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

by Tom Breitling (Author), Cal Fussman (Author)
Key Phrases: gaming license, offending driver, dummy hand, The Nugget, Las Vegas, The Golden Nugget (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In less than a decade, friends Tom Breitling (the conservative one) and Tim Poster (the risk taker) founded a successful Internet travel business and sold it for millions. Then in 2003, the pair bought the legendary and past-its-prime Golden Nugget casino for $215 million. Las Vegas has always been a magnet for anyone who wanted to take his life to a new place, Breitling explains. It embraced anyone who wanted to take a risk and wanted to make it better. His account of those heady, hardworking times features a doomed reality show; an arrogant, very lucky gambler dubbed Mr. Royalty; and appearances by the likes of Steve Wynn and Andre Agassi. It's astounding, with such volatile circumstances and a Vegas backdrop, that Breitling's book is so bland. His average-guy approach loses its flavor quickly as his narrative trades insight for clunky, oft-repeated metaphors in which the author compares himself to a point guard in basketball. What should be a story of two young guys trying to steer a risky business in America's playground reads too often like a business seminar transcript with hint of a scandal. (Mar.)
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Review
"A great read, and a true rags to riches American success story…The narrative goes down smooth as a good scotch, with a rhythm that would have made Sinatra proud!" -- Ben Mezrich, bestselling author of Bringing Down the House and Rigged

"Beyond all of the colorful stories in Double or Nothing, beyond the eye-opening success of two young American entrepreneurs, there is the most important story of all: a story about friendship and loyalty." -- Andre Agassi

"For whatever misguided reasons, Tom Breitling says he grew up wanting to be me. Instead, he wound up owning The Golden Nugget and making two deals each worth upwards of a hundred million dollars. Looks like he grew up to be A-Rod instead." -- Bob Costas

"There’s no shortage of nuggets in...Double or Nothing. Breitling reveals the tense times with his Golden Nugget partner, Tim Poster…,and the hardball deals.... Masterful writing and reporting by co-author Cal Fussman take the reader on the wild ride that made [Breitling and Poster] millionaires in their 30s." -- Norm Clarke, Las Vegas Review Journal

"Tom Breitling and Tim Poster are the ultimate American entrepreneurs. Tom has a great story to tell." -- Tony Bennett

"Tom Breitling’s inspiring and jealousy-inducing story of the entrepreneurial bravado that led him and a friend to own The Golden Nugget." -- Esquire

"[A] delightful and insightful travelogue...Breitling presents a tale of a remarkable friendship interwoven with indelible portraits of various players…. But the book is more than a series of memorable characters…It also provides details of gigantic transactions that make you a fly on the wall of boardrooms with legends." -- Las Vegas Sun

"[A] fantastical story…. The book is full of interesting tidbits…. But the big "aha!" in the book might be the realization that they sold out too soon. It will be interesting to see the next trick up Breitling and Poster’s sleeves." -- Associated Press

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperBusiness; First Edition edition (March 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060835834
• ISBN-13: 978-0060835835
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #400,432 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Vegas Original !, March 20, 2008

By	H.K. Doyle (Washington , DC) - See all my reviews

A great story. Very easy to read and thoroughly enjoyable. The book is a terrific and unique "buddy" story that is full of Las Vegas color. The story is easy to follow and fast paced. I especially enjoyed reading about the larger than life Vegas charachters that played a part in the duo's meteoric rise. Bookmakers, movie stars, video game makers, sports celebrities, a legendary crooner, a Wall Street mogul - you name it , this book has it. A tale that could only happen in Las Vegas. Made me want to pack my bags and head to Vegas for some action !

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best friends, business deals and Las Vegas, March 20, 2008

By	Beach gal "Liz" (Southern CA USA) - See all my reviews

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!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insights into *three* oft-neglected areas of profound interest..., March 22, 2008

By	UNLVprof (Las Vegas) - See all my reviews

... 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.