Bringing Down the House

BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE: THE INSIDE STORY OF SIX MIT STUDENTS WHO TOOK VEGAS FOR MILLIONS: Ben Mezrich: Free Press, c2002: Nonfiction: 257 p.

Well, the subtitle gives the plot away. Admittedly I was captivated. It's an amazing story and Mezrich does a fantastic job as he re-tells the Vegas coup.

If you're good, translate to 'genius', at math, you go to MIT. And at MIT a Blackjack Club had been formed. Just another school club? Not hardly. A professor at MIT, doing some average, statistical manipulations, found that the game Blackjack seemed to have statistically beatable odds. He ran the numbers and proved his theory. The club was formed. Then the 'club' took a more serious bent. These kids became almost manic about their math and their cards. And headed by a former math student and various behind the scenes "investors" the club managed to beat the Vegas casinos at their own game.

The book focuses one one specific group of club members. Kevin and his MIT buddies were an interesting--albeit profane--crew to get to know these past couple days. The book highlights how these super mathematical geniuses worked the system. Sin City was aptly portrayed and the book is peppered with showgirls, drugs, booze, and hard-core language. Sure Kevin was a genius and through specific training methods learned how to work the system. But they could only win at Blackjack where the statistical probability (and their mad skills) made it possible. His friends liked the rush, the high. They liked the idea of cheating an unnamed God in the Sky. And oh yeah, they loved the money. (They repeatedly mention that card-counting is not illegal and not prosecutable.) But every one of them wound up paying a price--too high for some. Is that a lifestyle you really want to gamble on...?

Read to find out what Kevin's reply was to Mezrich's final question. “If you had to choose now, would you do it all over?”

DLA