• Topic: Casino
  • Author: Ben Mezrich
  • Pages: 272
  • Published: 2002

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The Plot

It is refreshing to see that Mezrich’s book has been inspired by accomplishments that actually took place in the real world. The MIT Blackjack Team is a group of card counters who play the game of blackjack and make money by identifying the cards that have already been dealt, which gives them an advantage over other players. They first came to be in the early 1980s when one team member found out about it while on vacation in Las Vegas. From there, they recruited more members and devised a system for getting past casino security.

Bringing Down the House is a great book that is meant for anyone who plays blackjack and wants to learn more. The book also has a lot of information on how to play blackjack in different settings as well, from casinos to online. The book was made into a film of the same name, released in April 2008. It stars actor Kevin Spacey as Micky Rosa and actor Jim Sturgess as Ben Campbell. Director Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde) shot the film in Montreal, Canada that summer, with a budget of $25 million. While the movie 21 is essentially a dramatization of this group’s activities, the book is an interesting read that offers insights not only into the team’s activities, but also into their backgrounds, motivations and personalities. The intricacies of casino game-play are described in a manner that makes them accessible to even non-gamblers. The hope of one day being able to turn the tables on Vegas and make millions by counting cards remains an idealistic dream for even the most resourceful young minds.

Dilema

Maybe it’s not easy to steal from a casino, but is this even ethical? As far as I understand it, casinos are businesses and they have every right to protect their money. Sure, the players have every right to try to beat the house by any means necessary (despite the fact that it might be considered cheating), but the casinos do not need to allow these players at all. If they continue to do so, they should expect such fliers and may possibly be liable for loss of revenue if someone else cheats without their knowledge. This is hardly fair on them. Whether or not these students were successful in beating the house after their actions have been published, they shouldn’t be promoting this idea because they can change the rules of blackjack in any casino and make a living from it. However once again, if a business is dumb enough to allow people like this into their casino, then maybe someone should take advantage of that situation!

Main Idea

The takeaway here is that a bit of reverse engineering, analysis, and math works wonders. The idea that blackjack could be studied to such a degree, and with enough data, it could be beaten by developing skill alone is amazing. Bringing Down the House will help you understand the inner workings of card counting, something that is frowned upon by casinos, but could apparently become a necessary skill for gamblers. You might want to consider reading this book if you plan on going to Vegas anytime soon.

Verdict

Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich is a fascinating peek into the world of card counters and the casinos they seek to defeat. It’s a thrilling ride from start to finish, one that leaves you rooting for the characters and cheering any time they take down a casino. Though this book does get a little slow at times, it’s a unique look into how far some are willing to go for a little extra cash. As a whole, Bringing Down the House is a very interesting look into the history of Blackjack and its influence in just about every casino you’ll ever walk into. In the end, Bringing Down The House was a worthy read, and I learned a lot from the stories provided by some of these notorious thieves. However, most readers will likely come away from the book thinking they could never pull off any of these heists in real life. As you read these accounts, you’ll no doubt think the same thing.