319 pages
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Whale Hunt In The Desert: The Secret Las Vegas Of Superhost Steve Cyr
by Deke Castleman
Customer Reviews
spellbinding , December 24, 2004
Reviewer: Richard A. Armstrong (Washington, DC USA)
An utterly spellbinding behind-the-scenes look at the world's highest rollers and the professional sycophants/enablers, called casino hosts, who cater to their every whim while encouraging their every base instinct. I couldn't put it down. And Castleman's brief essay on gambling and religion at the end is worth the price of the whole book.
Compulsively Readable, October 27, 2004
Reviewer: Brian Rouff (Las Vegas, NV USA)
If a non-fiction book can be classified as a page-turner, this is the one. Casino superhost Steve Cyr and the international cast of whales spring from the pages as larger-than-life, almost mythical, characters. Cyr takes center stage as the free-wheeling, fast-talking whale hunter, always pushing the envelope (and changing the entire industry in the process).
I especially enjoyed the cat-and-mouse interplay between Cyr and his "clients." On the one hand, he represents his casino bosses; his earnings are directly tied in to the big money losses of the whales. On the other hand, he must seem like the whales' best buddy, taking their side and making himself available 24/7 to satisfy their every whim. It's a fascinating balancing act, especially when a whale goes on "tilt" and runs the risk of permanently tapping out, thereby damaging Cyr's long-term revenue. I found myself going back and forth, sometimes rooting for Cyr, other times identifying with a particular whale, all the time knowing I could never be either. The later sections on whale psychology (and pathology) are equally fascinating. For anyone who's ever been to Vegas and peeked with amazement into a high-roller salon, marveling at the vast sums of money exchanging hands, this book is a must read.
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