Customer Reviews

Double or Nothing: How Two Friends Risked It All to Buy One of Las Vegas' Legendary Casinos

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

... to the "college lit" crowd: the internet, gambling, and reality TV.

Tom Breitling and Tim Poster first pioneered a visionary approach to online hotel room sales, and then sunk their profits into the same resort that launched Steve Wynn's career: the venerable Golden Nugget. The latter adventure was recorded by the producers of *Survivor* -- and this is where the story takes a particularly human, uniquely 21st century turn. Breitling laments a professional and personal life lost to the condensed and overly dramatic needs of reality television, and his genuine disappointment upon seeing the finished (and nationally televised) product gives this book an honest and thoughtful tone.

Another element I enjoyed: this is an author who clearly gets Las Vegas, and who obviously has deep admiration and affection for the place. The book is filled with behind-the-cultural-scenes glimpses of the Las Vegas community (and no, that sentence contains no typos: Las Vegas indeed has both a culture and a community).

Contrast this with the recently released *Winner Takes All,* which belongs firmly in the "loathing Las Vegas" literary tradition. An uncritical read of *Winner* leaves you with the impression that all of the city's key players are actually losers -- or at the very least, they all engage in self- (which is to say Las Vegas-) loathing introspections. Breitling's tale, on the other hand, reveals a very human, very decent, and very proudly Las Vegas story -- albeit one that exists beyond the reach of the typical narrative woven by the city's critics.

This book deserves a place atop the college lit bestseller list, in the tradition of *Bringing Down the House* and *Moneyball.* It shares the a "generation next" Las Vegas theme with the former book, and it shares with the latter one a different analytical lens to appreciate the complex intersections of the internet and 21st century tourism.

This is a great read about two kids who met in college and went on to create a success story in Las Vegas - they couldn't be two different types of people - but they forged a partnership which withstood the challenges of a tough and fast paced business environment.

It is a very enjoyable read and when I go to Las Vegas next time - would be fun to meet them!

This book had the potential to be very good - the story was interesting, the backdrop was the Internet Boom and Vegas, and the main characters were fairly original. However, as a result of the puff piece writing, this turned out to be one of the worst "memoirs" (if you can even call it that) I have ever read.

The major problem with this book is that it just skims over the real interesting parts of the story. For example, these two guys purchase the Golden Nugget, which is inherently interesting. Unfortunately, the author spends no more than 4 pages discussing exactly how the multi-million dollar deal went down. It was like giving a Cliff Notes version of the critical part to this story.

In addition, Fussman feels the need to remind the reader of the great friendship the two main characters have no less than 200 times during the course of the book. Ok, we get it. They are good friends. The problem is that Fussman barely spends time discussing the real fights they have (as any partnership does) and the most time discussing one fight is about when one of the guys dates Jamie Pressly.

Finally, the name dropping in this book is beyond absurd. Again, we get it - we know these guys know celebrities but the constant references to "we were having dinner with Tony Bennett and....." is annoying.

In all, the overall story is interesting but a story this good deserved to be told by a much better author.

I loved the book. I read it last night, cover to cover. I disagree with the Publishers' Weekly review. Instead of spinning a tale of self-indulgent action and high-living, the authors tell a real story about how relationships, trust, hard work, and good timing can lead to amazing success that started from nothing. This is a fast-paced read that shows the human side of seeking and achieving not only success, but joy and fulfillment in the business world. The authors make the "[...]" and gaming industries understandable and compelling. Also, Vegas is full of characters and stories. The authors deftly include enough stories to introduce and give the flavor of Vegas, but not bog the story down. I highly recommend this book to all - whether looking for a fast-paced, entertaining read, or looking for insights on how to succeed in business.

I'm trying to figure out how big of an ego one has to have to believe that the world is interested in this story. A connected guy (Tom) brings in a buddy (Tim) and they make some money when the timing is right. The buddy then decides to write a book that provides only minimal information on the "how" or "why" the events unfolded, but covers a lot of the "what" happened - which is already documented.

Imagine watching a guy play craps in your casino, costing you millions of your money as he rolls and wins, over and over. I can't, but young financial daredevils Tom Breitling and his partner Tim Poster lived this adventure. Double or Nothing is the story of these self-made men who met in college and began with an idea, a desk and a phone to create 2 business ventures making over $100 million each.

Luck, hard work, knowledge and daring are the elements Tom and Tim used to make their fortune. Tim, the idea man, began the hotel room booking business that became Travelscape which Expedia bought for over $100 million. Tom was the more conservative partner who shared the risk and expanded the vision to make it happen. The second million (actually $115 million) came from the purchase and sale, in less than a year, of the Golden Nugget Casino in downtown Las Vegas. That's 226% in one year on their $50 million investment.

Tom takes us through the ups and downs of these ventures, sharing Las Vegas anecdotes and history, bold moves and bluffs made over drinks and dinners and the staggering tension and anxiety underlying the risk making it all possible. Double or Nothing is a roller coaster ride through Vegas with lots of dialogue and no filler or fluff. It's a winner.

As a person who dreams of owning a casino and loves Las Vegas, I was looking forward to reading this book. Additionally, I had followed a portion of the author's saga via the reality TV show, The Casino (mentioned briefly in the book). I suppose I was hoping the book would be more meaty regarding the business aspect and the reality show debacle that tried to chronicle it all. The book touches on enough of this to keep it interesting, but it really needs less of the author's breathless (and borderline obsessive) sentences about his business partner. It comes off as a bit uncomfortable.

Regardless, it was a quick easy read.

I was expecting this to be a book about how a successful entrepreneur got his start in business and how he made his millions. I was also expecting that I would get some useful information that I could then apply to developing my own business. What I got was exactly this, and a whole lot more. The book is a lesson in life as much as it is a lesson in business. The value of solid friendships and partnerships in creating a successful business is made evident and is not taken for granted. The book is chalk full of entertaining stories that Tom and his partner Tim navigated through on their road to riches. It is written so well that you feel as if you are in the board room with these guys and all of the colorful people that they had business relationships with along the way. Enjoy the book, it is a fun read.

Double or Nothing is a very exciting and interesting read. I found myself loving to flip the pages and see what Mr. Royalty (creator of GTA???) was doing next, or finding out what wisdom Steve Wynn would bring Tim and Tom. It is a fun read, and I encourage all to read this book!

Truly one of the most remarkable success stories in the fascinating, ever evolving history of Las Vegas. Tom Breitling and Tim Poster rank among the elite of the mavericks who molded and shaped Las Vegas, such as Benny Binion and Sam Boyd. Much like Boyd and Binion, Breitling and Poster started their dramatic and profitable rise on little more than a wing and prayer, not to mention a few "floated" checks.

Bucking the odds of the corporate casino mentality and invoking a strategy of "Old Vegas", Tim and Tom not only made a fortune, but managed to remain best friends and great guys. Tim and Tom's relationship has remained steadfast and strong throughout their whirlwind ride giving great insight into their character. Tom's introspect and honesty about his friendship with Tim and his early family life adds an insightful, touching side to this remarkable story.

The most amazing thing is the whole story is absolutely, undeniably 100% true! No B.S.! No embellishment and no filler! Imagine having the time of your life with your best friend, while making hundreds of millions of dollars in the process!

"Double or Nothing" is a must read for anyone contemplating a new business venture with a friend or just looking for an entertaining true story about two guys who worked their butts off and made a ton of money. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with a passion for life, friends and business; it also doesn't hurt to have a sense of humor.