24/7 : Living It Up and Doubling Down

Martinez vivid description of the action as he puts his $50k advance on the line places the reader next to him at the tables in the various casinos he visits. The colorful characters he meets simply jump off the page and introduce themselves to the reader as well. His witty observations, keen insights, and wonderful narrative style make this book a delight to read, regardless of the readers interest in gambling or Vegas.

My only advice is: dont read this book on a long overnight flight. Theres no chance youll get any sleep and you may get looks from fellow passengers who are desperately trying to.

I cant wait to read Martinez next book.

The problem with this book is its 50 pages of fun, 50 pages of history, and about 200 pages of filler. He writes about and interviews everything he sees and everyone, and I mean everyone, he meets. From the blackjack dealers to the cab drivers, to the people sitting next to him at a show. You can easily picture him in the backseat of a cab, jotting down notes as he interrogates the guy whos just trying to drive him to his hotel. Frankly, not all of the stories were interesting. Martinez is also a painfully inept gambler. With the amount of research he put into the history of the city, a little study in gaming theory and money management would have made his gambling experience much more dramatic. Finally, considering he received "free" money, you think he could have spent time playing different games. I, for one, would have loved to see how he would have fared in a poker room. Instead, he spends the majority of his 300 pages detailing his experiences in his settled favorite, baccarat, with only the occasional detour at the blackjack tables. This is only slightly more exciting than reading about someone pulling a slot machine lever for 30 days.

There are a few highlights which border on the surreal. His run-in with a minister working as a bathroom attendant in a strip club immediately comes to mind. I also chuckled as he spotted high-roller and "virtue czar" William Bennett at the Riviera, expressing his outrage over the Jerry Springer show (but certainly not gambling.) For the most part, though, you can get into more trouble in a given weekend in Vegas than Martinez did in 30 days; even if you dont have $50,000 in hand.