Info About Poker Card Reader

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[edit] Plot

MIT senior math major Ben Campbell (Sturgess) is accepted into Harvard Medical School but cannot afford the $300,000 cost. Despite boasting a 44 MCAT score and a 4.0 GPA, Ben faces fierce competition for the prestigious Robinson Scholarship which would provide a “free ride” through medical school. He is told that he needs a way of “dazzling” Harvard in some way to stand out from the other extremely well-qualified applicants.

One day in math class, Professor Micky Rosa (Spacey) challenges Campbell with the Monty Hall problem, which Campbell solves successfully by using variable change and simple math. Seeing talent, Rosa invites Campbell to join his blackjack team, which consists of fellow students Choi (Yoo), Fisher (Pitts), Jill (Bosworth) and Kianna (Lapira). The system involves card counting, and the team—shepherded by Rosa—is split into two groups. “Spotters” play the minimum bet and keep track of the count. They send secret signals to the “big players,” who place large bets whenever the count at a table is favorable. Campbell is unsure at first, but decides to join the team, telling Rosa he is only doing so until he can pay for medical school.

Rosa takes the team to Las Vegas over many weekends; Campbell comes to enjoy his luxurious lifestyle there. His performance as a “big player” impresses Rosa, but Fisher becomes jealous at Campbell’s blackjack success. Rosa kicks a drunken Fisher off the team after he insults Campbell and incites a melee that requires the team to quickly “cash out” (using dancers from their usual strip-club meeting place) before the casino switches chips. Ben and Jill also develop a mutual attraction, which culminates in the pair having a sexual encounter in Jill’s suite. Meanwhile, security chief Cole Williams (Fishburne) and his sidekick Terry (McGee) monitors the blackjack team, particularly Campbell.

Campbell, distracted by blackjack, botches his part of a project for the 2.09 engineering competition, estranging him from his pre-blackjack friends. During the next trip to Vegas, an emotionally-distracted Campbell continues playing even after he is signaled to walk away, losing $200,000. An angry Rosa leaves the team and demands Campbell repay him for the loss. Campbell and his three remaining teammates agree to go into business for themselves. On their first attempt, however, Williams apprehends Campbell (having been anonymously tipped off by Rosa), physically assails him, then lets him go after giving him a death threat.

Upon his return to Boston, Campbell learns that he has been given an incomplete for one of his classes and therefore will not graduate, and worse, that his winnings have been stolen from his dorm room. He suspects that Rosa is behind everything but has no evidence. Campbell reconciles with his friends and Jill, and approaches Rosa with an offer: He and the team will hit Vegas for one more attempt before the last Strip casinos install biometric software that will quickly identify card counters, as long as Rosa — himself once a very successful “big player” — also plays.

Disguised, the team returns to the Planet Hollywood and win $640,000 before fleeing with their chips from Williams and his men. Campbell and Rosa split up, with Rosa taking the bag of chips. Rosa escapes with the intention of stealing the winnings, but finds his bag is full of chocolate coins and his limo is being driven by the casino manager.

The audience then learns that Williams had made a deal with Campbell after beating him up; Williams wants Rosa, who years earlier cost Williams a casino job by winning a seven-figure take in a single weekend through counting cards. Williams’ business since then has been in decline, as one casino after another opts for biometric software over his more personal approach. Williams will let Campbell come to Vegas for one last night to make a lot of money in exchange for giving him Rosa. Campbell’s pre-blackjack friends joined the team to help their friend. After capturing Rosa, Williams confronts Campbell and double-crosses him by demanding the bag of chips at gunpoint for his “retirement”. Aware that Ben plans on attending medical school to be a doctor, he assures the young man that everything will work out for him in the end. Ben hands the money over to Williams and leaves. Moments later, Rosa is tied to a chair where Williams greets him, informing the professor that he will turn him over to the IRS for evading taxes on his winnings. Ben and Jill return to the casino to regroup with their friends.

The movie closes with Campbell recounting the entire tale to a “dazzled” Harvard administrator.

[edit] Cast

• Jim Sturgess as Ben Campbell
• Kevin Spacey as Prof. Micky Rosa
• Kate Bosworth as Jill Taylor
• Aaron Yoo as Choi
• Liza Lapira as Kianna
• Jacob Pitts as Jimmy Fisher
• Laurence Fishburne as Cole Williams
• Jack McGee as Terry
• Josh Gad as Miles Connoly
• Sam Golzari as Cam Azazi
• Helen Carey as Ellen Campbell
• Jack Gilpin as Bob Phillips
• Spencer Garrett as Stemple
• Jeff Ma (as Jeffrey Ma) as Planet Hollywood Dealer Jeff

This is the third film in which Spacey and Bosworth have starred together. The first was Beyond the Sea, which Spacey directed, and the second was Superman Returns. This is also the second film that Bosworth and director Luketic have made together, the first being Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!.

[edit] Casting controversy

Controversy arose over the decision to make the majority of the characters white, even though the main players in the book Bringing Down the House, upon which the film 21 is based, were mainly Asian. Studio executives determined that “most of the film’s actors would be white, with perhaps an Asian female.”[1]

Nick Rogers of The Enterprise wrote “The real-life students mostly were Asian-Americans, but 21 whitewashes its cast and disappointingly lumps its only major Asian actors (Aaron Yoo and Liza Lapira) into one-note designations as the team’s kleptomaniac and a slot-playing “loser.”[2]

Supporters of the decision to cast Jim Sturgess as Ben Campbell claim that producers simply sought the best actor for the job, regardless of race. Ultimately, this meant passing over many Asian-American talents in favor of London-born Jim Sturgess, who required a dialect coach to speak with an American accent.[3]

Jeff Ma, who was the real-life inspiration for the character Ben Campbell and served as a consultant on the film, was accused of being a “race traitor” on several blogs for not insisting that his character be Asian American. In response, Ma said, “I’m not sure they understand how little control I had in the movie-making process; I didn’t get to cast it.”[4] Ma said that the controversy was “overblown” and that the important aspect is that a talented actor would portray him.[5]

[edit] Filming

The movie began filming in March 2007.[6] Principal filming of the Las Vegas scenes took place at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Filming also took place at Harvard Medical School,[7] Chinatown, People’s Republik in Cambridge, and the Christian Science Center in Boston, Massachusetts. As MIT did not allow filming on campus, the MIT school and dorm interiors, the gymnasium, and the alumni reception were all shot at Boston University.[8]

[edit] Critical reception

21 received mostly negative reviews from critics. As of 9 September 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 35% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 145 reviews.[9] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 48 out of 100, based on 28 reviews.[10]

[edit] Box office performance

In its opening weekend, the film grossed $24,105,943 in 2,648 theaters in the United States and Canada, averaging $9,103 per venue and ranking #1 at the box office.[11] The film was also the #1 film in its second weekend of release, losing just 36% of its audience, grossing $15,337,418, expanding to 2,653 theaters, and averaging $5,781 per venue. The film dropped to #3 in its third weekend, losing only 32% of its audience, grossing $10,470,173, expanding to 2,736 theaters, and averaging $3,827 per venue. It fell to #6 in its fourth weekend, losing 47% of its audience, grossing $5,520,362 expanding to 2,903 theaters and averaging $1,902 per venue.

By the end of its theatrical run, the movie grossed a total of $157,802,470 worldwide — $81,159,365 in the United States and Canada and $76,643,105 in other territories, against a budget estimated at only $35 million.[12]

21 was released on DVD and Blu-ray in Region 1 on July 22, 2008.[13]

[edit] Reaction from casinos

In preproduction, the producers and the book’s original writers predicted that the Vegas casinos would be unhelpful, as a film that told viewers the basics of card counting might hurt their bottom line. A featurette included with the DVD completely and accurately describes the “Hi-Lo” system used by the MIT Blackjack Club and by Rosa’s team in the movie.

In fact, the writers were surprised when told by the producers that MGM Studios would finance the film, though all “MGM” casinos (including one used by the real MIT Blackjack Team) are owned by MGM Mirage and are no longer related to MGM Studios. In reality, as another DVD featurette reveals, the casinos (including MGM Mirage) saw the movie as an attention-getter; people who saw the movie would be encouraged to go to Vegas and play, attempting to count cards, when in reality the movie withheld critical details (such as the conversion from the “base count” to a “true count”), and in any case, although the counting system is simple, it is more difficult to successfully make money at counting cards than the movie portrays.

[edit] Soundtrack

We met a new drinking buddy recently who says the ideal weekend combines equal parts “R & R” and “R & B.” If hot clubs and cool tunes suit your party mood, get ready for a few days of non-stop fun in sunny South Florida.

From August 27-30 we will be gambling with the Florida Marlins at their Charity Casino Night, chilling to the sounds of local artist Kawan DeBose on the sidewalks of Lincoln Road, and dancing ’til dawn with Kid Cudi who’s performing live at LIV.

There’s a too-cool-for-school pool party Downtown at the Viceroy and a naughty Betty Bangs swimwear show late night on South Beach. Casely is performing at Mansion and giving away free copies of his brand new CD for friends and fans who turn out to see sexy striptease dancers work their magic with DJs Affect and Mr. Mauricio…

Hope you’re ready for action!

Thursday August 27

Breakfast

Solo
4441 Collins Avenue
Pastry chefs Jean-Marie Auboine and Sylvain Bortolini craft iconic cakes and pastries all night long to make the 6am opening of this exquisite bake shop a moment of pre-dawn delight! Enjoy coffee, doughnuts, pastries and chocolate in the lobby level of the Fontainebleau Chateau building daily until 9pm.

Lunch

Brickell Irish Pub
1451 Brickell Avenue
Find yourself thrown back to your favorite “Cheers” episode at this brand new sports pub where billiards, foosball tables, dart boards and 16 flat screen TVs compete for your attention while you tuck into shepherd’s pie, Irish stew or a delicious lamb burger. Find the Craic Downtown today!

Evening Action

Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club
19999 West Country Club Drive
The Florida Marlins invite you to their Community Foundation’s annual Fish and Chips Casino Night starting at 7pm with craps, blackjack, roulette and poker in the company of the coaches, players and local celebrities. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres start at 6pm and all proceeds from the many games of chance go to the charity cornerstones4kids.com

Cocktails

SushiSamba Dromo
600 Lincoln Road
Craft a tapas tasting at this Latin/Asian fusion hot spot where appetizers start at just a few dollars to pair with $5 caipirinhas and mojitos, select beers and wines. Find a sidewalk table and enjoy some world-class people watching.

Dinner

Setai
2001 Collins Avenue
Find your serenity at this weekly dinner party where guests enjoy an Asian-fusion prix fixe $45 menu including sate, dim sum dumplings, and crispy spring rolls, prepared by an international team of chefs. Pair your selections with a special collection of 65 wines that are discounted by 40%.

Nightlife

AeroBar
247 23 Street
The hot Thursday night party gets even steamier as the Betty Bangs Bikini Fashion Show hits the stage. Enjoy music by DJ J.Felix and two rooms of non-stop high energy excitement. Feel the sexy sizzle at the “Guilty Pleasures” Party tonight.

Friday August 28

Breakfast

Havana Grove
3190 Commodore Plaza
Bringing the best of their breakfast specials to the heart of the Grove, this quaint Cuban cafe serves a perfect combo of potent cafe con leche, crispy Cuban toast, sausage & eggs for just $6. This leaves plenty of change in your pocket to explore the shops at Cocowalk and Mayfair before it’s time for lunch.

Lunch

Fish Shack & Market
2238 SW 57 Avenue
South Florida craves super fresh seafood and the Shack delivers with just-off-the-boat selections of swordfish, yellowtail, local mahi, grouper and wahoo. Pick your favorite and decide if it should be blackened, grilled, pan-seared or fried and you’ll soon be reeling in the best lunch in Miami.

Afternoon Action

Van Dyke Cafe
846 Lincoln Road
Famous for it’s second floor jazz club, the popular Lincoln Road cafe brings live music back to the street tonight at 5pm where the Twilight Series features artist Kawan DeBose performing original R&B, soul and jazz works from his new album. Find a seat on the mall, order your favorite cocktail and prepare for a very happy hour.

Cocktails

Ritz Carlton Hotel
455 Grand Bay Drive
The hotel’s oceanfront Catalina Beach bar offers free tequila tastings, guacamole and tacos nightly starting at 6pm. After happy hour, a four piece Latin band called Grupo Nostalgia plays dance classics at RumBar starting at 8pm.

Dinner

I Bischeri
1120 Collins Avenue
On a sad day not too long ago, the popular Mark’s Restaurant dynasty came to an end on South Beach after the money guys parted ways with the chef. Flash forward to this weekend and discover the cozy subterranean space at the Hotel Nash is finally aglow with the lights of a brand new Tuscan dining destination with a Michelin-starred chef at the helm and a rustic menu that makes I Bischeri your go to spot for oxtail ravioli, chicken cacciatore and a romantic escape in the heart of the Deco District.

Nightlife

LIV nightclub
4441 Collins Avenue
The summer anthem “Day and Night” comes to life as the Fontainebleau welcomes Kid Cudi to the stage at LIV for an Only in Miami Beach moment tonight! DJ Marshall Barnes spins for friends and fans who’ll rock the club until 5am.

Saturday August 29

Breakfast

Tre
270 East Flagler Street
Start a day of Downtown discount shopping with brunch at this new Italian bistro where $12 gets you a mimosa, bloody mary or sangria plus a delicious dulce de leche French toast, served with crisp bacon, fresh fruit and yogurt parfait and a basket of banana bread with house made raspberry preserves. Tre Chic!

Lunch

Charlotte Bistro
264 Miracle Mile
Now serving lunch to a crowd of happy shoppers, Charlotte Bistro’s French-trained chef spins jumbo grilled langoustines wrapped in crispy bacon or tender roast pork in Granny Apple mash for his delighted diners all day long. Stop in and see where Miracle Mile really gets it’s name.

Evening Action

Bank Atlantic Canter
1 Panther Parkway
They call him a triple threat because Jamie Foxx can do it all! Acting singing and telling jokes sets this Renaissance Man ahead of the pack and his hit track, “Blame it on the Alcohol” sets the tone for tonight’s crazy sexy song fest at the Panther Stadium starting at 8pm.

Cocktails

Oceans Ten
960 Ocean Drive
Alizé sponsors a weekly cocktail party featuring the soulful stylings of DJ Epps, plus free drink samples and specials from 10pm-3am Saturday nights on Ocean Drive.

Dinner

Michy’s
6927 Biscayne Boulevard
A quirky neighborhood dining room on the Biscayne Corridor serves as the unofficial clubhouse for adventurous foodies who mix and match small plates of quail, polenta and fried croquettas to make a meal straight out of Wonderland. TV Chef Michelle Bernstein and her charming husband David host a sort of floating house party weekends at their popular Downtown restaurant. Reservations suggested 305-759-2001.

Nightlife

Indra
841 Washington Avenue
Saturdays are all about House Music at Indra Lounge where there will be no hip hop, no rock and roll and no cover charge before midnight for fans of the “Mutha F**king House Music Party” that DJ Doc Brown hosts until 5am. Bring along 5 or more ladies and receive a free bottle of champagne.

Sunday August 30

Brunch

Eos at the Viceroy
485 Brickell Avenue
One of the best deals we’ve uncovered for a Sunday in the sun starts with brunch at Eos, Chef Michael Psilakis’ hot new restaurant 15 floors above Biscayne Bay at the ultra-modern Viceroy Hotel. Your entree includes endless Bloody Marys or Champagne Mimosas and, for dessert, free admission to the hotel pool party at Club 50. What a great way to spend the day without spending a lot of money!

Afternoon Action

Miami Beach Community Church
1620 Drexel Avenue
Seraphic Fire’s summer concert series draws to a close this afternoon with an all American classic “Celebration of Ragtime and Gershwin” featuring star pianist Roger Dowling performing “Rhapsody in Blue” in the season finale at 4pm.

Cocktails

The Tides
1220 Ocean Drive
Enjoy Cocktails Round the Clock at La Marea at the Tides South Beach. The equation is perfectly simple – at 2pm the drinks are $2, at 3pm they are $3… so start drinking early and SAVE!

Dinner

MIA @ Biscayne
20 Biscayne Boulevard
This brand new Downtown hotspot is just a slam dunk away from the AAArena serving dinner and drinks late night weekends at a 16 foot digitally enhanced aquarium bar that moves to your touch. Enjoy an Asian/Latin fusion menu of big and small plates you can combine to create your own culinary adventure including Kobe beef with ponzu, rabbit paella, tropical sushi rolls and confit of pork belly.

Nightlife

Mansion
1235 Washington Avenue
“Striptease Sundays” rocks the house tonight as Casely debuts his new hit “Messy” featuring Pit Bull, Red Rat, and B Noza with a live performance. DJs Affect, Vinnie Soul and Mr. Mauricio spin for the party that includes seductive dancers and hot lingerie models performing on stage all night long.

Have a Great Weekend!