Bringing Down the House, Ben Mezrich, Book

Synopsis

It's Friday night and you're on a red-eye to the city of sin. Strapped to your chest is half a million dollars; in your overnight bag is another twenty-five thousand in blackjack chips; and your wallet holds ten fake IDs. As soon as you land in Las Vegas, you are positive you are being investigated and followed. To top it all off, the IRS is auditing you, someone has been going through your mail -- and you have a multivariable calculus exam on Monday morning. Welcome to the world of an exclusive group of audacious MIT math geniuses who legally took the casinos for over three million dollars -- while still finding time for college keg parties, football games, and final exams.

In the midst of the go-go eighties and nineties, a group of overachieving, anarchistic MIT students joined a decades-old underground blackjack club dedicated to counting cards and beating the system at major casinos around the world. While their classmates were working long hours in labs and libraries, the blackjack team traveled weekly to Las Vegas and other glamorous gambling locales, with hundreds of thousands of dollars duct-taped to their bodies. Underwritten by shady investors they would never meet, these kids bet fifty thousand dollars a hand, enjoyed VIP suites and other upscale treats, and partied with showgirls and celebrities.

Handpicked by an eccentric mastermind -- a former MIT professor and an obsessive player who had developed a unique system of verbal cues, body signals, and role-playing -- this one ring of card savants earned more than three million dollars from corporate Vegas, making them the object of the casinos' wrath and eventually targets of revenge. Here is their inside story,revealing their secrets for the first time.

Master storyteller Ben Mezrich takes you from the ivory towers of academia to the Technicolor world of Las Vegas, where anything can happen -- and often does. Bringing Down the House launches you into the seedy underworld of corporate Vegas -- deep into the realm of back rooms, ever-present video cameras, private investigators, and the threats and tactics of pit bosses and violent heavies. Equipped with twenty different aliases and disguises, the group of young card counters struggles around these roadblocks to live the high life -- until one fateful day when Vegas violently follows them home to Boston. Suddenly, there can be no more hiding behind false identities; the high life folds like a bad hand of cards.

Filled with tense action and incredibly close calls, Bringing Down the House is a real-life mix of Liar's Poker and Ocean's Eleven -- and it's a story Vegas doesn't want you to read.

Publishers Weekly

"Shy, geeky, amiable" MIT grad Kevin Lewis, was, Mezrich learns at a party, living a double life winning huge sums of cash in Las Vegas casinos. In 1993 when Lewis was 20 years old and feeling aimless, he was invited to join the MIT Blackjack Team, organized by a former math instructor, who said, "Blackjack is beatable." Expanding on the "hi-lo" card-counting techniques popularized by Edward Thorp in his 1962 book, Beat the Dealer, the MIT group's more advanced team strategies were legal, yet frowned upon by casinos. Backed by anonymous investors, team members checked into Vegas hotels under assumed names and, pretending not to know each other, communicated in the casinos with gestures and card-count code words. Taking advantage of the statistical nature of blackjack, the team raked in millions before casinos caught on and pursued them. In his first nonfiction foray, novelist Mezrich (Reaper, etc.), telling the tale primarily from Kevin's point of view, manages to milk that threat for a degree of suspense. But the tension is undercut by the first-draft feel of his pedestrian prose, alternating between irrelevant details and heightened melodrama. In a closing essay, Lewis details the intricacies of card counting.

More Reviews and Recommendations

Biography

Ben Mezrich graduated magna cum laude from Harvard in 1991. Since then, he has published six novels with a combined printing of more than a million copies in nine languages (Threshold, Reaper, Fertile Ground, Skin, and under Holden Scott, Skeptic and The Carrier. His second novel, Reaper, was turned into TBS's premiere movie, Fatal Error, starring Antonio Sabato, Jr., and Robert Wagner. Bringing Down the House is his seventh book and his first foray into nonfiction.

Customer Reviews

Number of Reviews: 67
Average Rating:
Write a Review

A reviewer
A reviewer, A reviewer, 05/22/2008

No matter what you hear, card counting is perfectly legal. Ben Mezrich, the author of Brining Down the House, tells the story of a group of highly intelligent MIT students who take black jack to the next level. The ultimately powerful novel, tells of how these geniuses use their mathematical ability to beat the game. They engage themselves in a team of greatly educated members who understand the skills of the probability strategies. While living a fantasy life using double identities, this tale explains how these geeks made their dreams come true by using math to make millions. This thrilling story will keep your mind racing while learning the challenges that the main character, Kevin Lewis, and his other team mates face as they manage to outsmart the casinos. Kevin gets sucked into tricky business that can get him in major trouble. Greed plays a major role in this story making this non- fiction novel a fascinating read for everyone. This story is exactly what Vegas does not want to hear. I found many different aspects to Bringing Down the House while reading, none of which I choose to complain about. While turning each page I felt as if I could never ever stop until I figured out what seemed to be actually happening. One part that caught my attention the most was when MIT�s Blackjack Team first scouted Kevin. They invited him to a meeting where he learned the skills of �counting.� He then had to be tested and watched at many hidden casinos before they hit Vegas to make it big time. Another intriguing event that I enjoyed was when Kevin became a �Big Player� making tons of money right off the back. He would carry thousands or even millions of dollars strapped onto his body causing security guards to barge in. The most feared consequence to a counter would be going to the back rooms of the casinos where they take a personal photo. This brought up even more of a conflict in the novel. It put a dramatic change into their lives because the casinos were beginning to catch up with the players. Even though the managers do not get the players involved with the government, the players are still at a huge risk and could lose all of their money. If all of them were executed from the tables, this mathematical idea would end. Additionally, just as any of the world famous baseball players or professional athletes illegally used steroids, these major card players were eventually caught too. In the end, after reading this nonfiction story, I learned how math could be used in any real life event in the most complicated ways. What would it be like to beat the tables for a living?

A Must-Read Story
A reviewer, A reviewer, 05/21/2008

Bringing Down the House, by Ben Mezrich, tells the fascinating true story of formulaic Blackjack strategies that lead a team of MIT students to a millionaire life in Las Vegas. A main theme expressed in the book is, 'When any given thing appears too good to be true, it usually is.' Bringing Down the House is an incredibly captivating story that exhibits the intensities, successes, and failures of a high stake gambling operation. Bringing Down the House is the best book that I have read. Qualities that made the book as well as it are the way the narrator seems to live inside the main character, Kevin. Mezrich does an incredible job of educating the reader while entertaining him/her. For instance, in the book, there are chapters in which Mezrich interviews persons who were involved with the Blackjack breakthrough. Doing so, Mezrich adds another perspective to the story while educating the reader. Although the characters involved with the Blackjack team were not doing anything illegal by counting cards 'card counting was not illegal because it did not alter the outcome of the cards', many moral issues were addressed. Card counting is keeping track of which cards have already been dealt so the player can determine his odds of getting a Blackjack. One of these was whether counting cards was cheating the casinos because in the eyes of a casino, card counters were criminals. While reading the story, I made a connection to life. In the book, the players enjoy a success, and a failure, which is a replica of life. There are obstacles and the characters do their best to overcome them. What I found very interesting was the variations between the players' personalities. Upon being thrown out of a casino, Kevin, who is cautious, says, 'Then we're dinosaurs''204'. Fisher, a more fiery member, retorts, 'We are not *&^%ing dinosaurs''204'. This contrast of emotions leads to conflicts throughout the story. Reading the book made me curious about Vegas security as well as other mathematical and technological devices used for surveillance. This book is unrivaled by any of its genre and needs to be read by all.

Also recommended: Busting Vegas, Alex Rider, Moneyball

More Customer Reviews

From Barnes & Noble

In the Greed Is Good '80s, a group of MIT geniuses decided to break the bank at Las Vegas. Utilizing their own mathematical wizardry and large doses of moxie, these six co-conspirators legally beat Vegas's largest casinos out of more than $3 million in less than two years. Harvard University graduate/thriller author Ben Mezrich has recomposed their story, an arresting hybrid of Liar's Poker, The Cuckoo's Egg, and Ocean's Eleven.

From the Publisher

It's Friday night and you're on a red-eye to the city of sin. Strapped to your chest is half a million dollars; in your overnight bag is another twenty-five thousand in blackjack chips; and your wallet holds ten fake IDs. As soon as you land in Las Vegas, you are positive you are being investigated and followed. To top it all off, the IRS is auditing you, someone has been going through your mail -- and you have a multivariable calculus exam on Monday morning. Welcome to the world of an exclusive group of audacious MIT math geniuses who legally took the casinos for over three million dollars -- while still finding time for college keg parties, football games, and final exams.

In the midst of the go-go eighties and nineties, a group of overachieving, anarchistic MIT students joined a decades-old underground blackjack club dedicated to counting cards and beating the system at major casinos around the world. While their classmates were working long hours in labs and libraries, the blackjack team traveled weekly to Las Vegas and other glamorous gambling locales, with hundreds of thousands of dollars duct-taped to their bodies. Underwritten by shady investors they would never meet, these kids bet fifty thousand dollars a hand, enjoyed VIP suites and other upscale treats, and partied with showgirls and celebrities.

Handpicked by an eccentric mastermind -- a former MIT professor and an obsessive player who had developed a unique system of verbal cues, body signals, and role-playing -- this one ring of card savants earned more than three million dollars from corporate Vegas, making them the object of the casinos' wrath and eventually targets of revenge. Here is their inside story,revealing their secrets for the first time.

Master storyteller Ben Mezrich takes you from the ivory towers of academia to the Technicolor world of Las Vegas, where anything can happen -- and often does. Bringing Down the House launches you into the seedy underworld of corporate Vegas -- deep into the realm of back rooms, ever-present video cameras, private investigators, and the threats and tactics of pit bosses and violent heavies. Equipped with twenty different aliases and disguises, the group of young card counters struggles around these roadblocks to live the high life -- until one fateful day when Vegas violently follows them home to Boston. Suddenly, there can be no more hiding behind false identities; the high life folds like a bad hand of cards.

Filled with tense action and incredibly close calls, Bringing Down the House is a real-life mix of Liar's Poker and Ocean's Eleven -- and it's a story Vegas doesn't want you to read.

Publishers Weekly

"Shy, geeky, amiable" MIT grad Kevin Lewis, was, Mezrich learns at a party, living a double life winning huge sums of cash in Las Vegas casinos. In 1993 when Lewis was 20 years old and feeling aimless, he was invited to join the MIT Blackjack Team, organized by a former math instructor, who said, "Blackjack is beatable." Expanding on the "hi-lo" card-counting techniques popularized by Edward Thorp in his 1962 book, Beat the Dealer, the MIT group's more advanced team strategies were legal, yet frowned upon by casinos. Backed by anonymous investors, team members checked into Vegas hotels under assumed names and, pretending not to know each other, communicated in the casinos with gestures and card-count code words. Taking advantage of the statistical nature of blackjack, the team raked in millions before casinos caught on and pursued them. In his first nonfiction foray, novelist Mezrich (Reaper, etc.), telling the tale primarily from Kevin's point of view, manages to milk that threat for a degree of suspense. But the tension is undercut by the first-draft feel of his pedestrian prose, alternating between irrelevant details and heightened melodrama. In a closing essay, Lewis details the intricacies of card counting.

Kirkus Reviews

Thriller author Mezrich (Reaper, 1998, etc.) depicts a team of card-counting MIT students who live the Vegas high life for a while before getting caught and barred from all casinos everywhere. Approached to join the MIT blackjack club, Kevin Lewis was hesitant: Aren�t they nerds who play cards in the library all night long? Still, Kevin is far enough along in his education to know that he�s not cut out for the typical life of an MIT alum, so he decides to check out the club, which he discovers is churning out teams of card counters. (The author suggests that the Techies developed a new system for card counting, but it seems more likely they simply expanded its possibilities.) After passing a series of tests, learning "basic strategy," and such, Kevin is allowed to join the teams of counters spread throughout a casino so as to raise the chance that someone will find a sufficiently advantageous situation to play in. (Playing alone can take forever.) Soon he�s mastered all the dodges, and before he can say Ocean�s 11 he�s rolling in dough and dating an LA Rams cheerleader. The scam works for a time�it�s legal, actually, so where�s the fun?�but soon enough the casinos seem to be onto them. Faceless authority suddenly assumes the form of Vincent Cole, who may work for a private investigation service specializing in routing out counters. From there it�s mainly a question of how the counters got caught. Did one of their own turn them in, or was it facial recognition software developed at (you guessed it) MIT? Mezrich�s prose is generally colorless, and he unwisely attempts to punch it up with some over-dramatized scenes at the card tables and by using italics wherever he�s talking about a lot ofmoney. Compelling�if you�re into that sort of thing.

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Number of Reviews: 67
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Showing 1-5 Next

A reviewer
A reviewer, A reviewer, 05/22/2008

No matter what you hear, card counting is perfectly legal. Ben Mezrich, the author of Brining Down the House, tells the story of a group of highly intelligent MIT students who take black jack to the next level. The ultimately powerful novel, tells of how these geniuses use their mathematical ability to beat the game. They engage themselves in a team of greatly educated members who understand the skills of the probability strategies. While living a fantasy life using double identities, this tale explains how these geeks made their dreams come true by using math to make millions. This thrilling story will keep your mind racing while learning the challenges that the main character, Kevin Lewis, and his other team mates face as they manage to outsmart the casinos. Kevin gets sucked into tricky business that can get him in major trouble. Greed plays a major role in this story making this non- fiction novel a fascinating read for everyone. This story is exactly what Vegas does not want to hear. I found many different aspects to Bringing Down the House while reading, none of which I choose to complain about. While turning each page I felt as if I could never ever stop until I figured out what seemed to be actually happening. One part that caught my attention the most was when MIT�s Blackjack Team first scouted Kevin. They invited him to a meeting where he learned the skills of �counting.� He then had to be tested and watched at many hidden casinos before they hit Vegas to make it big time. Another intriguing event that I enjoyed was when Kevin became a �Big Player� making tons of money right off the back. He would carry thousands or even millions of dollars strapped onto his body causing security guards to barge in. The most feared consequence to a counter would be going to the back rooms of the casinos where they take a personal photo. This brought up even more of a conflict in the novel. It put a dramatic change into their lives because the casinos were beginning to catch up with the players. Even though the managers do not get the players involved with the government, the players are still at a huge risk and could lose all of their money. If all of them were executed from the tables, this mathematical idea would end. Additionally, just as any of the world famous baseball players or professional athletes illegally used steroids, these major card players were eventually caught too. In the end, after reading this nonfiction story, I learned how math could be used in any real life event in the most complicated ways. What would it be like to beat the tables for a living?

A Must-Read Story
A reviewer, A reviewer, 05/21/2008

Bringing Down the House, by Ben Mezrich, tells the fascinating true story of formulaic Blackjack strategies that lead a team of MIT students to a millionaire life in Las Vegas. A main theme expressed in the book is, 'When any given thing appears too good to be true, it usually is.' Bringing Down the House is an incredibly captivating story that exhibits the intensities, successes, and failures of a high stake gambling operation. Bringing Down the House is the best book that I have read. Qualities that made the book as well as it are the way the narrator seems to live inside the main character, Kevin. Mezrich does an incredible job of educating the reader while entertaining him/her. For instance, in the book, there are chapters in which Mezrich interviews persons who were involved with the Blackjack breakthrough. Doing so, Mezrich adds another perspective to the story while educating the reader. Although the characters involved with the Blackjack team were not doing anything illegal by counting cards 'card counting was not illegal because it did not alter the outcome of the cards', many moral issues were addressed. Card counting is keeping track of which cards have already been dealt so the player can determine his odds of getting a Blackjack. One of these was whether counting cards was cheating the casinos because in the eyes of a casino, card counters were criminals. While reading the story, I made a connection to life. In the book, the players enjoy a success, and a failure, which is a replica of life. There are obstacles and the characters do their best to overcome them. What I found very interesting was the variations between the players' personalities. Upon being thrown out of a casino, Kevin, who is cautious, says, 'Then we're dinosaurs''204'. Fisher, a more fiery member, retorts, 'We are not *&^%ing dinosaurs''204'. This contrast of emotions leads to conflicts throughout the story. Reading the book made me curious about Vegas security as well as other mathematical and technological devices used for surveillance. This book is unrivaled by any of its genre and needs to be read by all.

Also recommended:�Busting Vegas, Alex Rider, Moneyball

Must Read!!!!
A reviewer, A reviewer, 05/21/2008

Bringing Down The House by Ben Mezrich, is a must read. It is a nonfiction book about a college student named Kevin Lewis who joined a M.I.T. Blackjack team who won millions in Las Vegas. They used a �team play� technique that had designated spotters and big players, also known as BP�s. The spotters will call in the BP�s when count is high and the BP�s will bet high. Throughout the book, Kevin and his team travel to different casinos in Las Vegas and throughout the U.S. When they are in Vegas, they win hundreds of thousands of dollars on Saturday, and then party all day on Sunday. They do this on every trip they go on! The main lesson that this book revolves around is when is the right time to quit. When you win a lot of money in Vegas, Casino management people and start be suspicious. You have to know when the time is right to walk away from the casino and take what you have, so you do not loose any more. Kevin learns for himself by the end of the book when it is good to walk away from a casino and when you can stay and still bet high. This book is a must read for anybody who likes page turning books. Is it legal to count cards? Even if you get caught card counting, the casinos can only �ask you to leave�(42). That allows the M.I.T. students to be able to count cards and not have any trouble with the law. However, casinos still are protective about their money and do not let usually let people off easy with big sums of money. So, they sometime interrogate you to see if you count cards. They take you to the basement and ask you questions. Even if they do not physically hurt you, they intimidate you, so you do not come back. Also, the new movie 21 is based right off from this book. Even if you think you have seen the movie and loved it, the book is much better. Even though the same ideas are there, the plot is different as well as the main character�s names. The best part about this book has to be the first time Kevin is a BP and when he wins. Especially, how crazy he goes when he wins. He is like a little kid in a candy shop with money. Bringing Down the House has everything an intense book needs and has to have from smuggling two hundred thousand dollars through security, to late night partying and gambling in Vegas. Bringing Down the House has it all! To top it off, it is the true story of M.I.T. college geeks!

Also recommended:�Alex Rider Series

Bringing Down the House Does Not Disappoint
A reviewer, a 7th grade student, 05/20/2008

Ben Mezrich�s biography-thriller Bringing Down the House was, simply put, impossible to put down. The intricate, exciting plot, coupled with Ben Mezrich�s surprisingly capable writing ability, easily makes this book my favorite memoir since the Darfurian bestseller What is the What. Bringing Down the House tells the adventure of Kevin Lewis and five other M.I.T. students who develop a system to beat the casino in blackjack virtually every time. The book�s theme, which is essentially �no matter how insurmountable something may appear, there is always a way to overcome it� will likely inspire thousands across the nation. Overall, I found Bringing Down the House to be an astonishingly enjoyable read, and recommend it to anyone interested in a nonfiction thriller. In fact, I was fully engrossed in the novel the entire time I was reading it. However, I found that the ending lacked a major climax. I hesitate to reveal the finish, but there was no �final showdown� like I expected the tension just gradually wound down until it came to a slow halt. Through the book, I had hoped for Kevin and his team to meet with the casino owners, and drama would ensue. Besides the slightly disappointing ending, I found no problems with Bringing Down the House. Truly, I enjoyed more parts than I can list. Additionally, I found that this book presented a basic moral question: was it ethical to use methods that seriously elevate your chances of winning in blackjack to gain money from casinos? The team reasoned that they technically were not cheating, because they were not altering the outcome of the game. I support them on this, but the casinos complained that their methods were dishonest, and should not be allowed. I actually feel a strong connection between Bringing Down the House and the award-winning movie trilogy Ocean�s Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen. Both deal with �beating the casinos at their own game� using questionable means. However, Kevin Lewis�s methods were relatively benign, while Danny Oceans, 'the protagonist of the movie series' used criminal techniques, such as weighted dice, and rigged slot machines. However, what astounded me about this book was that I had to continuously stop myself while reading and remind myself that it was a nonfiction work. The plot line was one of the best formed I have ever read. If I were not aware of the genre, I would have undoubtedly presumed it to be a fantastic work of fiction. Five stars.

Also recommended:�The Devil in the White City, What is the What, Life of Pi, Ender's Game, A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Kite Runner, Angels and Demons, Next, by Michael Crichton, and The Twenty-One Balloons

The Best Book
A reviewer, A reviewer, 05/18/2008

The book Bringing Down the House, was a great book written by Ben Mezrich. This is a nonfiction book about a group of students attending MIT. Kevin Lewis is the protagonist of this story. He is introduced to a world of money and lies by his two roommates, Andre Martinez and Jason Fisher. When Martinez and Fisher feel Kevin is ready, they tell him their secret. They and six other students attending MIT are taught how to count cards and how to beat Vegas by Micky Rosa, a former teacher at MIT. Kevin is taught the ways of his fellow counters and soon he becomes obsessed with money and cheating Vegas. The theme of this book is that when you do the wrong thing, even in one place and not another, it will always come get to you. In my opinion, this one of the best books that I have ever read. Ben Mezrich, the author of this book, has written this book very descriptively. When describing how Kevin carries the large amounts of money around to different casinos, Mezrich says, �I tried not to think about the new BMW strapped to my back� '5'. This shows how descriptive Mezrich is because he describes what each sum of money can be used for. Also, this book is written very intensely. While Martinez is trying to hide from the security guards at Caesars, he is cornered in the bathroom with a huge sum of money. Mezrich writes, �A minute later, there was a loud crash, the splintering of wood. Heavy footsteps moved through the suite� '197'. This shows how Mezrich writes very intensely, showing all of the action that Kevin, Martinez, Fisher, and their fellow counters encounter. There are two parts that I like. One of them is the part were Kevin takes the test to see if he can become a card counter. He goes to a fake casino and is playing good for his first time counting cards, making almost a thousand dollars when he is pulled away from the game. He is very angry when Martinez tells him, ��Sorry Kev� There isn�t any money�� '58'. Another part I liked is when they secretly pass around the count of the deck by using words like �tree� which means the deck is up one and �voting booth� which means the deck is up 18. Some issues this book brings up are, the issue of gambling and how people become obsessed with it like Kevin and the issue of cheating and lying to make money. A connection I made was this book to the movie �21�. The movie is based on this book and they include the same concepts including gambling, money, Vegas, and blackjack. This book has affected me by teaching me the consequences of cheating and lying. In all, this book is very intense, showing what it is like to use all of your knowledge of math, to make money in Vegas.

Also recommended:�The Alex Rider series

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Product Details

ISBN: 0743249992
ISBN-13: 9780743249997
Format: Paperback, 272pp
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
Pub. Date: September 2003
Edition Description: Reprint
Sales Rank: 3,073

Table of Contents
Reading Group Guide
Forewords & Introductions
Read an Excerpt
Read a Sample Chapter

	Acknowledgments	9
111
2	Boston, Present Day	16
3	Boston, June 1994	26
4	Atlantic City, June 1994	36
5	Boston, September 1994	66
6	Boston, October 1994	81
7	Boston, October 1994	95
8	Las Vegas, Present Day	105
9	Thirty Thousand Feet, November 1994	117
10	Las Vegas, November 1994	128
11	Weston, MA, Thanksgiving 1994	154
12	The Double Life, 1994-95	164
13	Chicago, May 1995	180
14	Boston, June 1995	191
15	Foxwoods Casino, Present Day	202
16	July 1995 to October 1995	213
17	Boston, Halloween 1995	225
18	Boston, November 1995	232
19	Las Vegas, Present Day	256
20	Las Vegas, Fall 1997	267
21	Boston, Fall 1997	287
22	Las Vegas, Present Day	303
23	Boston, Valentine's Day 1998	313
24	Las Vegas, President's Day 1998	319
25	The Bayou: Shreveport, LA, 1998	329
26	Boston, Spring 1998	345
27	Boston, Spring 1998	350
28	Boston, Spring 1998	360
29	Boston, Spring 1998	373
30	Las Vegas, Memorial Day 1998	385
31	Boston, June 1998	392
32	Las Vegas, Hard Rock, Present Day	402
	How to Count Cards and Beat Vegas	411

Reading Group Guide

Bringing Down the HouseBen Mezrich

Introduction

Blackjack is beatable -- so we beat it.

We beat the hell out of it.

Author Ben Mezrich takes readers into the inner circle of the M.I.T. blackjack club whose members develop a system for card counting based on techniques from Edward Thorp's 1962 book, Beat the Dealer. Using their unique system, this group of highly educated young men and women take Vegas for more than three million dollars.

And it's all legal.

Told from the perspective of amiable, attractive Kevin Lewis -- an M.I.T. electrical-engineering major who is torn between a life where his knack for numbers cashes out big and a life that will please his traditional, hard-working father, Bringing Down the House follows Kevin from his elaborate induction into the club and his first time counting cards to his role as Big Player and life as a Vegas high-roller. Under the guidance of the mysterious mastermind and former M.I.T. professor, Micky Rosa, Kevin and his teammates work together to win large sums of money, one casino at a time. Their success opens up a world where luxuries are comped and everyone -- whether a high-priced stripper or high-rolling celebrity -- is cheering them on. But shadows begin to appear in their neon lifestyle in the shape of casino managers who want to talk to them "downstairs" and an investigator who always seems to be one step ahead of the team. Within the group itself, tensions build and betrayal surfaces, and Kevin learns that "the most important decision a card counter ever has to make is the decision to walk away."

A New York Times bestseller and soon to be a movie starring KevinSpacey, Bringing Down the House is the true story about "working the system, turning the math into money, [and] keeping the count without breaking character."

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you see the M.I.T. card counters in this book as heroes who beat a greedy system or do you see them as spoiled Ivy Leaguers with too much time on their hands? When reading the book, do you root for them to succeed? Discuss greed and its role in our society. Do you think it contributes to, or detracts from, the "American Dream"?

2. If Kevin values his father's approval so much, why is it that he becomes a card counter -- a profession of which his father would not approve? Do you think Kevin is rebelling against the stereotype of the studious, straight-laced Asian? If so, is he helping to perpetuate a new Asian stereotype -- that of the Asian gambler?

3. Have you ever counted cards at a casino? If so, did it work? If not, would you try it now that you've read this book? Before you read this book, would you have considered card counting to be gambling? Would you have considered it illegal? What is your opinion about card counting now that you've read the book?

4. The fact that these club members are Asian and of college age is significant in helping them avoid suspicion and dupe the casinos. This is not the only way appearances can be misleading. How do stereotypes play a role in this book? What is your stereotype of a gambler?

5. Are Kevin and his card-counting colleagues gambling addicts? If not, how are they different from addicts? Do you think they are driven simply by ego and greed? Or are they driven by something more complex?

6. How does Bringing Down the House portray gambling centers like Las Vegas and Atlantic City? Do you think books and films about card counting can hurt or help casinos?

7. The book has a who-done-it element that is never fully revealed. Who do you think ratted out the team, selling a list of card counters for $25,000? The Amphibians? Mickey? A member of their own team?

8. Is Micky Rosa a good guy? A father figure and misunderstood genius? Or is he something more sinister? Kevin Spacey will be taking on the role of Mickey in the film version. Who would you choose to play this part?

9. In Kevin Lewis's essay at the end of the book, he tells us, "Keep in mind, card counting isn't gambling" (page 257). If gambling is defined as betting on an uncertain outcome, do you agree with Kevin? If not, explain your reasons.

10. Now you are the card counter. Decipher these code numbers:

One more drink and I'll fall off this stool.

The all-you-can-eat buffet here has the best eggs you ever had.

If I don't start winning, my girlfriend can kiss that engagement ring goodbye.

They've got a great sports book here. Especially when it comes to football.

Hey, where can I go bowling around here?

And translate these phrases into the team's gestures:

The deck's warm The deck's turned hot I need to talk What's the count?

Something's wrong, get out now!

Who Said That?:

"A whale is someone who can lose a million dollars at cards -- and not give a damn." (Answer on page 22.)

"We're freedom fighters, Kevin. We liberate money from the hands of the oppressors. We're Robin Hood, and the casino is the sheriff." (Answer on page 41.)

"Card counting can be good for business, too. They make the civilians think the game is beatable." (Answer on page 66.)

"...the law is pretty clear: As long as you don't alter the outcome of the game, or use a mechanical device such as a calculator or a computer, the worst they can legally do is throw you out." (Answer on page 124.)

"Every time you walk into a casino, they're watching. Every time you cash in a chip, they're taking notes. Sooner or later, they're going to start asking questions. And things will change." (Answer on page 138.)

"Card counting is a misnomer; the practice has nothing at all to do with the ability to count the cards coming out of the deck." (Answer on page 257.)

Forewords & Introductions

Bringing Down the HouseBen Mezrich

Introduction

Blackjack is beatable -- so we beat it.

We beat the hell out of it.

Author Ben Mezrich takes readers into the inner circle of the M.I.T. blackjack club whose members develop a system for card counting based on techniques from Edward Thorp's 1962 book, Beat the Dealer. Using their unique system, this group of highly educated young men and women take Vegas for more than three million dollars.

And it's all legal.

Told from the perspective of amiable, attractive Kevin Lewis -- an M.I.T. electrical-engineering major who is torn between a life where his knack for numbers cashes out big and a life that will please his traditional, hard-working father, Bringing Down the House follows Kevin from his elaborate induction into the club and his first time counting cards to his role as Big Player and life as a Vegas high-roller. Under the guidance of the mysterious mastermind and former M.I.T. professor, Micky Rosa, Kevin and his teammates work together to win large sums of money, one casino at a time. Their success opens up a world where luxuries are comped and everyone -- whether a high-priced stripper or high-rolling celebrity -- is cheering them on. But shadows begin to appear in their neon lifestyle in the shape of casino managers who want to talk to them "downstairs" and an investigator who always seems to be one step ahead of the team. Within the group itself, tensions build and betrayal surfaces, and Kevin learns that "the most important decision a card counter ever has to make is the decision to walk away."

A New York Times bestseller and soon to be a movie starring Kevin Spacey,Bringing Down the House is the true story about "working the system, turning the math into money, [and] keeping the count without breaking character."