Movie "21": Gambling911.com Sits Down With Inspiration for the Story Jeff Ma

Before it was a movie, "21" was a book.   "Bringing Down The House" was the inside story of six MIT students who took Vegas for millions of dollars.  Among them, Jeff Ma.

Jim Sturgess plays the character based on Jeff Ma in the film adaptation "21". 

Gambling911.com's own Anna Casada had a chance to sit down with Jeff Ma this week to discuss the film, which opens Friday March 28, 2008, and has been getting plenty of buzz and promotional exposure during some of television's highest rated shows. 

Ma, now 35 and an Internet gambling personality in San Francisco, seems equally proud and defensive about the group's legacy. 

Card counting isn't illegal; casinos just refuse service the way an upscale restaurant can to underdressed patrons, according to Scott Bowles, of USA Tdoay, which ran what Ma believes to be the best article yet pertaining to his true life story.

The MIT students stymied casinos by working as a team. In short: One student played the minimum bet at a blackjack table, counting how many high and low cards were being dealt. If a table was "hot," with high cards still in the deck, the student signaled a partner, who would place single-hand bets as high as $10,000.

Though deft card counting increases your odds by only about 3%, "that makes a big difference in what you can make," Ma told Bowles. "It's pretty simple math."

But did he think that the movie accurately depicted the process of card counting?

"The movie was accurate and covered the basics but the book has everything detailed to understand how its done," Ma told Gambling911.com.  He also appeared on the set to provide advice about "how something should be said or done if there were any questions."

Ma enjoyed the movie as have half the critics surveyed thus far though we trust, if gambling is in one's blood, chances are you will probably enjoy it.

Ma, who has expressed anger over the fact that he is still prohibited from playing blackjack in the American casinos, said the film is not autobiographical in nature.

"It's a movie based on true events that happened by definitely not verbatim."

The film has come under fire for its failure to feature any Asian American actors or actresses.  The main characters in "Bringing Down the House" were all Asian American in real life.  Asian Week called the casting a "whitewash," pointing out that if it were black people replaced by white people, there would be more vocal protest.

Still, Ma doesn't seem entirely phased by the casting of white actor to play him in the film.  In fact, he had originally envisioned Jewish actor Zach Braff to do the honors.  During the 2000s, Braff became known for his role as J.D. on the NBC sitcom "Scrubs" which gave him his first Emmy nomination.  Braff also wrote and directed 2004's Garden State.

"I didn't know Jim (Sturgess) at the time," Ma says.  "I was thinking about Zak Braff because he has a whit about him."

At the Vegas premiere, Ma had the pleasure of meeting up with the majority of those involved with the film including Sturgess, producer Kevin Spacey and director Robert Luketic, who had previously directed the smash comedy hit and Golden Globe nominee for Best Motion Picture, Legally Blonde.

"It was like a reunion because we haven't seen each other since the filming."

If there is one thing Jeff Ma wishes people take away from the movie "21", it is this:

"I hope that this movie gives everyone the experience that we had leaving Vegas as winners!"

Filed Under: Casino Gambling Blog

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Anna Casada, Gambling911.com

Originally published March 26, 2008 11:23 pm EST