Breaking Vegas (History Channel)

Average customer rating:

Possibly enthralling story marred by uninteresting storytell

Creating a business to outsmart the casino business

Review by Chiprocks

Breaking Vegas (History Channel)
Starring: Joseph Phong Dao , Bud Watson , Joe Boyd (III) , Gary Lucy (II) , and Catherine Kresge
Director: Bruce David Klein
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video
All A&E Titles | A&E Home Video | Television | Genres | DVD | Video
All Titles | History Channel | Television | Genres | DVD | Video
DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Real Las Vegas - The Complete Story

"60 Minutes to Winning Blackjack" by the MIT students who 'Brought Down the House'

Modern Marvels - Las Vegas (History Channel) (A&E DVD Archives)

Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions

Cheating Las Vegas

ASIN: B0001ZDLPU
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Amazon.com

Creating a foolproof plan to beat Las Vegas has been a goal for gamblers and grifters since the city was established, but only one group has come closest to making such a system pay off--a collection of math whizzes from M.I.T. The unique rise and fall of their blackjack team is the focus of this intriguing 2004 History Channel documentary. For two years in the early '90s, the team reaped millions from casinos around the world with their scheme, until conflict within the group and a diligent security company brought the group's winnings to a crashing halt. Interviews with team members and author Ben Mezrich, whose 2003 book Bringing Down the House focuses on a later M.I.T. team, provide the most interesting moments; however, the pulpy narration, hyperactive direction, and awkward dramatic re-creations cheapen the doc's efforts to effectively relay this engaging story. More straightforward and successful attempts to address the world of gambling are featured in the DVD's supplemental features, which offer two additional History Channel documentaries, High Rollers: A History of Gambling and "How To Win in Las Vegas," an episode from their Conquest series. --Paul Gaita

Customer Reviews:

Possibly enthralling story marred by uninteresting storytell.......2005-05-12

How could you possibly mess up a story about Las Vegas and a group of kids who took casinos for millions? Well, you can't...almost. Some of the acting in the recreations here are almost laughably bad...a "Rain Man"-esque professor with annoyingly overplayed mannerisms, random stares into the camera for (what I thought was supposed to be) dramatic pauses, other annoyances like that. The writing is bland and the voice over is done by someone who sounds as young as Ryan Seacrest (read: no dramatic undertones).

But don't get me wrong, the story is still interesting, and it's just interesting enough to make you forget about the annoyances above.

Creating a business to outsmart the casino business.......2004-09-02

I heard about this story sometime ago and while I wanted to learn more, I didn't think it justified spending the time to read the book. Pleasantly surprised, I found that a DVD version of the book was available. I originally thought it was just a few students getting together and using their brainpower to outsmart the casinos. I was surprised to find out that it was actually a business, complete with financial statements, training program, recruiting, and investors.

The video does a fine job of recreating the circumstances on the initial formation of the company/team and onward to its later incarnations where apparently substantial lasting success was achieved after learning from some early mistakes in the initial formation. Interviews with the security company that casinos use worldwide to work the system in their favor are also shown. The video gives you an idea of just how sophisticated the casinos are in stopping card counters and the like. The gambling isn't just confined to the US but also various locations around the world. These are also shown in snippets.

If anything, you learn that it is possible to outwit the system, but a substantial effort must be put in to do it. For the regular folk who don't have the brainpower/time it is heartwarming to see that it can be done.

Review by Chiprocks.......2004-05-11

I just watched the world premiere of Breaking Vegas on the history channel. All I can say to you who have not seen this, is that you will find yourself entralled by the story. For years I have been hearing about the M.I.T. Kids and how they got away with there methods in outsmarting the casinos. Well.....got away with it until greed within there own group and poor managment brought about their demise. It was just a hoot to finally hear about the true story about the legend. I for one, even though I taped it off of the History Channel, will buy the DVD when it comes out.

DVD:

DVD

DVD