Great story, nice style of writing
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Over the years I have become a bit of a fan of Ben Mezrich's style of writing; take a true story, add a few bits from another (parallel) story, and then throw it all together in a style generally reserved for fiction writing.
The story itself is very interesting, and I'm full of admiration for the skills of the people involved in the card counting schemes. Out here in the real world the word used to describe would be "genius". As well telling you about the main characters' back ground, the history of the card counting scheme, and how it was perfected over time, a fair bit of Vegas history is also thrown in throughout the book.
I'm a huge fan of Vegas history books, and this one was the first I read about the card counting scheme. It certainly made me want to read more about the subject; so whilst there may be better books around on the subject this one is certainly a very good place to start.
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Superb
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An interesting and compelling read, highly recommended for any technical minded people, or anyone looking for an interesting story.
Much better than the film 21 (based on the book).
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Fantastic
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This is an amazing story by itself - but the author manages to include all that is necessary and furthermore, what the reader WANTS to know about this guy. Having been to Vegas, I feel this story excited me more because I could visualise the scenes. It took me back to Vegas which was incredible. It is also educational, to an extent. I definately recommend this book. A must read - if you have been to and enjoyed Vegas.
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Enjoyable
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'Bringing Down the House' is the story of six MIT students who devise a system that can beat casinos in the game of blackjack using a team of several people. It sounds like something from a Hollywood movie, and indeed this book is a glamourous read about Kevin Lewis living the VIP-High Roller life in Vegas.
The plot is a unique one, and not something most people think about everyday. The subject of card counting is almost taboo, but this book brings it to the forefront of Vegas gambling, and shows how it can be implemented. The rewards are huge, but so are the risks.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and think this story would make for a good movie. The only criticism I have, is that at times the writing gets a bit repetitive. But overall it doesn't take away from the fascinating story.
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Is Blackjack beatable...
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....amazing story of how 6 students used their mathematics skills to work the vegas tables. What starts as a low key affair soon escalates to high stakes and unwanted attention - causing some scary moments and adrenalin fuelled moments. As many of the reviews say you really do have this overwhelming feeling to just read another page as the story starts to unravel. Favourite part was the Tyson fight night.......wont spoil it though.
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