Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(123)
4 star:		(54)
3 star:		(30)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

This is a fun and interesting book. Nothing too heavy. Just a light, easy to read book - which is sometimes the very best thing. In the same easy to read level of entertainment as "Moneyball" (Michael Lewis), "Stranger Than Fiction" (Chuck Palahniuk), or "My Fractured Life" (Rikki Lee Travolta).

I'm of two minds about this book. On the one hand, I am duly impressed that these students managed to take the 'big houses' of Vegas for as much money as they did. On the other hand, I found it very hard to get over the author worshipping at the alter of MIT. And by this I mean that the author took every opportunity to let you know that these weren't just any students who took Vegas for millions, they were MIT students.

My beef with the author's love of MIT aside, the premise of this book is fascinating. To learn or hear of people, in this day and age, being able to make bucket loads in the Vegas casinos, is fascinating. What's more, the author presents the story in such a fashion that it is almost part story, part 20/20 documentary. He (the author) does a nice job of explaining to you exactly how the students managed to make all of their money from the casinos, while at the same time sprinkling enough information in each chapter to keep the reader interested to find out if the protagonists will make it rich, or get caught in the process.

Everyone gambles. But it is only a few lucky people who have learned to gamble well and make money. And if you're interested in getting a glimpse into the lives of those who do gamble for the big bucks, then this book is for you.

Ben Mezrich knows how to tell a story. He takes us along with Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Black Jack team on casino assaults from Las Vegas to the Bahamas. We experience the life of high stakes gamblers... the fabulous hotel complementary rooms and the casinos' violent response to big talented winners. He briefly discusses the theory of card counting among team players early on, but saves the details for the last chapter. Ben also admits that the casinos have adapted by implementing continuous card shuffling machines. As a computer programmer with designs on lotteries, I felt a connection to fellow Boston area college students with a plan and the determination to follow through. I hope they make a movie out of this.

If you like gambling, like myself, I think this book is worthwhile. It's not exactly a dissertation on winning at blackjack by any means, or a how-to book on winning lots of cash in gambling. It's pretty much a tale of a team of card-counters that hit up Vegas for millions. Whether it's true or not, I'm not sure. But it is a fun read. The story is interesting, and keeps you captivated enough so you won't put it down. But a light pleasure read. The main negative I have with this book is that it really isn't that well-written. While it is an easy read, the author shifts in and out of 1st and 3rd person narrative a lot, not only chapter by chapter, but also within pages. Not that it makes it confusing, but after awhile it becomes annoying. But all in all I thought the book was fun to read. So I'd give it 3 and a half stars, rounded up to 4.

Bringing Down The House was a very fascinating look at high stakes gambling and mathematics. Leave it to MIT students to figure out a way to win millions from the Vegas casinos! It was definitely intriguing to read about their strategy and "game playing" and how not to get caught! Probably amazing is more like it! The book opened a new dimension to card counting that was a real eye opener to me.

As glamorous as it all seemed, with all the money being won and lost, I was glad that the author also brought into play the repercussions on getting caught as well as losing. The allure of millions of dollars along with a proven system of beating the cards and brainy students from MIT proves to be a powerful combination, as the author finds out first hand. Successes as well as failures are portrayed and one can really see how the "gambling fever" takes hold and is a hard habit to shake. Broken relationships and marriages are a given, as is seen first hand.

The story is amazing and again, this one of those books that you just can't put down!!! One has to keep reminding oneself that the story is true! With all the high tech security systems in place now, I am wondering if the MIT card counters still have the same success as they once knew and if they are still at it!

Absolutely fascinating read! You won't be disappointed!

It's not wonder this book was a best seller. It is an extremely easy read and a hard book to put down. Its absolutely amazing what these students were able to accomplish. I highly recommend this book.

This book was a fun quick read. Some people in their reviews seemed to take it too serious looking into the specifics of MIT etc. Its an exciting story that is probably going to be a movie, but if you are going to spend more time worrying about the tax issues involved with moving this money around, then its not worth the time.

As many postings mentioned, the writing is that of a cheap pocket book. But my main problem with it though was the feel of fake that I got from reading. The descriptions of MIT are very unespecific. Kevin always knows people from phisics and linear algebra classes that he took and those are classes you take in the first year of an engineering course, altough he was already in his senior year when the story begins. There are no mentions of specific details about MIT (even I know about the Infinite Corridor) or more specific engineering courses that the main character might be taking. There are also several mentions to students that are in the "honors track" or that "honored in molecular engineering". As far as I know, MIT does not have honors lists, only two or three awards per class if that. And how about a part Chinese, part Brazilian guy named Jason Fisher? Also, why would the casinos spend so much money hosting guys that won tons of money. I always thought that their interest was in atracting big money losers. And how stupid would the casinos have to be so as not to notice right away a guy that checks in under two different names.

It might just be the bad writing, but the book left me with the impression of being a total fake as non-fiction. As fiction it has some interest. Possible movie as well.

This was one of the most entertaining non-fiction books I've ever read. It reads like a fast-paced fiction novel, and the whole time I was reading it I kept pausing to think, "Hey, this isn't fiction. It really happened" and this only made the book more interesting. The insider's view into the world of high-stakes blackjack and the lives of serious card counters was fascinating. I had no idea that card counters worked on finely-orchestrated teams. Although I knew that Kevin's card-counting days were going to come to an end (heck, this book wouldn't have been written otherwise), it was still suspenseful as I waited to find out HOW and WHEN his blackjack days ended. This was a highly entertaining book, a fun and quick read. I definitely recommend it.

I thought card counting was boring statistical spreadsheets until I read this book. It was so much fun, I hope they turn it into a movie!