The Hangover

The Hangover is a 2009 American comedy film, and it’s the first instalment in The Hangover Trilogy. It tells the story of four friends who travel to Las Vegas for a bachelor party to celebrate Doug’s impending marriage. However, it all goes belly up once they get to Las Vegas. Luckily this is Sin City where what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

The Hangover was filmed in Caesar’s Palace, and the plot was inspired by a real event that happened to Tripp Vinson a producer and friend of executive producer Chris Bender of the Hangover trilogies. Vinson had gone missing from his bachelor party blacking out and waking up in a strip club. He was threatened by Management and held responsible for a massive bill.

Bringing Down the House

In The Hangover Alan, the oddball has read a book on card counting, and they decide to head off to a Blackjack Table. Alan sits down at the table and watches the cards intently when he finally decides to start betting big and surprisingly wins.

The night gets wilder in the worlds ultimate party town, and an oasis of wild debauchery occurs with them losing the groom and not remembering a thing about the events of the evening. It depicts the craziness of Vegas and how the atmosphere of the gambling Mecca leads to all kinds of craziness.

Conclusion

Ask yourself how much debauchery can four guys commit in one night in Vegas and then not know what happened! Well if you watch the Hangover, it’s filled with the glitz, glamour and adrenalin rush of winning at the tables. Furthermore, it involves landing up in some of the seedier parts of Vegas and accidentally taking roofies. No wonder people say that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Introduction

Dr Edward Oakly Thorp is a math’s genius who beat the dealer and the market. Born August 14, 1932, in Chicago, he has degrees from various US Universities. He is a math’s professor, author, hedge fund manager and a Blackjack researcher.

Dr Edward Thorp used computers to devise a system for uncovering mathematical advantages at the Blackjack table and thereby proving that it was not a game of luck. He subsequently published a book appropriately titled Beat the Dealer. His bestseller laid out a card counting system that remains in use today.

Testing his Theories

Thorp took to Reno, Lake Tahoe and Vegas to test his theories at the local Blackjack Tables. The experimental results proved victorious, and he won $11 000 in a single week. In addition to his Blackjack activities, Thorp also assembled a Baccarat team which was also victorious. He became an instant celebrity amongst Blackjack aficionados.

While working at MIT as a Professor of Mathematics Thorp met Claude Shannon who co-developed the wearable computer which Thorps Blackjack team wore at the casino as they targeted Blackjack and Roulette. In 1985 with the passing of the Nevada Devices Law the wearable computer got banned from casinos in Nevada.

Thorp also devised the “Thorp Count” which was a method for calculating the likelihood of winning certain end game positions in Backgammon which also turned out to be successful.

In a Nutshell

This Father of card counting and a mathematic genius started a revolution in Las Vegas as well as Wall Street through his card counting techniques and truly changed the game forever. He gambled against some of the greatest gamblers and proved false premise that the house always wins. Thorp’s achievements have led him to become an inaugural member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame.