changes. Even the narrator at the end concedes that blackjack is increasingly a difficult game today. Then why, pray tell, would he help write a tell-all book that will only usher in more casino "crack-down"?
The casinos read the same books, and I am certain WILL continue to retaliate. Disclosing a very valuable system, which apparently many independent groups follow, may help weave an interesting story and give the author(s) a little bang for the buck for now. But in the long run, it will only collectively hurt all the blackjack players. Table rules will be changed so that the casinos can recover more of the edge lost to the counters-- the effect of this is that the probability of winning becomes worse for counters AND non-counters alike (those using basic strategy)... along with all those folks who might consider taking up blackjack in the future. Thanks a LOT, author(s). Enjoy the limelight now. But you should know that you have also dragged into it many other resentful players who would have much rather preferred playing in the dark. Because of books like this one and all its publicity, serious players will now have to worry about being a bit more cautious, and possibly needing to devise new strategies to "beat the dealer" in response to the changing rules. All future BJ players should have legitimate concerns that their beloved game one day just may not be beatable anymore...

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Very respectable attempt
Review: I would just like to say that I read this book on a plane to and from Newark NJ, on a short vacation. Not only did I find the topic interesting, but I enjoyed the authors way of drawing the reader into the world of these MIT casino hoppers. I give the book four stars due to the fact that the author wasn't as vivid as one might think a novelist should be. Then again, this was suposed to be mostly fact and not a novel. Not once did I take offense to the authors use of his knowledge of Boston to further detail the story, nor did I find the fact that he changed the names of certain people and locations. I find that very respectable and hope that this Book is as good a read for you as it was for me.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Bringing down the book
Review: I am an avivd reader, and this one of the best books that I have ever read. Mr. Mezrich brings rich detail and first hand knowledge to his writings in this book. The way he sets up the story line leaves me wanting more. I was sorry when I finally got to the last chapter.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Entertaining book
Review: I'm not one who has the slightest interest in gambling or the casino life-style, but I found this book to be quite interesting. It's a story of a group of MIT students who have figured out a (legal) way to beat the casinos at blackjack--and they do so to the tune of millions of dollars! They manage to keep this going for 5 years or so before they're finally banned from the major casinos.

Had this book been fiction, I probably wouldn't have been interested. But the story kept my attention throughout. I probably would have given this book 5-stars were it not for the author's R-rated language.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Black Jack Magic
Review: Fascinating adventure of bold card players teaming up to win millions in Vegas. The book is not just about playing black jack, it is a nice story describing the heart pounding risks involved with scheming to win big and pulling it off! I highly recommend.


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