270:, "I don't even know if you want to call the things in there exaggerations, because they're so exaggerated they're basically untrue." Whether the MIT Blackjack Team was "founded ... in the 1980s" is in dispute. An article in The Tech, January 16, 1980, suggests that Roger Demaree and JP Massar were already running the team and teaching a hundred MIT students to play blackjack by the third week of the 1980s, implying that the team had been founded in the late 1970s, before Kaplan joined, although Demaree and Massar have mostly avoided publicity.
378:
The scene in which Fisher is beaten up (pp. 221–225) is imaginary. "No one was ever beaten up," according to Aponte and Irvine. Moreover, Jeff Ma claims they have never been roughed up by the casinos they played in. Still there were times when casino employees had tried to intimidate the members
371:
The "shadowy investors" first referenced on p. 3 are a major source of intrigue for
Mezrich's story, but did not exist, according to Aponte and Irvine. The investors in the team included the players, one of Kaplan's college roommates, a few of Kaplan's Harvard Business School section mates, and
193:
in 1993. Lewis was recruited by two of the team's top players, Jason Fisher and Andre
Martinez. The team was financed by a colorful character named Micky Rosa, who had organized at least one other team to play the Vegas strip. This new team was the most profitable yet. Personality conflicts and card
403:
Kevin hurries from the scene of the robbery to his own apartment (pp. 244–245) to make sure all is well. Nothing has been stolen, but Kevin finds "a single purple casino chip sitting on his kitchen table." The implication is that the chip is a calling card left by
Vincent Cole as a warning to
396:
One MIT player, Kyle
Schaffer, did lose $ 20,000 when it was stolen from a desk drawer. Mezrich inflates the amount of the theft by 275% and turns the desk drawer into a safe pried dramatically from a wall. Moreover, the robbery scene (pp. 240–244) creates the impression that a team member or
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266:, JP Massar, and John Chang. Bill Kaplan founded and led the MIT Blackjack Team in the 1980s and co-managed the team with Massar and Chang from 1992 to 1993, during which time Jeff Ma joined the then nearly 80 person team. Chang has questioned the book's veracity, telling
385:
In a scene on pp. 215–218, Micky Rosa recounts a story in which
Vincent Cole—a private investigator for Plymouth Investigations—forces a member of a count team to swallow a purple casino chip while detaining the player in a back room. Sources in the
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Vincent Cole was the likely culprit. Schaffer says the theft was likely unrelated to blackjack, noting that $ 100,000 or more in casino chips also inside the drawer was left untouched ("strongly suggesting that the thieves had no idea of their worth").
327:
The names of many of the characters and locations in this book have been changed, as they have certain physical characteristics and other descriptive details. Some events and characters are also composites of several individual events or
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alleges that the book contains significant fictional elements, that many of the key events propelling the drama did not occur in real life, and that others were exaggerated greatly. The book was adapted into the movies
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reporter Drake
Bennett. Mezrich not only exaggerated freely, according to sources for both articles, but invented whole parts of the story, including some pivotal events in the book that never happened to anyone.
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Mezrich acknowledges that Lewis is the sole major character based on a single, real-life individual; other characters are composites. Nonetheless, Lewis does things in the book that Ma himself says did not occur.
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adaptation of the book and became interested... The funny thing is filming may take place in casinos such as The Mirage and Caesar's Palace, where the real thing happened."
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Kevin. This scene again asks readers to accept that the chip-swallowing story is factual (or at least was actually in circulation among MIT counters as a myth).
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Though published as a factual account and originally categorized under "Current Events" in the hardcover Free Press edition,
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This disclaimer allows broad leeway to take actual events and real people and alter them in any way the author sees fit.
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The underground casino used for Kevin's final test (pp. 55–59) is entirely imaginary, according to
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counting deterrent efforts at the casinos eventually ended this incarnation of the MIT Blackjack Team.
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was filmed outside the buildings of MIT, in Boston
University classrooms and dorms, throughout
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ran an article investigating long-lingering claims that the book was substantially fictional.
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produced the film, and also portrays the character of Micky Rosa. Other cast members include
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Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for
Millions
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Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for
Millions
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Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for
Millions
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The Allston-Brighton Tab: Kaplan Inspires Hollywood Film '21.' Retrieved April 12, 2008.
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The book's main character is Kevin Lewis, an MIT graduate who was invited to join the
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is about another splinter group from the MIT Blackjack Team. The events depicted in
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were never recruited to cash out the team's chips, as described on pp. 149–153.
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The team's principal leader, Micky Rosa is a composite character based primarily on
680:"Kaplan inspires Hollywood film '21' - Allston-Brighton, MA - Allston/Brighton TAB"
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310:"is not a work of 'nonfiction' in any meaningful sense of the word," according to
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As revealed in the 2008 paperback edition of the book, Kevin Lewis's real name is
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Though not originally intended to have a sequel, Mezrich followed this book with
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showed similar inaccuracies in recounting the facts, with the main character
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Says Mezrich, "...Kevin Spacey came to me about making a movie. He read the
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described the story as "implausible," and none recalled having heard it.
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Chet Curtis Report on NECN - "Bringing Down the House with Bill Kaplan"
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Production Weekly: Luketic Hacking Las Vegas. Retrieved March 6, 2007.
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813:"ThePOGG Interviews - Semyon Dukach - MIT Card Counting Team Captain"
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One of the team leaders , Jason Fisher, is modeled in part after
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followed up with a more detailed story on April 6, 2008.
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MickeyRosa.com 'House of Cards' Retrieved July 31, 2008.
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215:in 1994. Ma has since gone on to found a
851:benmezrich.com. Retrieved March 6, 2007
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707:"House of Cards « mickeyrosa.com"
482:A film adaptation of the book, titled
447:. It did, however, briefly appear on
361:Also according to Aponte and Irvine,
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1186:Non-fiction books adapted into films
802:(New York: Free Press, 2002), p. iv.
768:"Ben Mezrich: Based on a True Story"
372:Kaplan's friends and family members.
359:Use of strippers to cash out chips.
247:, and started a company called the
340:The following events described in
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931:Zhang, Jenny (October 25, 2002).
1191:Non-fiction books about gambling
902:"Wired 10.09: Hacking Las Vegas"
869:Kevin Der (September 30, 2005).
628:Bennett, Drake (April 6, 2008).
456:. Despite again being listed as
983:Luck is for Losers INC Magazine
900:Mezrich, Ben (September 2002).
660:. Citizen Sports Network. 2008
655:"About Us / The Protrade Team"
383:Player forced to swallow chip.
1:
766:Gonzalez, John (March 2008).
349:Underground Chinatown casino.
1181:Free Press (publisher) books
734:"Gambling course a sure bet"
225:stock market simulation game
1116:The Accidental Billionaires
439:. Despite heavy marketing,
435:actually took place before
290:In its March 2008 edition,
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838:January 11, 2007, at the
245:World Series of Blackjack
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16:2003 book by Ben Mezrich
1084:Bringing Down the House
937:The Tech, MIT Newspaper
499:Bringing Down the House
445:Bringing Down the House
437:Bringing Down the House
342:Bringing Down the House
336:Historical inaccuracies
308:Bringing Down the House
1176:2003 non-fiction books
1148:The Antisocial Network
966:Adaptation of the book
443:did not do as well as
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251:Mike also has his own
213:mechanical engineering
158:commonly known as the
978:Mike Aponte's website
856:May 15, 2007, at the
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319:Disclaimer and leeway
1140:Bitcoin Billionaires
780:on December 18, 2008
713:on February 16, 2012
506:and was directed by
249:Blackjack Institute.
939:(Issue 50 ed.)
23:
912:on October 8, 2003
580:The Eudaemonic Pie
518:Laurence Fishburne
450:The New York Times
394:Theft of $ 75,000.
369:Shadowy investors.
191:MIT Blackjack Team
160:MIT Blackjack Team
147:is a 2003 book by
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746:on June 27, 2011.
686:on April 15, 2008
504:Columbia Pictures
376:Physical assault.
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818:November 10,
816:. Retrieved
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741:the original
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715:. Retrieved
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684:the original
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1076:Non-fiction
1066:The Carrier
1020:Ben Mezrich
985:August 2008
974:issue 10.09
542:Sam Golzari
534:Liza Lapira
530:Jacob Pitts
458:non-fiction
353:Mike Aponte
274:Controversy
264:Bill Kaplan
241:Mike Aponte
203:Kevin Lewis
149:Ben Mezrich
40:Ben Mezrich
1165:Categories
601:References
425:0060575123
258:Micky Rosa
198:Characters
76:Free Press
1171:Blackjack
1034:Threshold
885:March 29,
690:April 12,
658:(English)
558:Las Vegas
556:, and in
550:Cambridge
538:Aaron Yoo
363:strippers
72:Publisher
58:Blackjack
875:The Tech
854:Archived
836:Archived
573:See also
496:vehicle
328:persons.
295:magazine
286:articles
185:Synopsis
46:Language
1060:Skeptic
1027:Fiction
943:May 14,
916:May 14,
209:Jeff Ma
54:Subject
49:English
1151:(2021)
1143:(2019)
1135:(2013)
1127:(2011)
1119:(2009)
1111:(2007)
1108:Rigged
1103:(2005)
1095:(2004)
1087:(2002)
1068:(2001)
1062:(2000)
1056:(2000)
1050:(1999)
1044:(1998)
1041:Reaper
1036:(1996)
784:May 6,
773:Boston
664:May 6,
639:May 6,
554:Boston
540:, and
423:
409:Sequel
293:Boston
280:Boston
135:
111:257 pp
36:Author
971:Wired
906:Wired
744:(PDF)
737:(PDF)
566:Wired
388:Globe
312:Globe
253:blog.
108:Pages
64:Genre
1054:Skin
945:2008
918:2008
887:2008
820:2012
786:2008
719:2012
692:2008
666:2008
641:2008
552:and
421:ISBN
175:and
117:ISBN
968:in
427:).
227:).
223:(a
153:MIT
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
