Bringing down the EGOS

[Sonny]

As much as we all hate bothersome ploppies, we must accept the fact that they are the mollusks that the casinos feed on. They are the ONLY reason that casinos continue to offer blackjack to the public. We must coexist with them if we expect to survive.

The only thing better than a casino full of ploppies (and happy bosses) is a casino full of wannabe counters who got all "jazzed-up" from watching some hollywood story about how they can win millions. The majority of them will study the Hi-Low system for a weekend then hit the road to Vegas. They will be giving their money away faster than the ploppies because of the bigger bet spread (and bigger egos), as well as taking the heat off of us real advantage players. It will be easier than ever for us to blend in with the crowd when the crowd is trying to look like us. The ploppies will be trying to look like us for a change!

The few players that are serious about learning the craft will either get taken by some grifter promising quick money with team play, or spend the next few years SERIOUSLY learning the game. Either way, we are safe for the next few years.

-Sonny-

P.S.- I look forward to meeting the next round of SERIOUS players here. If any of you want to make some quick money, you should join my team.

 

[eyesfor21]

the movie could result in bad times too, the casinos are already very paranoid
and this could increase this to a new level.

 

[The Mayor]

When BTD was printing, casinos panicked that they would be run over by a hoard of players who could beat the game. The glory was that people who "read" BTD thought they could beat the game, but in fact, were almost all ploppies who lost big time. This HELPED the game for all of us true advantage players.

I can only hope for a similar outcome from this movie. The game has truly deteriorated in recent years, and getting a hoard of ploppy counters with high expectations for themselves may increase competition for good games, and actually improve conditions for all of us. I am overjoyed (or maybe just joyed) this movie is in process, I hope it is a HUGE hit.

--Mayor

 

[eyesfor21]

Re: Bringing down the house.

The movie could make the casinos more worried than they already
are. Books are one thing and do not worry the casinos as most
casino
staff are not avid readers,but movies are different.

 

[The Mayor]

They will be paranoid until they see the huge increase in their bottom line from these new "counters". That's exactly what happened with BTD, it's deja vu all over again.

 

[Hinoon]

Re: Bringing down the house movie

Just a note here on the link you've provided.

Notice how much information is actually NOT given.

Other than Spacey, there are no other attachments to the project. No writer has been announced, no director attached. The last update was posted almost a full year ago.

Hollywood leaks information like a rusty sieve...if progress had been made...particularly on a project with the kind of hype that BDtH generated...then certainly a gossip-mill oriented webpage like movies.com would have the info. As it is, a little research shows that there have been no announcements in the Hollywood Reporter or The Daily Variety. There's no reason for a studio to keep this project secret, because the book is already published and a success.

All of this tells us that, the projected start-date for production at the end of 2003 is rather unlikely. Scripts take months to write, re-write and get approval and there doesn't appear to even be a writer on this proejct yet. Spacey and his company may have BOUGHT the rights to the book, but that in no way means that the film will ever get made.

I'd like to see it get made, because I agree with the Mayor. Ploppies are good for serious advantage players...no matter how frustrating they are, because they bring in the kind of income to the casinos that allow for better rules. If a casino can bring in ten thousand more people to play at their BJ tables by offering "counter-friendly" rules to people who only vaguely understand how to count...they will do so and profit wildly from it. Right now, there are bad rules because most people don't know the difference. But even when people DO know the difference, their egos will tell them that they are ready to play long before their skills will merit them sitting at a table. Books like BDtH provide casual gamblers with the false-confidence to lay down more money. Casinos like that a lot.

 

[Hinoon]

An update for those interested.

A small update on this project for anyone interested.

A writer by the name of Peter Steinfeld is attached to adapt BDtH as a screenplay.

He's an interesting choice for the adaptation. A quick run-down of his credits show that he wrote "Drowning Mona" in 2000, a black-comedy that turned semi-big with the attachment of several A-list celebs...then he wrote "Analyze That", the sequel to the Billy Crystal film "Analyze This" ...A few other TV credits, and that's it.

He may have been picked because of a screenplay called "Snatching Sinatra", the true story of a botched attempt to kidnap Ole Blue Eyes in '63. Personally, I'd like to see this one...but it's never been made, just bounced around a lot.

One thing is for sure...he's a got a great agent.

Hollywood is known for the process called "hurry-up and wait", so only time will tell whether we'll ever see BDtH on screen.

 

[Rob McGarvey]

Thanks - EGO's R US

for all this info. I would think they would be consulting with the guys that Ben interviewed in the book. I was hoping they would film it in Toronto, Hollywood North, where I might be able to get involved in the movie somehow. I will try to get in touch with Spacey and Steinfeld if possible.

I am hoping to have Billion Dollar Blackjack done when the movie comes out. I wanna ride that wave!

"The story of the Internet Blackjack Mafia, as told by the Godfather of online blackjack. A world wide team of players takes on the billion dollar online gaming business with amazing success. Rob McGarvey shows you what Ken Uston (Million Dollar Blackjack) and Kevin Lewis (Bringing Down the House) could have done with their teams on the World Wide Web."

Internet Blackjack Mafia membership application inside!! grin