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Busting Vegas: A True Story of Monumental Excess, Sex, Love, Violence, and Beating the Odds – An MIT Team's Dangerous Memoir of Mathematical Genius and Millions Won
He played in casinos around the world with a plan to make himself richer than anyone could possibly imagine -- but it would nearly cost him his life.
Semyon Dukach was known as the Darling of Las Vegas. A legend at age twenty-one, this cocky hotshot was the biggest high roller to appear in Sin City in decades, a mathematical genius with a system the casinos had never seen before and couldn't stop — a system that has never been revealed until now; that has nothing to do with card counting, wasn't illegal, and was more powerful than anything that had been tried before.
Las Vegas. Atlantic City. Aruba. Barcelona. London. And the jewel of the gambling crown — Monte Carlo.
Dukach and his fellow MIT students hit them all and made millions. They came in hard, with stacks of cash; big, seemingly insane bets; women hanging on their arms; and fake identities. Although they were taking classes and studying for exams during the week, over the weekends they stormed the blackjack tables only to be harassed, banned from casinos, threatened at gunpoint, and beaten in Vegas's notorious back rooms.
The stakes were high, the dangers very real, but the players were up to the challenges, consequences be damned. There was Semyon Dukach himself, bored with school and broke; Victor Cassius, the slick, brilliant MIT grad student who galvanized the team; Owen Keller, with stunning ability but a dark past that would catch up to him; and Allie Simpson, bright, clever, and a feast for the eyes.
In the classroom, they were geeks. On the casino floor, they were unstoppable.
Busting Vega$ is Dukach's unbelievably true story; a riveting account of monumental greed, excess, hubris, sex, love, violence, fear, and statistics that is high-stakes entertainment at its best.
Semyon Dukach was known as the Darling of Las Vegas. A legend at age twenty-one, this cocky hotshot was the biggest high roller to appear in Sin City in decades, a mathematical genius with a system the casinos had never seen before and couldn't stop — a system that has never been revealed until now; that has nothing to do with card counting, wasn't illegal, and was more powerful than anything that had been tried before.
Las Vegas. Atlantic City. Aruba. Barcelona. London. And the jewel of the gambling crown — Monte Carlo.
Dukach and his fellow MIT students hit them all and made millions. They came in hard, with stacks of cash; big, seemingly insane bets; women hanging on their arms; and fake identities. Although they were taking classes and studying for exams during the week, over the weekends they stormed the blackjack tables only to be harassed, banned from casinos, threatened at gunpoint, and beaten in Vegas's notorious back rooms.
The stakes were high, the dangers very real, but the players were up to the challenges, consequences be damned. There was Semyon Dukach himself, bored with school and broke; Victor Cassius, the slick, brilliant MIT grad student who galvanized the team; Owen Keller, with stunning ability but a dark past that would catch up to him; and Allie Simpson, bright, clever, and a feast for the eyes.
In the classroom, they were geeks. On the casino floor, they were unstoppable.
Busting Vega$ is Dukach's unbelievably true story; a riveting account of monumental greed, excess, hubris, sex, love, violence, fear, and statistics that is high-stakes entertainment at its best.
221 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 27, 2005
111 people are currently reading
1527 people want to read
About the author
Ben Mezrich
56 books1,462 followersBen Mezrich has created his own highly addictive genre of nonfiction, chronicling the amazing stories of young geniuses making tons of money on the edge of impossibility, ethics, and morality.
With his newest non-fiction book, Once Upon a Time in Russia, Mezrich tells his most incredible story yet: A true drama of obscene wealth, crime, rivalry, and betrayal from deep inside the world of billionaire Russian Oligarchs.
Mezrich has authored sixteen books, with a combined printing of over four million copies, including the wildly successful Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions, which spent sixty-three weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and sold over 2 million copies in fifteen languages. His book, The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal – debuted at #4 on the New York Times list and spent 18 weeks in hardcover and paperback, as well as hit bestseller lists in over a dozen countries. The book was adapted into the movie The Social Network –written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher – and was #1 at the box office for two weeks, won Golden Globes for best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, best score, and was nominated for 8 Oscars, winning 3 including best Adapted Screenplay for Aaron Sorkin. Mezrich and Aaron Sorkin shared a prestigious Scripter Award for best adapted screenplay as well.
With his newest non-fiction book, Once Upon a Time in Russia, Mezrich tells his most incredible story yet: A true drama of obscene wealth, crime, rivalry, and betrayal from deep inside the world of billionaire Russian Oligarchs.
Mezrich has authored sixteen books, with a combined printing of over four million copies, including the wildly successful Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions, which spent sixty-three weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and sold over 2 million copies in fifteen languages. His book, The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal – debuted at #4 on the New York Times list and spent 18 weeks in hardcover and paperback, as well as hit bestseller lists in over a dozen countries. The book was adapted into the movie The Social Network –written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher – and was #1 at the box office for two weeks, won Golden Globes for best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, best score, and was nominated for 8 Oscars, winning 3 including best Adapted Screenplay for Aaron Sorkin. Mezrich and Aaron Sorkin shared a prestigious Scripter Award for best adapted screenplay as well.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 215 reviews
June 17, 2015
The book opens with a girls’ lineup in a Nevada brothel. (That will get your attention.) He follows the chosen girl up to a room, 232, and there the girl leaves and he meets up with the Russian MIT student who had used a technique that would take millions from the casinos. It was the safest place to meet.
Forget counting cards that only increases your advantage slightly, this team, led by Victor (of whom we really learn very little), another MIT student, this team developed several strategies that involved knowing exactly how to cut cards and would seek out dealers who were just a bit sloppy during the shuffle. (I know nothing about Vegas or Blackjack but don’t they all use mechanical shufflers now? In fact, Mezrich suggests this change was a direct outcome of the casinos’ fear of the MIT strategy.) In any case, these techniques increased their odds to 30% or better, a huge advantage, and by knowing just when to place the bets and knowing when the dealer was going to bust, they could take in hundreds of thousands in just a few hours.
The casinos were not stupid and knew they were doing something (the kids had fake IDs and posed as wealthy businessmen or foreigners) but couldn’t figure out what. Not that they were doing anything illegal except that to casinos anything that doesn’t give them their guaranteed 2-5% edge is wrong and needs to be punished.
The book has been somewhat controversial with some of the principals reporting the events didn’t happen as reported in the book. So take it with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, it’s a good read, just assume it’s like a novel. I’m downgrading it a bit because it feels very superficial, more a recounting of what happened (certainly fascinating in itself) but without much analysis of the characters and their motivation.
Perhaps the great irony is that their strategies had little to do with math and probability (MIT students weren’t needed, the personalities were more crucial) and more with concentration, card control, and knowing how to cut decks precisely. In an interview at the end of the book, Mezrich insists he still uses the techniques successfully in Vegas. Bullshit. I don’t buy it.
I'm a bit curious as to why the title was changed from Busting Vega$: The MIT Whiz Kid Who Brought the Casinos to Their Knees (2005?) to Busting Vegas: A True Story of Monumental Excess, Sex, Love, Violence, and Beating the Odds (2006). Both are hyperbolic. No casino was brought to its knees and love played no part.
Audiobook read by the author who does a creditable job.
Forget counting cards that only increases your advantage slightly, this team, led by Victor (of whom we really learn very little), another MIT student, this team developed several strategies that involved knowing exactly how to cut cards and would seek out dealers who were just a bit sloppy during the shuffle. (I know nothing about Vegas or Blackjack but don’t they all use mechanical shufflers now? In fact, Mezrich suggests this change was a direct outcome of the casinos’ fear of the MIT strategy.) In any case, these techniques increased their odds to 30% or better, a huge advantage, and by knowing just when to place the bets and knowing when the dealer was going to bust, they could take in hundreds of thousands in just a few hours.
The casinos were not stupid and knew they were doing something (the kids had fake IDs and posed as wealthy businessmen or foreigners) but couldn’t figure out what. Not that they were doing anything illegal except that to casinos anything that doesn’t give them their guaranteed 2-5% edge is wrong and needs to be punished.
The book has been somewhat controversial with some of the principals reporting the events didn’t happen as reported in the book. So take it with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, it’s a good read, just assume it’s like a novel. I’m downgrading it a bit because it feels very superficial, more a recounting of what happened (certainly fascinating in itself) but without much analysis of the characters and their motivation.
Perhaps the great irony is that their strategies had little to do with math and probability (MIT students weren’t needed, the personalities were more crucial) and more with concentration, card control, and knowing how to cut decks precisely. In an interview at the end of the book, Mezrich insists he still uses the techniques successfully in Vegas. Bullshit. I don’t buy it.
I'm a bit curious as to why the title was changed from Busting Vega$: The MIT Whiz Kid Who Brought the Casinos to Their Knees (2005?) to Busting Vegas: A True Story of Monumental Excess, Sex, Love, Violence, and Beating the Odds (2006). Both are hyperbolic. No casino was brought to its knees and love played no part.
Audiobook read by the author who does a creditable job.
November 19, 2007
The first book of Ben Mezrich's that I've read, Bringing Down the House, was about a group of MIT students who used a group blackjack technique to make a lot of money until casinos began to figure out their system and brought heat down on them. This new book, Busting Vegas, is about a group of MIT students who used a group blackjack technique to make a lot of money until casinos began to figure out their system and brought heat down on them. Seriously. A chapter in I had to double-check to make sure I wasn't just reading the same book over again. And perhaps because he knows that he's repeating himself somewhat, Mezrich is trying way too hard here. It's a dramatic story, but the prose is overblown and Mezrich tries to make even walking through a trendy Boston neighborhood seem psychologically intriguing.
And the dialogue... At one point Mezrich notes that interview subjects often meet him in noisy places to defeat the recording devices they presume he's carrying and notes that he's "not that kind of writer." Well, he might want to start, because the reconstructed dialog he puts in people's mouths is stilted and unrealistic. (I would quote you some, but I gave the book away minutes after I finished.)
And the dialogue... At one point Mezrich notes that interview subjects often meet him in noisy places to defeat the recording devices they presume he's carrying and notes that he's "not that kind of writer." Well, he might want to start, because the reconstructed dialog he puts in people's mouths is stilted and unrealistic. (I would quote you some, but I gave the book away minutes after I finished.)
January 9, 2020
Gambling against the house isn’t my thing.
Gee, I don’t know. It just that this story got drama but nothing dramatic enough to hook me in! Also, this story have too many gaps in between events...just not for me.
Gee, I don’t know. It just that this story got drama but nothing dramatic enough to hook me in! Also, this story have too many gaps in between events...just not for me.
November 30, 2024
A fantastic book. I’ve been in a reading slump for months-this busted me out of it and was impossible to put down.
Drama at every turn, fleshed out and exciting characters, and gasp-worthy twists and turns throughout.
Even better than it is based on a true story. The mark of a good piece of media is the extent to which you yearn to fill in the gaps and access further context after the fact. I want to immerse myself further. I want a sequel, even if there isn’t sufficient data for one.
Drama at every turn, fleshed out and exciting characters, and gasp-worthy twists and turns throughout.
Even better than it is based on a true story. The mark of a good piece of media is the extent to which you yearn to fill in the gaps and access further context after the fact. I want to immerse myself further. I want a sequel, even if there isn’t sufficient data for one.
January 28, 2012
Just WOW is the writing bad. The dialogue sounds like a a desperate attempt to be cool from someone who has never met anyone cool except in movies form the 1940's. I kept getting into it and then having to put it down to wrap my head around the awful phrasing. Also, the man cannot write about a woman to save his life- they're all one dimensional literary devices for sexual conflict, never mind that they're brilliant MIT students. Also, he writes himself in the book! So distracting. And he writes himself visiting a hooker in the book! And he ends that chapter with someone like "did she stay? Well what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." Contrived is the best word to describe the devices.
But my dad LOVED this book and I was entertained by it. I finished it and really enjoyed the plot. Just wish the author felt he could write a book without "cool" dialogue, because it's just awful.
But my dad LOVED this book and I was entertained by it. I finished it and really enjoyed the plot. Just wish the author felt he could write a book without "cool" dialogue, because it's just awful.
October 4, 2012
I'm an MIT grad, so I love nothing more than a good story about MIT kids winning big. Unfortunately, that's where my interest ended. I couldn't agree more with previous reviewers who bemoaned the horrifically bad writing, especially when it comes to the female characters. Yes, the main character is a college-aged young man, so it might not be unrealistic for him to be preoccupied with women's breasts. But phrases like "her perfectly round breasts, her hard nipples"? Seriously? That sounds like something I'd hear on a Beavis and Butt-Head episode, not from a professional author who expects an adult reader to take him seriously. I admit I listened to the audiobook until the end, so the story did hook me enough to stay with it. But I winced up until the very last page. Mr. Mezrich, please grow up. These kinds of adolescent male fantasies just make a man of your age seem pathetic.
June 30, 2014
Busting Vega$ doesn't ring true. Falls short as a straight up bio, with obvious embellishments and revisionist fantasy sequences attempting to spice things up. Clearly a skewed point of view, written to appease Semyon Dukach, who apparently was the only one willing to spill the story. And the books claim that they brought Vegas to it's knees without card counting or cheating, is quickly proven false. All three of the groups "sequences" involve some method of counting cards, and illegally peaking at the dealer's bottom card(sorry, strongly frowned upon even at a friendly quarter poker game with your buds). They weren't chased from nearly every casino because they were winning, but obviously because they were somehow cheating. Was interested to learn their system, but disappointed to find out their methods. And the whole weirdness of the bizarre fake identities adds absolutely nothing to their scheme, if anything directly contributing their hasty exits in most casinos. The movie(21) was entertaining, as pure fiction. The book needs to be re classified as fiction as well.
October 5, 2014
Breaking Vegas is a kind of sort of follow up to Mezrich's other Vegas book Bringing Down The House (later made in the movie "21"). Breaking Vegas follows another MIT Blackjack team, one who've developed a new system for beating the casinos as opposed to the straight up card counting team from Bringing Down The House (card counting isn't illegal in Vegas, but it will get you banned from the casinos if you're caught). Breaking Vegas a fast paced, interesting read. As with Bringing Down The House, I suspect some facts will have been embellished or glossed over, whether for artistic license or, most likely, to protect some of the people involved. It's a good look at the lengths people will go to to beat the house. However, it probably won't make a lot of sense unless you've read the previous book or seen some of the multitude of TV shows produced about the MIT teams. It definitely feels like a warning for not trying it yourselves!
September 9, 2016
Busting Vegas is one of the best true story's I have ever read it almost doesn't seem real. The best part is how they found an actual system to beat blackjack, and the amount of money they took from the casinos almost seemed like theft. After I read the book I wanted to go to Vegas, but... I'm way too young to gamble so that was a bit of a downside. This book taught me about the casinos run and the consequences if you get caught trying to take the casinos money.
READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!
READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!
Read
July 26, 2011The one I read didn't have that cover, I promise.
December 9, 2024
3.8 - compulsively readable, a true story featuring a group of MIT kids beating the blackjack table. Quite well structured with an excellent finger for utilizing emotional beats and points of tension.
July 26, 2020
Hard to say why I didn't like this book very much. First, I thought Seymon's reasons for publishing the techniques used, as stated in the "afterword" didn't ring true. Encouraging people to go to casinos, even to "beat" the casinos, is nonsense. People going to the casinos is the lifeblood of the casinos, most people aren't going to be able to beat the dealer no matter what book or dvd they study. So basically that is just more money in the hands of the casinos. I thought he published the techniques and the book to make money for himself.
The story itself is interesting but the conversations seem made up and why wouldn't they be, it's been a long time, who remembers. But my attention kept snagging on it.
The gambling techniques themselves didn't seem like cheating, I don't think card counting is cheating either; but I'm not surprised that the casinos saw it differently when they started losing lots of money. I wouldn't expect anything to change; people will go to Vegas etc. and lose, casinos will protect their money. If you win at gambling maybe try to win less ostentatiously and less frequently.
The story itself is interesting but the conversations seem made up and why wouldn't they be, it's been a long time, who remembers. But my attention kept snagging on it.
The gambling techniques themselves didn't seem like cheating, I don't think card counting is cheating either; but I'm not surprised that the casinos saw it differently when they started losing lots of money. I wouldn't expect anything to change; people will go to Vegas etc. and lose, casinos will protect their money. If you win at gambling maybe try to win less ostentatiously and less frequently.
November 2, 2024
Mezrich did a great job detailing the strategies the MIT Blackjack team used to stick it to the casinos, while at the same time recounting the thrilling stories and heat encountered by the team. Makes you wonder how much more damage the team could have done if the casinos didn't limit their playing or threaten them for winning.
March 31, 2023
Fun book, let me fantasize about getting a lot of money. Action packed, drama filled vegas story.
Themes of redemption are very strong.
Not too pressed to write a full detailed review
Themes of redemption are very strong.
Not too pressed to write a full detailed review
November 30, 2025
Did this stuff really happen? I don't know but it was one hell of a ride.
September 7, 2022
It was a good book. I just wished it went into a little more depth of the players and what happened later. Like Jack galen what's his story what happened at the end?
November 29, 2015
Este es uno de esos libros que les gusta crear increíbles expectativas. Partiendo por el título. Las cantidades de exceso, sexo, amor y violencia están muy lejos de ser monumentales. De hecho diría que son con suerte perceptibles.
El escritor se pone a si mismo como un personaje que investiga la historia, el único rol de esta acción es crear más expectativa. Lo cual solo sirve para subestimar los eventos que pasan.
También se equivoca en concentrase en Las Vegas siendo que la historia se da vueltas por varios casinos del mundo. La historia habría sido más interesante si no hubieran dado darle tantos aires.
Punto aparte, no me gustó para nada el trato de la historia hacia las mujeres. Aún con las amplias menciones al comercio sexual, la historia tampoco trata bien a las mujeres que son parte el equipo. Las dos mujeres que están siempre al lado de Jake (cuyos nombres ya olvidé) son un par de maniquíes, con tanta presencia como un gomero. Y Allie, la protagonista femenina, solo está ahí como objeto de deseo y motivación del protagonista. Toda mención de ella incluye mencion de su ropa y de lo sensual que es.
Y el problema es que la historia sería interesante si tan solo se le diera un buen ángulo. Podría haber sido un buen libro, pero alas, es ahí nomas.
El escritor se pone a si mismo como un personaje que investiga la historia, el único rol de esta acción es crear más expectativa. Lo cual solo sirve para subestimar los eventos que pasan.
También se equivoca en concentrase en Las Vegas siendo que la historia se da vueltas por varios casinos del mundo. La historia habría sido más interesante si no hubieran dado darle tantos aires.
Punto aparte, no me gustó para nada el trato de la historia hacia las mujeres. Aún con las amplias menciones al comercio sexual, la historia tampoco trata bien a las mujeres que son parte el equipo. Las dos mujeres que están siempre al lado de Jake (cuyos nombres ya olvidé) son un par de maniquíes, con tanta presencia como un gomero. Y Allie, la protagonista femenina, solo está ahí como objeto de deseo y motivación del protagonista. Toda mención de ella incluye mencion de su ropa y de lo sensual que es.
Y el problema es que la historia sería interesante si tan solo se le diera un buen ángulo. Podría haber sido un buen libro, pero alas, es ahí nomas.
March 29, 2011
Many of Ben Mezrich's books have been made into movies. After reading Busting Vegas, it's easy to see why. Mezrich writes non-fiction in a fictional, personal style that puts you inside the minds of the characters. Busting Vegas tells the story of Seymion Dukach and a band of MIT number crunchers who form a winning team at doing more than just card counting, but create a revolutionary formula for beating the blackjack tables and at times, avoiding unwanted and hostile attention from Vegas security and mobsters. At times, one forgets that the book is a non-fiction, rather than a gripping novel, based on the characters and the wild adventures that seem more fiction than fact. Gone are the dry facts, figures and quotes that slow up most non-fictions. Whether you read Busting Vegas or watch the film 21 based on Mezrich's book, this book is a fun read for casino fans and gambling abstainers alike.
September 14, 2011
This just wasn't as interesting to me as the first one. It read like fiction but in an almost unbelievable way. While the techniques were interesting and raised a lot of questions about how the casinos would handle it when they learned about it, these questions were never answered and the techniques were presented in such a straightforward way. Honestly, it just felt like a cheap, trashy fiction read (not that there's anything wrong with that but it wasn't what I was expecting). I also didn't care for Mezrich's reading of his own book and hope he cringed as much as I did upon reading certain sentences.
September 20, 2015
Interesting book about a bunch of MIT students under the leadership of Victor who use a variety of techniques to give themselves an edge over the house. It relies on teamwork, a knowledge of dealer's shuffling techniques, and the ability to cut to a precise point in the deck. It was interesting and the casinos definitely did not like these folks darkening their doors. My only criticism is that the action shuffles back and forth between the MIT players and the author's background interviews and investigations - this almost seems an unnecessary interruption of the action.
April 23, 2017
Rating - 8.1
Mezrich has perfected the quick hook writing formula, as similar to Bringing Down the House. BV is a quick read that has the reader wanting to learn the tricks & how the eventual downfall plays out
Plays into people's fantasies but ultimately, everyone is usually a Victor - keeps on pressing, not knowing when to stop until it is too late; The current day PoV's are more space-filler than necessary
Mezrich has perfected the quick hook writing formula, as similar to Bringing Down the House. BV is a quick read that has the reader wanting to learn the tricks & how the eventual downfall plays out
Plays into people's fantasies but ultimately, everyone is usually a Victor - keeps on pressing, not knowing when to stop until it is too late; The current day PoV's are more space-filler than necessary
October 13, 2023
How to play roulette and win online
Are you looking for a simple and profitable online casino game? Your best bet is online roulette. This popular board game comes in several variations, but generally they all follow similar rules. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced player, roulette always offers you fun and the opportunity to even win real money. And if you are interested in a guide on how to choose a casino game, on this page we guide you to the best casino games for beginners in 2023!
This article is a complete guide to playing roulette online. Both professionals and newcomers can learn from it.
As you may know, roulette is a casino game of chance. The name has French roots and means "little wheel". But it probably comes from Italy and is a derivative of an ancient Italian game: Biribi. This casino game requires players to guess which hole the spinning ball will land in. However, the game is not that simple! This was just an introduction and I'll get to work!
Online Roulette: Legal or Illegal?
To make it easier for you, let's remove that unpleasant feeling. I know that the first thing you should think about when you want to play online is whether it is legal or not. If you are in the United States of America, it all depends on the state you live in. Wondering if federal law prohibits online gambling? Well, the truth is that this is just a myth and a misinterpretation of the Anti-Unlawful Internet Gambling Act of 2006. There is an exclusive provision in this Act for electronic transfers. The clause prohibits gaming companies from:
"the knowing acceptance of funds associated with any person engaged in illegal online gambling by betting or betting".
But the action is aimed at the gambling business and has nothing to do with you sending the money. The key word here is that the company cannot accept your play money. This is why gaming platforms use payment processing companies to facilitate their money transfers. However, if you live in a country that has not expressly legalized online gambling, just to be on the safe side, do your research and make sure there is no clear ban on online gambling. Also, check your state file to see if there is a record of anyone being prosecuted for online gambling. Generally, online gambling may be illegal, but it doesn't have to be.
By the way, DO NOT forget to check the casino website license issued by the relevant authorities (see here).
Variants of roulette
Whether you play in Las Vegas or at home, the rules of roulette are generally the same. This game is so popular and the reason is in its many variants. There are several variations of roulette, but the most popular are American roulette and European roulette. But what are their differences?
The two variants differ on both the roulette wheel and the house edge. The American wheel consists of 38 slots for roulette balls. The pockets contain black and red numbers from 1 to 36. The wheel also has two additional pockets for a single 0 and a double 00.
On the other hand, in European or French roulette, the 36 numbered squares are red or black. But there is only one green pocket for zero.
The difference in house edge may seem insignificant, but this subtle difference really affects the results of your bets. If you bet on certain numbers in American roulette, your chances of winning decrease. That's 1 in 38. But the odds of winning European roulette are 1 in 37. You might be wondering if lower odds mean bigger wins, right? I'm sorry, but it really sucks! American roulette doesn't work that way. Although it offers lower odds, if your bet wins, you still get a win similar to European Roulette. But why? Because that extra green bag isn't a designer creation. This is a strategic move to increase the house advantage. So American roulette has a house edge of 5.26%, which is a lot! But the house edge in European roulette is only 2.7%.
Good good good! Do I need to tell you which option is better? Choose better odds and a lower house edge.
Are you looking for a simple and profitable online casino game? Your best bet is online roulette. This popular board game comes in several variations, but generally they all follow similar rules. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced player, roulette always offers you fun and the opportunity to even win real money. And if you are interested in a guide on how to choose a casino game, on this page we guide you to the best casino games for beginners in 2023!
This article is a complete guide to playing roulette online. Both professionals and newcomers can learn from it.
As you may know, roulette is a casino game of chance. The name has French roots and means "little wheel". But it probably comes from Italy and is a derivative of an ancient Italian game: Biribi. This casino game requires players to guess which hole the spinning ball will land in. However, the game is not that simple! This was just an introduction and I'll get to work!
Online Roulette: Legal or Illegal?
To make it easier for you, let's remove that unpleasant feeling. I know that the first thing you should think about when you want to play online is whether it is legal or not. If you are in the United States of America, it all depends on the state you live in. Wondering if federal law prohibits online gambling? Well, the truth is that this is just a myth and a misinterpretation of the Anti-Unlawful Internet Gambling Act of 2006. There is an exclusive provision in this Act for electronic transfers. The clause prohibits gaming companies from:
"the knowing acceptance of funds associated with any person engaged in illegal online gambling by betting or betting".
But the action is aimed at the gambling business and has nothing to do with you sending the money. The key word here is that the company cannot accept your play money. This is why gaming platforms use payment processing companies to facilitate their money transfers. However, if you live in a country that has not expressly legalized online gambling, just to be on the safe side, do your research and make sure there is no clear ban on online gambling. Also, check your state file to see if there is a record of anyone being prosecuted for online gambling. Generally, online gambling may be illegal, but it doesn't have to be.
By the way, DO NOT forget to check the casino website license issued by the relevant authorities (see here).
Variants of roulette
Whether you play in Las Vegas or at home, the rules of roulette are generally the same. This game is so popular and the reason is in its many variants. There are several variations of roulette, but the most popular are American roulette and European roulette. But what are their differences?
The two variants differ on both the roulette wheel and the house edge. The American wheel consists of 38 slots for roulette balls. The pockets contain black and red numbers from 1 to 36. The wheel also has two additional pockets for a single 0 and a double 00.
On the other hand, in European or French roulette, the 36 numbered squares are red or black. But there is only one green pocket for zero.
The difference in house edge may seem insignificant, but this subtle difference really affects the results of your bets. If you bet on certain numbers in American roulette, your chances of winning decrease. That's 1 in 38. But the odds of winning European roulette are 1 in 37. You might be wondering if lower odds mean bigger wins, right? I'm sorry, but it really sucks! American roulette doesn't work that way. Although it offers lower odds, if your bet wins, you still get a win similar to European Roulette. But why? Because that extra green bag isn't a designer creation. This is a strategic move to increase the house advantage. So American roulette has a house edge of 5.26%, which is a lot! But the house edge in European roulette is only 2.7%.
Good good good! Do I need to tell you which option is better? Choose better odds and a lower house edge.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2024
Busting Vega$ by Ben Mezrich – My High Roller Dreams? Dead on Arrival
Sometimes, after a few glasses of wine, I make the brilliant decision to buy a book, because tipsy-me clearly has Pulitzer-level taste in literature. Exactly how I ended up with Busting Vega$. But, to my surprise, it didn’t turn out to be one of those regrettable 2 a.m. purchases. Shocking, I know.
Me at the beginning of this book: “Maybe I could quit my job, become a high roller, and live off the obscene amounts of money I win."
Spoiler: I absolutely cannot.
Ben Mezrich is basically that friend at a party who says, “Wanna hear a crazy story?” after 3 tequila shots. Then you're locked in for a wild ride that sounds exaggerated enough to make you question if it happened. Much like Bringing Down the House (yes, the one that became the movie 21), Mezrich brings us back to Sin City, with a similar “math nerds go rogue” vibe. But this time, they’re not just counting cards—it's some blackjack voodoo (apparently NOT illegal?).
These kids are just out here calculating how to win big, hoping to avoid becoming CSI: Las Vegas victims, and maybe even pay off some student loans (because obviously). There’s drama. There’s tension. There’s the looming threat of getting caught. The storytelling is fast-paced and maybe a little careless. But honestly? I'm not mad about it.
Things I Loved:
• Short chapters with cliffhanger endings – Bless you, Ben Mezrich, for understanding my goldfish attention span. The chapters fly by, and just when you think you’ll put the book down, boom, cliffhanger.
• The Trump cameo – Because apparently, you really can’t have a scam without the king of golden hair (and golden toilets) lurking in the background. One of my favorite moments in Trump’s glittering history of failures—the glorious casino flop. Chef's kiss in terms of irony. Plus one star—I don’t make the rules!
What Didn’t Work For Me:
• This could’ve been MORE. There’s a solid foundation here, it just wasn’t taken far enough. I needed more juice and more emotion, but instead, I got a pretty surface-level narrative. Is it too much to ask for some nail-biting suspense?
• Mezrich, you gave me high-stakes gambling and a Trump cameo, but you forgot one crucial thing: CLOSURE! Like, sure, we know what happens in the big picture, but what about the emotional fallout? The aftermath? Did they stay friends? All things I guess Google will have to answer. Thanks.
If this book were a show, it’d be like a Netflix limited series that you binge in one weekend. I do feel a bit cooler. Like I could go scam the Monte Carlo Casino in a pair of oversized sunglasses and drive off in a Bugatti. But, the reality is: 1) I cannot count cards. 2) I would absolutely crumble under even mild interrogation from a pit boss. 3) My tolerance for high-stakes gambling maxes out in about 22 minutes—much like my patience for math.
Final rating? 3.5 stars, rounded up! It’s a little light on substance but It wasn’t a total waste of time. I did learn some stuff along the way… like how hilariously useless I would be in any high-stakes situation that requires math skills (or guts). Did it give me all the answers I wanted? Nope. Did I want more depth? Absolutely. But I’ll still recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, entertaining escape. In conclusion, it’s a great book for when you want to feel like you’re living on the edge without actually risking your entire life savings.
Sometimes, after a few glasses of wine, I make the brilliant decision to buy a book, because tipsy-me clearly has Pulitzer-level taste in literature. Exactly how I ended up with Busting Vega$. But, to my surprise, it didn’t turn out to be one of those regrettable 2 a.m. purchases. Shocking, I know.
Me at the beginning of this book: “Maybe I could quit my job, become a high roller, and live off the obscene amounts of money I win."
Spoiler: I absolutely cannot.
Ben Mezrich is basically that friend at a party who says, “Wanna hear a crazy story?” after 3 tequila shots. Then you're locked in for a wild ride that sounds exaggerated enough to make you question if it happened. Much like Bringing Down the House (yes, the one that became the movie 21), Mezrich brings us back to Sin City, with a similar “math nerds go rogue” vibe. But this time, they’re not just counting cards—it's some blackjack voodoo (apparently NOT illegal?).
These kids are just out here calculating how to win big, hoping to avoid becoming CSI: Las Vegas victims, and maybe even pay off some student loans (because obviously). There’s drama. There’s tension. There’s the looming threat of getting caught. The storytelling is fast-paced and maybe a little careless. But honestly? I'm not mad about it.
Things I Loved:
• Short chapters with cliffhanger endings – Bless you, Ben Mezrich, for understanding my goldfish attention span. The chapters fly by, and just when you think you’ll put the book down, boom, cliffhanger.
• The Trump cameo – Because apparently, you really can’t have a scam without the king of golden hair (and golden toilets) lurking in the background. One of my favorite moments in Trump’s glittering history of failures—the glorious casino flop. Chef's kiss in terms of irony. Plus one star—I don’t make the rules!
What Didn’t Work For Me:
• This could’ve been MORE. There’s a solid foundation here, it just wasn’t taken far enough. I needed more juice and more emotion, but instead, I got a pretty surface-level narrative. Is it too much to ask for some nail-biting suspense?
• Mezrich, you gave me high-stakes gambling and a Trump cameo, but you forgot one crucial thing: CLOSURE! Like, sure, we know what happens in the big picture, but what about the emotional fallout? The aftermath? Did they stay friends? All things I guess Google will have to answer. Thanks.
If this book were a show, it’d be like a Netflix limited series that you binge in one weekend. I do feel a bit cooler. Like I could go scam the Monte Carlo Casino in a pair of oversized sunglasses and drive off in a Bugatti. But, the reality is: 1) I cannot count cards. 2) I would absolutely crumble under even mild interrogation from a pit boss. 3) My tolerance for high-stakes gambling maxes out in about 22 minutes—much like my patience for math.
Final rating? 3.5 stars, rounded up! It’s a little light on substance but It wasn’t a total waste of time. I did learn some stuff along the way… like how hilariously useless I would be in any high-stakes situation that requires math skills (or guts). Did it give me all the answers I wanted? Nope. Did I want more depth? Absolutely. But I’ll still recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, entertaining escape. In conclusion, it’s a great book for when you want to feel like you’re living on the edge without actually risking your entire life savings.
November 10, 2025
A light read perfect for the plane ride to Las Vegas. The book covers the exploits of a group of MIT students who develop some systems that mathematically are designed to give a huge edge to the players for a hand or two on each shoe. Of course, it always works for them and they win piles of money and attract the focus of the casino security. As someone who has spent some time at the tables, I appreciated the methods but found that some of the results defied reality. For example, the group books a huge win on seven times they guided an ace by reading the back card of a shoe in a few hours. A typical shoe in Las Vegas takes 15-20 minutes to burn through and an ace will appear on the back of a deck before a cut 1/13 times on average. To get seven aces would take an out 100 shoes - which I estimate would take over 24 hours to play through. And even if they win every one of their “guided” hands at 20x base bet, I am not convinced they could overcome the natural downward flow of losing from the dozens of other shoes. That said, I am a full-throated supporter of a team black jack approach. As I write this review, I am standing in the Las Vegas airport with nearly $10k of profits from about 12 hours of black jack with a team. We don’t do anything like what is described in the book - in fact the casinos have put practices into place like covering back card before cut and forcing player cuts deeper into the shoe - but we are disciplined and use a ramping strategy that can be successful, especially when paired with a light card flow monitoring.
Back to the book. It was fast-paced and interesting enough. If you aren’t a black jack aficionado you may not appreciate the details as much, but the adventure is interesting. And the stories about casino security sent shivers down my spine. In the end, one must be disciplined, have knowledge of the game, use strict money management, and have an adequate bankroll and you have a chance. But if you look around the casino, keep in mind that someone is paying for it. Don’t let it be you.
Back to the book. It was fast-paced and interesting enough. If you aren’t a black jack aficionado you may not appreciate the details as much, but the adventure is interesting. And the stories about casino security sent shivers down my spine. In the end, one must be disciplined, have knowledge of the game, use strict money management, and have an adequate bankroll and you have a chance. But if you look around the casino, keep in mind that someone is paying for it. Don’t let it be you.
June 7, 2025
Busting Vega$ is another wild, adrenaline-fueled ride from Ben Mezrich that explores the outrageous, glamorous, and risky world of high-stakes gambling. This true story centers around Semyon Dukach, a member of the legendary MIT blackjack team, who helped take down Vegas casinos using intellect, calculated deception, and raw nerve.
Mezrich masterfully blends real-life events with cinematic flair—making this book read more like a fast-paced thriller than a traditional biography. From luxury suites to security threats, love affairs to near-escapes, the book immerses you in a world where numbers and psychology trump pure luck.
What resonated with me the most is how much Busting Vega$ shows that successful gambling is less about recklessness and more about strategy and discipline. This mindset directly connects with how modern platforms like MissLuna.io are shifting perceptions around online gaming. With features like QRIS deposit, sleek interfaces, and accessible design, MissLuna.io creates a user experience rooted in entertainment—while still nodding to the legacy of calculated risk that legends like Dukach embraced.
If you’re curious about the psychology of risk, enjoy stories of underdogs who beat the system, or want a glimpse into the dark glamour of Vegas in its prime, Busting Vega$ is for you. And if you’re intrigued by the idea of bringing that excitement to your screen today, MissLuna.io offers a digital alternative—modern, secure, and just as thrilling.
Mezrich masterfully blends real-life events with cinematic flair—making this book read more like a fast-paced thriller than a traditional biography. From luxury suites to security threats, love affairs to near-escapes, the book immerses you in a world where numbers and psychology trump pure luck.
What resonated with me the most is how much Busting Vega$ shows that successful gambling is less about recklessness and more about strategy and discipline. This mindset directly connects with how modern platforms like MissLuna.io are shifting perceptions around online gaming. With features like QRIS deposit, sleek interfaces, and accessible design, MissLuna.io creates a user experience rooted in entertainment—while still nodding to the legacy of calculated risk that legends like Dukach embraced.
If you’re curious about the psychology of risk, enjoy stories of underdogs who beat the system, or want a glimpse into the dark glamour of Vegas in its prime, Busting Vega$ is for you. And if you’re intrigued by the idea of bringing that excitement to your screen today, MissLuna.io offers a digital alternative—modern, secure, and just as thrilling.
July 18, 2019
I've always enjoyed my trips to Vegas, but have never won big or lost big. I play just enough to have fun, but I always wondered what it would be like to win big, but I'm not sure I'd have it takes to do what this team did.
One thing I never understood about blackjack is why its illegal for people to count cards, which is not the method used by this team. To me, if someone can count cards then more power to them. They still can't predict how other players are going to play, unless they're in on it to.
In "Busting Vegas" , a group of MIT students come up with three different techniques that give them advantage, an advantage that is not appreciated by the casinos. I enjoyed the the storytelling of how the team was put together, how the techniques were were created, and how they were used to help them win.
Although the team does well in some cases, they definitely run into dangerous and problematic situations. How are they able to get out of them? Well, you will just have to give this one a whirl.
One thing I never understood about blackjack is why its illegal for people to count cards, which is not the method used by this team. To me, if someone can count cards then more power to them. They still can't predict how other players are going to play, unless they're in on it to.
In "Busting Vegas" , a group of MIT students come up with three different techniques that give them advantage, an advantage that is not appreciated by the casinos. I enjoyed the the storytelling of how the team was put together, how the techniques were were created, and how they were used to help them win.
Although the team does well in some cases, they definitely run into dangerous and problematic situations. How are they able to get out of them? Well, you will just have to give this one a whirl.
November 28, 2018
They took a real life story and give hire a gun to write it down. The writing is functional, to say something, but the whole story and characters never come alive. Besides, I doubt the veracity of it all. The MIT stereotypes are briefly there with a poor effort to write any human character. Some personality traits are thrown here and there for no purpose at all. In short, the storytelling sucks.
Besides, on the veracity side, it is too perfectly arranged with escalating difficulty and absurdity for having happened like that.
It is not entirely discardable though. This is the sort of book you want to read on a long flight. There is little oxygen up there and little room for thinking. Still, in the category of "airplane reading" is far from my favorites. A moment to remember is the brief appearance of Trump himself and the mocking tone the book has for him (this was written a decade before 2016).
Besides, on the veracity side, it is too perfectly arranged with escalating difficulty and absurdity for having happened like that.
It is not entirely discardable though. This is the sort of book you want to read on a long flight. There is little oxygen up there and little room for thinking. Still, in the category of "airplane reading" is far from my favorites. A moment to remember is the brief appearance of Trump himself and the mocking tone the book has for him (this was written a decade before 2016).
November 3, 2017
This was a fun read that was fast paced and really kept my interest. His style of writing felt like a movie script: jump into an active scene, get to the point, and get out, without getting bogged down in detail like a book would typically do. That style fit the story.
I was disappointed to find it wasn’t entirely true, but many characters and scenes were composites of real people and events. It made for a better story, but I am constantly disappointed to find that the “based on a true story” books and movies I find have a lot more “based on” than they do “true story”.
The book gave just enough explanation of the blackjack trick to follow it, without getting bogged down in a tutorial. It was enjoyable, and made me interested in reading more from this author. What more could you want in a book?
I was disappointed to find it wasn’t entirely true, but many characters and scenes were composites of real people and events. It made for a better story, but I am constantly disappointed to find that the “based on a true story” books and movies I find have a lot more “based on” than they do “true story”.
The book gave just enough explanation of the blackjack trick to follow it, without getting bogged down in a tutorial. It was enjoyable, and made me interested in reading more from this author. What more could you want in a book?
November 5, 2024
Rating this similar to Bringing Down the House. To be fair, the techniques themselves are different between the two books. But I would really recommend just reading one or the other, as the style and the beats remain the same for both.
Having said that, I won't rate a book differently just because I read one before the other. Assuming I read only this, it is still a thrilling tale of a group of MIT wizards who conquered the blackjack tables. The thrills, spills, and romance were still present. And Mezrich's style of mixing the past and present still worked. Nonetheless, I'm not marking two books with the same theme as both five stars - but I would be happy marking both at four stars.
Having said that, I won't rate a book differently just because I read one before the other. Assuming I read only this, it is still a thrilling tale of a group of MIT wizards who conquered the blackjack tables. The thrills, spills, and romance were still present. And Mezrich's style of mixing the past and present still worked. Nonetheless, I'm not marking two books with the same theme as both five stars - but I would be happy marking both at four stars.
April 30, 2019
I enjoyed this novel because it's a fun thriller/caper but there were many hard to believe aspects in the storyline. It was hard for me to discern whether this was a supposed to be fiction or non-fiction with the author getting too deep inside the heads' of many of the characters as well as other huge leaps of logic that are very well covered in other reviews of this book.
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