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

by Tom Breitling, Cal Fussman

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Editorial Reviews
Product Description

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.




All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:4.5 out of 5 stars
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5 out of 5 starsWONDERFUL STORY! GREAT READ! OH, BY THE WAY....IT'S ALL TRUE!!!, 2008-07-11
Truly one of the most remarkable success stories in the fascinating, ever evolving history of Las Vegas. Tom Breitling and Tim Poster rank among the elite of the mavericks who molded and shaped Las Vegas, such as Benny Binion and Sam Boyd. Much like Boyd and Binion, Breitling and Poster started their dramatic and profitable rise on little more than a wing and prayer, not to mention a few "floated" checks.

Bucking the odds of the corporate casino mentality and invoking a strategy of "Old Vegas", Tim and Tom not only made a fortune, but managed to remain best friends and great guys. Tim and Tom's relationship has remained steadfast and strong throughout their whirlwind ride giving great insight into their character. Tom's introspect and honesty about his friendship with Tim and his early family life adds an insightful, touching side to this remarkable story.

The most amazing thing is the whole story is absolutely, undeniably 100% true! No B.S.! No embellishment and no filler! Imagine having the time of your life with your best friend, while making hundreds of millions of dollars in the process!

"Double or Nothing" is a must read for anyone contemplating a new business venture with a friend or just looking for an entertaining true story about two guys who worked their butts off and made a ton of money. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with a passion for life, friends and business; it also doesn't hurt to have a sense of humor.


1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4 out of 5 starsIntresting, 2008-06-06
Having actually been there for the Las Vegas Reservation Systems and Travelscape parts of the story, it was interesting to read about some of the business deals that were going on at the time. While there was some new stuff that I didn't realize in there, there was also a fair bit left out. It is a very quick read, by the way. Lots of short chapters.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

4 out of 5 starsA phenomenal business story in a quick, easy read, 2008-05-15
Imagine building an Internet business during the dotcom boom/bust and selling it to Microsoft for millions. Now imagine buying the famous Golden Nugget casino in Las Vegas and selling it in less than a year and half for hundreds of millions. Now imagine you are barely in your 30s and you are doing all this with your very best friend. This is the story of one of Las Vegas' most dynamic duos, two young guys from different backgrounds coming together to own the world.

The Book tells the story in autobiographical form of Tom, a simple hard working boy from Minnesota, and his friendship with Tim, a local Vegas boy who has gambling in his blood. The two formed a bond that has lasted throughout the last 20 years and will be around till one of them passes on to the big casino in the sky. The pages of the book offer the reader an insight to a world that most of us will never be in: a world of fast cars, movie stars, corporate jets and millions of dollars wrapped in cellophane being bet on one roll of the dice.

I enjoyed this book and I would have loved to have been a part of the world written in this book. The authors tell this story at about an 8th grade reading level which allows the book to be finished in a few hours. The book is not just about Vegas, it is about a time in financial history that was exciting and may never be duplicated, I hope you enjoy this book.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

5 out of 5 starsElectric and fun, 2008-05-02
A testimony to friendship in an exciting journey. Fast, furious, electric.
As the reading progresses one feels as part of the adventure. A very easy and fun reading. What a treat!
Can't wait for the next one.
Marne


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

5 out of 5 starsA must read, 2008-05-01
"Double or Nothing" should be mandatory reading for any entrepreneur. This book is a captivating quick read and has the perfect mix of lessons and laughter.




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