Review: Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich

College students form card-counting team, Crazy times

SALINE, MICHIGAN  NOVEMBER 28, 2003

Mezrich's book tells the true tale of a group of elite math students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) who created a strategy for beating the casino (or "house") at black jack.  To summarize my review, I give the storyline a 9 out of 10, I give the writing a 6 out of 10.  Mezrich's book is rumored to be coming out as a movie in the next couple years - I'll be in line.

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Bringing Down the House

The Story of the MIT Blackjack Team

by Ben Mezrich

 

I heard Ben Mezrich on the Jim Rome radio show - he sounds like kind of a tool but he should be commended for getting this great story on paper.

I've discussed my take on this book with a few people and here are the common questions:

- How did they do it?  They created a team of math geeks that descended on casinos.  Their strategy: They would place a spotter at each table who would count the cards being played.  They used a high/low method, tracking how many "low cards" were in the deck (2-7) versus the "high cards" (9-A).   When the number of high cards remaining in the undealt deck was significantly more than the low cards, the spotter would signal a team member on the casino floor.  Having more high or "bust" cards in the deck gives a slight advantage to the players versus the house.   That team member would join the table and bet heavy until the deck was either no longer rich, or until it was an appropriate time to leave.  When the deck was rich, they'd do seemingly dumb things to increase their bets and their profit, including splitting face cards and standing on certain hands that you'd never do under normal circumstances.

- How much did they win?  On a typical weekend, they took the casinos for $10K-$20K, sometimes less, sometimes more.  I've read they took as much as $400K in a single weekend once.  Overall, it is estimated that they've won $6 million in Vegas and all the other casinos they hit.

- Where did they go to work their theories?  They went all over, primarily Las Vegas but they also hit the big casinos in New England including Mohegan Sun, and all over the rest of the country including Atlantic City, Chicago, New Orleans and the Bahamas.

- Why blackjack?  As pointed out in the book, blackjack is the only casino game "with a memory".  At least when they deal from shoe.  The cards that have already been played can tell you enough information to turn the odds in your favor. 

- Is card counting illegal? - As it noted several times in the book, counting cards is not illegal by law.  It is illegal to use devices, calculators, etc., to count cards, but as long as you are using your grape you are ok.  That said, the casinos have the right to "ban" card counters from the casino.  Banned card counters are tracked by most of the casinos by a firm that organizes this info. 

- Did they get in trouble? - Despite the fact that card counting is not illegal, the casinos have the right to kick you out of the casino, and obviously the Las Vegas law enforcement community isn't too concerned over the legal rights of card counters.  Casinos do try tactics to "rough up" card counters:  taking them to rooms with no cameras and harassing them.  These guys had several run-ins with casino security - basically the last quarter of the book is dedicated to stories of these guys getting busted.  In the end, the original blackjack team was known by just about every casino.

- Are they still doing this?  - The word on the street is that there are blackjack teams still working at M.I.T. and from Cal Tech.  I bet they've modified some of their theories.  My guess is that they rotate players more often, because the downfall of the MIT team was their frequent trips to Vegas.

- If I read this book, will I be able to count cards and make millions? - No.  Matter of fact, I'm wondering if all the work required to pull this off is even worth it.  Even with the "success" that these guys had.  My advice:  Stick to basic blackjack strategy or "the book" as many call it.  Click here, it shows you what to do when.

- What is the future of card counting?  - I think it is going to be dying theory.  Casinos can pretty much kill this theory by going to decks that constantly reshuffle.  Many are already doing this.

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