24/7: Living It Up and Doubling Down

by Andres Martinez

In the spring of 1998, mild-mannered, Ivy League-educated Andrés Martinez took $50,000--most of the advance his publisher was paying for this book--and headed to Las Vegas for thirty days, ten casinos, and a wild ride through the belly of a neon beast. The result: this brilliant, often hilarious chronicle of flesh, flash, and gambling in a city where everyone dreams of hitting the jackpot--and once in a while, someone actually does.

From seedy strip clubs to sprawling suburbs, from the sumptuous Bellagio to the Liberace Museum, Martinez meets a host of colorful characters...gathering tricks of the trade from blackjack dealers and fellow bleary-eyed gamblers, attending Easter Sunday mass on the Strip, befriending a family man who raised six kids while losing eight million dollars as a sports gambler. An exhilarating joyride of a read, 24/7 is a breathless tour of America's Sin City...as seen through the eyes of a man making $1.65 million in wagers in a single month. Guess how much he took home?

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports, Memoir

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Mike Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and informative.

[Michael Frazier · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first exposure to Andres Martinez. I appreciate the dry, witty humor as he chronicles his month-long social experiment gallivanting and gambling in the new cartoonish Las Vegas. I hadn’t graced Sin City with my presence until 2013 and to this day am astonished how different it looks from 2017 to now. For instance, Lord Stanley now has a residency on The Strip. Two professional sports franchises have championships within a calendar year of each other. There’s a giant observation wheel (no, it’s NOT a Ferris Wheel, contrary to popular belief). Vegas is modern; different, but modern. It needed to adapt. There’s almost an element of revisionist history for me as I read about the grand opening of The Bellagio near the turn of the century while it’s current Caesars adversary Paris was still under construction. It’s the thrill of gambling, winning an exorbitant amount of money in minutes before losing it all and then some in even LESS time; the irrational mental gymnastics that occupy the alcohol-riddled mind of a gambler of whether they should press their luck Or begrudgingly cut their losses to at least afford a ride to the airport to get home. Martinez often spends the daylight hours mingling with some of the Vegas locals or transplants that have settled down in the valley and call Nevada home. What are the things that make Vegas so weird, so obscure, so beautifully catastrophic in the eye of the card counter? What in the world keeps calling people back to this city, this oasis for addicts, tourists and now families, that defies practicality in its very existence?

I may never be able to put my finger on it, but I know I can’t wait for my next trip.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book chronicles the author's month-long gambling spree in Las Vegas, using his $50,000 book advance as his bankroll. He's not a "professional" gambler so his approaches are delightfully amateurish and amusing as he takes on baccarat, slots, roulette, blackjack and more. Along the way, he explores the comp system at the Vegas hotels and keeps an ongoing log of his bankroll's ups and downs. It is a fun look at Las Vegas and the world of gambling. My husband and I both reread this every few years as it is just a really enjoyable and interesting read.

[Hal · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book caught my curiosity as it followed a writers foray into gambling with a $50,000 bankroll over a period of time at various casinos in Vegas. I worked in the industry for about 10 years in progressive slot computer operations which he encounters. The book at times was interesting and entertaining but got bogged down in running a bit long. His adventures became somewhat predictable and being a bit dated some of the mystique that Vegas offers was not quite there. Not a bad read but not what I was hoping for.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a fun read and I appreciate the author's humor. I was worried that it would feel a little dated at this point in time but it was rather interesting to read about Vegas at the time where Luxor had just opened, Bellagio was about to open and the Desert Inn was still standing.

One thing I didn't like about the book was some of the pacing. He would go into great detail on some stuff to follow it up with just brushing over the next event or person he talked to. I would have loved a lot longer version of the book and I guess that's a good problem to have.

[Gemma Searle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, it was a good look into the often murky world of gambling, the writer captures the crazy fabulous place that is las Vegas perfectly

[Maarten · Rating 4 out of 5]

**

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my very most favorite books about Las Vegas! It was fantastic to learn so much about the people that populate the city, the casino life style, comps and what it's like to be on a hot streak and a woeful "cooler." For some reason, while I am not much of a gambler, I do find Las Vegas history and gamblers in general pretty fascinating, so I couldn't have been happier to read this story about a man who took his book advance to Las Vegas with the personal rule in place that he would gamble each and every day.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really interesting read. Set in 1998, so it's a little dated if you are traveling to Las Vegas currently, but it is full of facts and fun stories about many casinos which are still around and Las Vegas in general: Bellagio, The Mirage, Luxor, New York New York. I read it before and during a trip there and it was cool to see some of the things the author writes about - although I was too shy to try and ask my way in to the private Baccarat room at The Mirage which houses works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, and Degas.

[Rae Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept of the guy who goes to Vegas with $50,000 of someone else's money in his pocket (Part of his advance for this book). Along the way he meets some interesting characters and details every casino/hotel he went to. However, the gambling descriptions soon become a little repetitive. Definitely an interesting read for anyone who has yet to read a book on Sin City.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get a 50k advance to write a book about the "new Vegas". Take the advance with you and commit to 30 days of gambling. Write about the ups and downs, the highs and lows, the casinos, the action, etc...makes for a great read for Vegas fans...fun book.

[Steve Ruskin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book! It was the best one of several that I've read about Las Vegas. Much better than "The Last Honest Place in America" in my opinion. The only thing I could have done without is some of the filler about a book the author is reading.

[Carrieuoregon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read of a month gambling in Vegas. I really enjoyed delving a little more deeply into the history, politics, marketing of Las Vegas. I also thought the author just about gave himself a gambling addiction. Some language.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written and funny, although he has a rather casual attitude towards losing an awful lot of money.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite books about the "new" Las Vegas.

[Josh Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

One guy's adventures in gambling in Las Vegas bankrolled by his employer. Pretty cool and interesting story. Sounds like the greatest job of all time.

[Heather Jaynes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Vegas, I wish I had 50,000$ to spend there. I want to be a whale, but probably not everyone will like this. It has inspired me to want to read some Doestoevsky.