Almost time to Bet the House.
From Publishers Weekly:
Bet the House: How I Gambled Over a Grand a Day for 30 Days on Sports, Poker, and Games of Chance Richard Roeper. Chicago Review (IPG, dist.), $19.95 (272p) ISBN 978-1-56976-247-9
Chicago Sun-Times columnist Roeper (Sox and the City) was inspired by filmmaker Morgan Spurlock’s documentary Super Size Me to do his own 30-day challenge: “every day for 30 days, I would risk at least $1,000” gambling. From craps and blackjack, to slots, off-track betting, poker tournaments, online poker, the lottery, and more, he gives a day-by-day account, with wins and losses, such as “Day 8: Bankroll: + $4,980.” Shuffling a full deck of anecdotes, movie references, and memoir moments, Roeper deals in such topics as gambling addiction, high rollers, casinos of choice, Indian gaming facilities, celebrity and charity poker tournaments, luck vs. strategy, and sports upsets. Amid dreams and desperation, he recalls, “I have had insane fun and I have experienced freefalling, dangerous lows in various gleaming casinos on the Strip.” As a film critic, Roeper is certainly aware that his entertaining book could easily be adapted into an equally entertaining high-stakes movie. (Apr. 1)
February 15th, 2010 at 7:22 pm
Rich, I love you and might even read this book, but $1000 a day, which was likely based on a book advance, is hardly what it would be for someone making that same $30k a year.
You lose, you go back to the hotel and write an entry, you win, you go back to the hotel and write an entry.
How can someone like you have any “dangerous lows” on only $1k a day?
February 15th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
“As a film critic, Roeper is certainly aware that his entertaining book could easily be adapted into an equally entertaining high-stakes movie”
Hey, Richard! If somebody WERE to make this book into a movie, who would play you? I’d go with Vince Vaughn myself, but you would certainly know better.
February 15th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Career must doing real well to be able to gamble a grand a day…
February 18th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
I recall the supposed animal cruelty at racing tracks becoming a hot button issue here while you were doing research. Did you end up broaching the topic in the book?