How to Take Vegas for Millions
Whip up a card-counting system with a spoonful of Hollywood storytelling and you have the new Kevin Spacey movie 21. It’s (loosely) based on a true story about a handful of MIT students who became card counting-experts and took Las Vegas casinos for millions in Black Jack. So, how much of it is fact and how much is fiction?More…
It’s an exiting movie and clearly a must-see for everyone who’s remotely interested in gambling. The movie is based on the best selling non-fiction story “Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions” by Ben Mezrich.
The book itself is not entirely non-fictional, but the card-counting system is real. It’s a variation of the techniques described in “Beat the Dealer,” written by Edward Thorp in 1962. It’s one of a limited few gambling “system” books that actually contain a working method of beating the house.
Of course, it requires quite a bit of skill and practice, and even when you master the system you have an edge of only about 1% against the house. As the saying goes – “it’s a hard way to make an easy living”. Then there’s the risk of getting caught; modern casinos are pretty good at detecting card counters, but then again, maybe that’s part of the thrill.
//Sprinkler
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