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

Double or Nothing: How Two Friends Risked It All to Buy One of Las Vegas' Legendary Casinos
by Tom Breitling, Cal Fussman

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

Author: Cal Fussman, Tom Breitling
Edition: Hardcover
Published: 2007-05-01
ISBN: 0060835834
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: Collins

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

Book Review: Building on success
Summary: 5 Stars

Engaging book about friends who stay grounded while orchestrating dramatic success in a town full of characters and stories. And Tom Breiling and Tim Poster's story - creating an innovative and successful travel company (Travelscape), re-invigorating a jewel of downtown Las Vegas (the Golden Nugget), and proving the worth of their efforts by making dramatically successful deals, all while respecting and learning from those who came before them - adds to the city's rich history of unique tales. Themes of regularly proving to yourself that you have the right chops, building on previous successes, and trusting your partner enough to go with your gut and live with the consequences keep the story moving. Chapter 10 is a rush, as Breitling details the thrills and dangers of running the Golden Nugget while guests and employees test the new owners' resolve.

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

If Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn had come of age at the end of the 20th century looking for an all-American adventure, they probably would've headed for Vegas.

They'd have been hard-pressed to go on a wilder ride than the one taken by Tom Breitling and Tim Poster to the top of the famed Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino.

Call them the Odds Couple.

Breitling is the kid who lives next door if you grow up in Burnsville, Minnesota. He never saw a hundred dollar bill or The Godfather until he went to college.

Poster comes from a family of oddsmakers who reach for the Doritos on football Sundays and scream for the point spread. He was whistling Sinatra and booking games at his Las Vegas high school.

Their unlikely friendship began in college over an $8 veal parmigiana sandwich that led to a partnership in a hotel reservation business. Starting with a desk, a chair, a pillow, and a telephone, Tim and Tom grew a company that they sold during the dot.com boom for $105 million. This allows Tim to pursue his childhood dream of owning a casino and bringing back the glory days of Vegas.

When Tim ups the odds and raises the limits to give gamblers the best game in town, a craps player nicknamed "Mr. Royalty," who's on one of the hottest winning streaks in history, heads for The Nugget. When he begins to take Tom and Tim for millions, the partnership is put to the test. But Tim refuses to back off on the odds or the high limits, telling his partner, "It's a ballsy proposition here. It's gonna be a roller coaster ride. But we don't have a public company to answer to. It's just you and me."

When Mr. Royalty rolls twenty-two consecutive passes and rakes in a mountain of chips, he takes Tim and Tom to the brink. They must figure out a way to hold up The House.

Just as they do, the roller coaster ride really gets rolling—and the ride becomes crazier than they'd ever imagined.

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