"Bad Bet" Blog Post Five

Now that I have finished up with Bad Bet by Timothy O'Brien, I have really been able to get a grasp and understanding about the entire gambling industry and all of the aspects that come along with it.  I was able to see all of the perspectives from the lives of the gamblers, owners, employees, and other residents living in these areas along with the impact that this had on their lives. It was interesting to see how the gambling industry impacted the lives of so many people from hearing stories about notorious poker players who dedicate their lives to understanding the strategies of the game and being able to read their opponents to help in making certain wagers throughout and having deception to simply beat out the weaker links in the game. It was nice to see the other perspective of the gamblers on the older side who enjoyed the thrill of playing the slot games when receiving the accommodations of free food and drinks to go along with them as they went to their usual spots with friends in hopes of making some cash. I was able to learn so much information about all of the games in the casinos in the ways to play games such as craps and roulette to learning the strategies that blackjack gamblers take in counting cards to give themselves better odds at winning. It was very intriguing to learn about all the things that go on with the gambling industry and all of the work done by the owners and their respective hotels/casinos. With the history of dealing with Mob members to generate revenue, to the present times of billionaires such as Donald Trump and his adventure of getting loans from several places in order to open many extravagant casinos to compete with the most luxurious casinos in Las Vegas. There are several dangers within the gambling business and with real life situations displayed in this book makes me want to not get too involved with the industry as it can impact my life and cause a downward spiral. I would highly recommend this book to anyone out there as it is  very informative about everything going on within the gambling industry and many perspectives are able to be seen through the different personal stories.