Customer Reviews

24/7: Living It Up and Doubling Down

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

First of all, I would like to apologize to all passengers within earshot of seat 10D on flight AA 963. I realize this was a long overnight flight (Dallas to Sao Paolo, Brazil) but I simply could not put this book down. As you could tell, this book is highly entertaining, and at times, very, very funny. I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

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 reader's interest in gambling or Vegas.

My only advice is: don't read this book on a long overnight flight. There's no chance you'll get any sleep and you may get looks from fellow passengers who are desperately trying to.

I can't wait to read Martinez' next book.

While I must admit that I'm not the gambling type, 24/7 had me completely addicted. It's a highly amusing chronicle of the author's adventures in Las Vegas and of the colorful characters he comes in contact with along the way. Martinez portrays the people he meets with respect, regardless of their position in life. You end up really liking him, with his humorous, down-to-earth style and his quirky references to his cat Trotsky and his practical wife Kathy back home. The book also has suspenseful moments when Martinez gets more and more into the gambling himself. After reading it, I'm actually thinking about going out to Vegas myself sometime to check out the mega hotels he describes so vividly and to experience all else the city has to offer.

I read this book as part of a 'homework' assignment before my first trip to Las Vegas. The most intriguing thing about this book is the subtle humor Andreas uses throughout its entirety. And the fact that he thoroughly reasearches not only the hotels and the town, but the people of Las Vegas as well, makes it fascinating. He befriends a tennis instructor, an old casino 'regular' and even ends up at a gambler's anonymous meeting. The characters he ends up meeting are quite intriguing. Every time he would recount his gambling experiences, I would be applauding his wins or feeling sorry for his losses. This book is a definitely one to take with you on the plane as it certainly kept me laughing out loud and snickering to myself in the airport! I can't wait for Mr.Martinez to write similar books for every vacation destination! His writing will not tire you out....

This book is a page turner: couldn't put it down! It's as readable and full of suspense and motion as a novel. The pace, wit, and style of writing carries you along as the author describes one exciting experience after another, sharing insightful revelations about all aspects of the incredible city of Las Vegas and its vast array of interesting inhabitants. The gambling sessions, interwoven into the narrative, cause anyone who has ever gambled to relive the agony of the downs and the exhilaration of the ups when taking on Dame Fortune. An added bonus to having read the book: Christmas shopping is easy. I'm sending copies to my many friends and family.

I love reading anything to do with gambling and I awaited with anticipation Martinez's book. It lived up to my expectations. For the reviewer who doesn't know or understand why so many other reviewers mentioned Frank Scoblete, the reason is somewhat similar to why folks who like horror fiction mention Stephen King when they talk of other authors. Scoblete has set a very high literary standard for gaming writers, which in my opinion Martinez's book certainly lives up to. What Scoblete does in his books is not only give advice on how to play the various games but he often relates his adventures as did Martinez in this book. I totally disagree with the reviewers who panned this book and said it wasn't as good as Scoblete. The difference is that martinez's book is an adventure and background, Scoblete's books are strategic advice, indepth analysis of the games, and then his personal adventures in Vegas and other casino towns. Martinez deserves the five star ratings. I can't see how anyone could have given him one star. The reviewer who doesn't care about reading Scoblete is entitled to his opinion but he should stay clear of the casinos or he'll wind up the way Martinez did, losing almost his entire bankroll. However, Mr. Martinez, congratulations on a truly fine work!

I have been visiting Las Vegas for the past twenty years, two and three times per year. I am a Las Vegas addict. 24/7 is a super book that gets into some of the unknown phases of the Las Vegas scene. The gaming part of the book is good, but what is especially appealing is the interaction between the author and the many people he meets such as the shoeshine man, the superintendent of schools and a topless dancer. This is the first book I have read cover to cover in quite some time. I could not put it down. Highly recommend for any person who has been to Las Vegas a few times. You can bet the ranch, you will love this book.

I began reading 24/7 on a flight and upon arrival at my hotel, I cancelled my plans for the rest of the day, called up Room Service and had the sheer joy of reading the bulk of the book straight through to the end. Witty, well-written, highly entertaining, and informative about the phenomenon of today's Las Vegas....... this book is a must-read no matter what level of interest a person has in Vegas or in gambling: even if one thinks it is none at all! The author's daily forays into the casinos caused me to "suffer" when he was losing and cheer when he was ahead. Best of all was reading about his adventures outside the casino and feeling I was getting to know the fascinating people who crossed his path. I came away with a much better understanding of what the new Vegas is all about. The book is total enjoyment!

I purchased this book two years ago and forced myself to finish it only recently. Author Andres Martinez gets three stars just for talking his publisher into advancing him $50,000 for the simple task of risking it all in Vegas and writing a book about it. Many would love to have his job.

The problem with this book is it's 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 who's just trying to drive him to his hotel. Frankly, not many of the stories were interesting.

Martinez is also an inept gambler. I understand he was playing the part of "Joe Tourist", but considering the amount of research he put into the history of the city, a little study in gaming theory 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 time 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 spots high-roller and "virtue czar" William Bennett raging over the Jerry Springer show (but certainly not gambling). For the most part, though, you can find more excitement in a given weekend in Vegas than Martinez did in 30 days; even if you don't have $50,000 in hand.

Anyone who has ever experienced the vagaries of gambling in Las Vegas will recognize the extreme highs and lows in Mr. Martinez's book. It is unique among all the books about Vegas because it takes us on a trip in front of the tables and lets us in on the feeling of victory and loss in the green felt jungle like none I have ever read, without judgement -- good or bad. We meet the normal, and abnormal, people of "Sin City" seeing it as both fantasy and reality. Expecially notable are the gambling scenes where we are made to feel the charge and angst that comes with placing one's money on the table and trusting to the Fates to give it back, with interest, to us, not to mention the feeling of staying too long or leaving too soon.

Martinez is almost as good as Frank Scoblete. What is the difference between the two? Scoblete knows how to play to win! He doesn't waste his time just relying on luck but actually knows techniques called advantage-play techniques so that when he writes his diary entrees in his books Guerrilla Gambling and Best Blackjack you know you are getting a glimpse into a master gambler. And Scoblkete really knows how to handle dialogue in a way few authors or even novelists can. However, Martinez is a really fine writer as well and his book does make Vegas come alive. I do not, as other reviewers who have panned the book, think that Martinez's book is a waste of time. On the contrary, it is a fun journey. It's just that Scoblete has been over this territory before and has done it much better. But I do recommend the book nevertheless.