BOOK : BREAKING VEGAS Ben Mezrich William Heinemann, £10.99
Semyon Dukach was a 21-year-old student when he saw an advert requesting recruits for a blackjack team. Using three techniques to identify cards and work them through the deck to form a winning hand or to bust the dealer, Dukach is soon raking in the money around the world. But whilst the casinos are happy when the odds are stacked in their favour, they get extremely miffed when the tables are turned.
Following on from his excellent Bringing Down The House, Mezrich has produced another gripping true story of high stakes gambling. It’s a fascinating insight into the underhand steps taken by casinos to recoup their losses, using hired muscle and their infamous back rooms. Less successful is when Mezrich interrupts Dukach’s story to recount the interviews he carried out for research, which only serve to hold up the action. The cover doesn’t win any prizes either. The gratuitous photo, which bears little relation to the fascinating tale inside, looks like a still from a porno flick and had me harangued on the bus for reading a dirty book! But nit-picking aside, chances are you’ll be reading this fascinating story into the small hours.
An enthralling story that puts its cards on the table to show you exactly how casinos can be beaten Verdict: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
