Bringing down the house (MIT students story on blackjack)

[Python49]

I was curious to know everyone's thoughts on this book for those who have read it. I just finished reading this book and it made me think poker is a waste of time compared to how much money they were making. I had a few questions though about things I was unsure about.

the narrator of the story occasionally would include himself in the story referring to himself as "i" and even had a part where
he was at the black jack table with kevin... about how kevin passed "him" the count. Who is him? I thought kevin was the
narrator telling the story.

Why did they allow themselves to be bullied and beat up/barred so much if they hadnt done anything illegal without going to
the cops about the threats and physical attacks.

When the group finally splits up, how do they all of a sudden become able to go back to casinos like the MGM and work the
black jack tables without the run ins with pit bosses kicking them out which were so prevalent before the break up?

Also, did anyone else read this story and then think to themselves how they wish they could have experienced some of what these guys did living that life style?

[Maulik]

Poker is a game of skill. You can spend a life time learning. BJ is a game of memorisation. Spend maybe 10 hrs and youshould be familar what to do in EVERY situation.

Now to follow up on the fun part of blackjack, read Professional Blackjack by Wong; and you'll quickly find out how much less glamorous it is.

[Soul Rebel]

I'll help you out with the questions.

1) Kevin did not write/narrate the story, read the intro, and the author talks about when he met kevin.

2) They had no proof. Besides, the cops would naturally be more inclined to side with the casino's anyway, as the casinos provide them with job security.

3) After the break up, they hit casinos that they had not hit before. And it didn't last long before they were getting kicked out again.

4) Maybe, kinda, I personally despise the whole money/stripper/drugs/all night bender culture (e.g., the boiler room type guys). I love taking money from those morons at the poker table. Plus, it seemed kind of pathetic at the end when they were running from guys with shotguns, didn't they have enough at that point?

Hope that helps.

Soul Rebel

[Eegs]

This story was a very good one and it has probably made more money for the casinos than lost with people probably making lame attempts to mimic them. And yes, it is a good fantasy.

[larrondo]

Also, everything in that book is total nonsense. In addition to being very poorly written, it is my belief that it is made up. Absolutely not one thing in that very irritating, trashy novel has the ring of authenticity. Did the dialogue or characters ring true? If you've read anything about card counting, does the depiction sound accurate to you? It doesn't to me. Think about the first time Kevin is brought into a casino-- they win ten grand or whatever in a few hours by shuffle tracking (and something other incredibly difficult technique I can't remember now because I am too pissed off,) a skill which they don't employ when they are really working, they 'just do it for fun.' Utter, BS nonsense.

Read Gambling For A Living by Skalanski if you want to get some idea of what card couting is really like.

[Keres]

[ QUOTE ]
Also, everything in that book is total nonsense. In addition to being very poorly written, it is my belief that it is made up. Absolutely not one thing in that very irritating, trashy novel has the ring of authenticity. Did the dialogue or characters ring true? If you've read anything about card counting, does the depiction sound accurate to you? It doesn't to me.

[/ QUOTE ]

That was my read on it too. The writing seemed like that of a low-level fiction hack. The single chip left on the table as a warning. The mysterious man tailing them. The police driving by with a shotgun clearly visible at the casino in the south. "Dramatic" moments like those just seemed like complete cheese - the type of stuff one would expect from an undergrad creative writing student.

The story in the book is true. There were some changes made to the characters as part of the creative license but the plot is true. There was a documentery on the history or travel channel i believe about the real MIT team. As for duplicating their sucess, better have a group of MIT caliber math whizzes to pull it off. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[snowlarbear]

i was under the impression, after reading the book, that the casinos went after the blackjack team because they were making millions off of them, and they obviously had to protect their money.

poker, the house could care less as long as it takes rake. the people that are "supplying" the money is not the casino, but the players.

[Rudbaeck]

[ QUOTE ]
As for duplicating their sucess, better have a group of MIT caliber math whizzes to pull it off. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Using a known counting system doesn't require even high school math, let alone top-of-the-line university math wizzes.

[MicroBob]

[ QUOTE ]
better have a group of MIT caliber math whizzes to pull it off

[/ QUOTE ]



this part is not true at all.

card-counting is incredibly easy. what they were doing was mostly pretty simple stuff.

I've counted-cards before and used to enjoy advantage-play blackjack and I'm hardly the most brilliant guy out there.

The myth that 'a 6-deck shoe is just too difficult to count-down unless you're a rain-man or something' is just THAT...a myth.
If you can count, +1, +2, +3, uh-oh, +2, +1, 0, -1, -2, oh goody, -1, 0, +1, +2 again and again then you can count cards at BJ.



As for the book itself....it was an enteratining, albeit pretty silly, read.
Most on the BJ21.com site panned it as being REALLY ridiculous. It was pointed out that the 'team' didn't even lose a single hand until page 87 or something like that.


Regarding how they got back into some of those places....if they changed their 'disguise, and came on a different shift and avoided specific floor-people than they would be able to get away with returning to a casino 6 mths later where they had previously been tossed.
As long as they avoid the 1 or 2 people there who are sure to recognize them they will probably get away with it. The people watching the survelliance cams aren't there studying each and every person and saying 'hey....that's that guy who we banned 7 months ago!!' they're just keeping a general eye on things and there are just too many 'normal' looking people playing blackjack for them to stand-out (especially since they aren't going back there together anymore).