Lewis was recruited by two of the team's top players, Jason Fisher and Andre Martinez. Refresh and try again. Not the simple art of card counting where one knows which cards should be left in a single deck but the ART of card counting where one can make accurate assumptions of which cards are left in a blackjack shoe at a casino, 6 decks. In general, the language used within this book is very easy to comprehend, but there are a few uses of vulgar language that may be a nuisance to people who don’t prefer them. Upon hearing this news, Kevin is eager to take a break while Fisher is still adamant about plowing ahead. Mezrich not only exaggerated freely, according to sources for both articles, but invented whole parts of the story, including some pivotal events in the book that never happened to anyone. The story of Kevin Lewis and some other MIT kids of Asian descent, who were hand-picked by a former MIT prof to count cards in Vegas. When Dylan makes it back to his apartment, he’s overwhelmed to discover that his house had been broken into and that the safe with all of his money was gone. The author ends the chapter by explaining the difference between casino cheaters and card counters. Jeff Ma, Bill Kaplan, and Henry Houh, another team player from the 1990s, have brief cameo roles in the movie. Furious, Kevin picks up the phone to form his own team, which consists of Tay, Dylan, and Jill. I guess there is also a movie. It turned out, however, that he only owns a different book by the same author. I like the fact that this is really happened. Card-counting is using your noodle, it is by no means a criminal activity, yet the casinos which say that gambling is a good sport we should all enjoy, don't act like good sports when others are enjoying winning (regularly). The characters and well described places really brought me into the book, and into the world of Kevin Lewis. See 1 question about Bringing Down the House…, Ugly Americans: The True Story of the Ivy League Cowboys Who Raided the Asian Markets for Millions, Rigged: The True Story of an Ivy League Kid Who Changed the World of Oil, from Wall Street to Dubai, Sex on the Moon: The Amazing Story Behind the Most Audacious Heist in History, Busting Vegas: A True Story of Monumental Excess, Sex, Love, Violence, and Beating the Odds, July/August 2020 Mod's Choice: Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. The Accidental Billionaires also made it to the New York Times Bestseller List, inspiring the 2010 production of the movie: Social Networking. I should have known something was wrong when the geography of the Strip was fucked up in his mini-history of the rise of the mega-casinos. Everything seemed to be going as planned until casinos security knocked down Martinez’s door, revealing that he knew their team was from Boston and that those disguises weren’t fooling anybody. Although he almost works up enough courage to tell his father about his card counting experiences, he quickly realizes that the timing isn’t right. The author doesn't engage any potential themes, just seems content telling the story in a faux-suspenseful, overly sentimental way, and is self-indulgent in including himself in the narrative. Though published as a factual account and originally categorized under "Current Events" in the hardcover Free Press edition, Bringing Down the House "is not a work of 'nonfiction' in any meaningful sense of the word," according to Globe reporter Drake Bennett. I really resent it when an author states that their work is one of nonfiction, when it isn't. We flash forward to next weekend where Kevin and Martinez are being picked up from the airport in a Mercedes Limousine. He’s also spoiled by the casino comps, being swept away by everything this lifestyle has to offer. and advice for dealing with problem gambling. Some readers thought that immoderate use of cursing kind of brought the book to a lower level. Famous Hollywood actors and actresses starred in this film including Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, and Kate Bosworth. A car followed close behind Kevin that night, making sure he left the casino, and warning him to never return. It reads like a halfway decent high school report. He finally graduated M.I.T. Kevin’s team and Fisher’s team end up playing at the same casino, but both teams refuse to leave. It's a great real-life story (or as real as the book claims to be), but the writing style, pacing, and narration turned me off a little. Although it wasn't as good as I thought it would be, it was still a good read. His past is filled with white picket fences, perfectly mowed lawns, and pristine homes. The book was adapted into the movies 21 and The Last Casino. We are introduced to Tay in this chapter, quickly discovering that he will make a nice asset to the team. I enjoyed the book. This chapter focuses on some of Kevin’s early experiences in Las Vegas as a spotter and gorilla. The pace of this book was off at certain times and the characters were not believable most of the time, even though it was supposedly a true story. As the subtitle to this book indicates, this is the story of a group of math wizzes, most associated with MIT, who use the science of probability to win millions at Black Jack. Guess that is why I am not an MIT graduate. However, there are also claims by both the New York Times and Boston Magazine against this book, saying that many of the events that took place in the book didn’t actually happen to the team in real life. Martinez calls to warn Kevin that this entire situation is even worse than they thought. The pace of this book was off at certain times and the characters were not believable most of the time, even though it was supposedly a true story. By the end of this chapter, Kevin learns that there’s a lot more to their weekend excursions than he could have ever imagined. The team's principal leader, Micky Rosa is a composite character based primarily on Bill Kaplan, JP Massar, and John Chang. Would it be ok for a 16 year old? I would let my 16 year old read anything. Apparently Mezrich wrote this story based on his meetings with some members of the MIT Blackjack teams. Oh well. In Chapter 6, we really get insight into how the team works and get introduced to the three main parts of the team: Spotters, Gorillas, and Big Players. And shock enough to be entertained better and better with each chapter. We watch Kevin grow over the years, getting attached to him and feeling sorry for him as his world slowly starts to crumble around him. I do wonder if some parts were dramatized and have seen some buzz to support that. The character's names have been changed and many of the individual characters Medrich writes about, are actually composites of several people. Kevin gets sick shortly before the fight is about to start, so he decides to get some rest instead. Excellent book, read whilst chilling by the pool on holiday and was a really enjoyable read. I was the sucker who shut off my critical tools when reading it and swallowed this hook-line-and-sinker. How bad is the use of adult language? Despite again being listed as non-fiction Busting Vegas showed similar inaccuracies in recounting the facts with the main character Semyon Dukach contesting several of the events depicted in the book.[8]. [1] Bill Kaplan founded and led the MIT Blackjack Team in the 1980s and co-managed the team with Massar and Chang from 1992 to 1993, during which time Jeff Ma joined the then nearly 80 person team. The dialog between characters also helps us understand them. We also get introduced to his two roommates: Martinez and Fisher. Ben Mezrich’s writing style is very enticing, and we can see that even in this short, simple sentence. I disagree with this. The following events described in Bringing Down the House did not occur: Though not originally intended to have a sequel, Mezrich followed this book with Busting Vegas (ISBN 0060575123). She is open and honest with Ben, explaining that she doesn’t think this book is a good idea. We’d love your help. Backed by “shady investors” that they supposedly never met, the team used a decades-old method of card counting (a modified version of “hi-lo,” based on the number of high cards left in the deck) and some interesting hand signals to collectively rake in the millions. Although it wasn't as good as I thought it would be, it was still a good read. Mickey takes it surprisingly well and although it’s obvious that he’s hurt from the situation, he gives the boys some quality advice. Bringing Down the House Review For readers looking for a novel that constantly keeps them on the edge of their seats and eager to find out what happens next, this is certainly the book for you. It was an easy read that kept my attention. This bood reads like a suspense novel- an easy read, that I finished in one sitting. I recently saw the film on DVD, and decided to read the book. Start by marking “Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. When the movie "21" (based on this book) was released last year, the Boston Sunday Globe's magazine section ran an article on the book, its author and some of the famed MIT players. [2], Mezrich acknowledges that Lewis is the sole major character based on a single, real-life individual; other characters are composites. team. Things seem to be going great for Kevin until he receives a signal from his spotter, telling him to get out of there immediately. They were encouraged by the fact that they were able to make over $50,000 without being detected by security. April explains how much money a good stripper can actually make, and makes an interesting comparison of strip clubs to casinos. In the last chapter of this book, we discover that three years have passed and Kevin no longer plays blackjack. This film was highly anticipated by those who read the book, which is why it brought in over $24,000,000 opening weekend alone. Nope, they then act like very bad sports indeed by getting these winners banned from each and every casino in the world. Ben Mezrich has created his own highly addictive genre of nonfiction, chronicling the amazing stories of young geniuses making tons of money on the edge of impossibility, ethics, and morality. We learn that he was a very dedicated student, spending most of his weekends at one of Boston’s top hospitals and all of his spare time swimming for the M.I.T. The team suspects there be may private investigators on their case. Busting Vegas is about another splinter group from the MIT Blackjack Team. Going through airports with large sums it money, through security, no way! I just thought he was taking some liberties, which he was, I mean it's not like it's difficult to tell the casinos apart just by looking at them. September 17th 2002 The team moves onto Louisiana where they enter Jack Binion’s Horseshoe casino for the first time. Ben Mezrich’s nonfiction book, Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. They would overcome being recognized by the casinos by using unique disguises. He now spends most of his free time writing non-fiction books, most famous for writing Bringing Down the House, as it stayed on the New York Times Bestseller List for over a year and eventually was developed into the award winning movie: 21. Although, at some moments it was not needed, the use of this language did not make a book terrible. This book focuses on the life of Kevin Lewis, one of the M.I.T. The funny thing is filming may take place in casinos such as The Mirage and Caesar's Palace, where the real thing happened. Slowly but surely, Kevin starts to understand that Martinez is a high roller, gambling up to $25,000 a hand in blackjack. Retrieved March 6, 2007. This book answers my questions to my satisfaction. Under Martinez’ watchful eye, Kevin applied some of the tips Martinez explained to him, and he was able to make a couple hundred dollars. Of course this couldn't happen now, security has gotten much tighter. For readers looking for a novel that constantly keeps them on the edge of their seats and eager to find out what happens next, this is certainly the book for you.
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