SPX said:
I remember reading once something that quoted Semyon as saying that Busting Vegas contains the "essence" of his experiences. What the f--k that means, I have no idea.
Well, here's some idea about what "essence" means in Bringing Down The House.
In the book: The main character went to an underground Chinatown casino as a training ground. He was counting for a while when all of a sudden a sack was thrown over his head and he was beaten up. Then he was asked what the count is - it was all a setup!
In reality: A bunch of card counters saw a real-money blackjack game at a Chinatown charity event. Realizing they could beat the game easily, they cleaned out the bank. For a *cough* charity event.
In the book: The team was at the MGM Grand when a riot erupts after the Tyson-Holyfield fight. The casino changed the chips after the riot; stuck with a bag of $500 chips, the team employed a small army of strippers to go cash the chips for them.
In reality: The team was at the MGM Grand when a riot erupts after the Tyson-Holyfield fight. The casino changed the chips after the riot; the team was faced with strong questioning as they try to change out their handful of $500 chips.
In the book: A MIT janitor discovered the team's hidden stash of $100,000, and turned it into the authorities. Faced with a huge setback, the team turns on itself and begins fighting.
In reality: After a meeting, a team member left a lunch bag with ~$10,000 on a table. A MIT janitor picked it up and turned it into the school, but the team convinced a Dean that the money was theirs and they got it back.