The House Advantage

From Vegas to the boardroom, discover cutting-edge strategies for success.

“The House Advantage is an efficient and enjoyable read that reflects Jeff’s nuanced understanding about how to run the numbers in a real-world context.” —Nate Silver, statistician and founder of FiveThirtyEight.com

As part of the notorious MIT Team depicted in Ben Mezrich's now classic Bringing Down the House, Jeff Ma used math and statistics to master the game of blackjack and reap handsome rewards at casinos. Years later, Ma has inspired not only a bestselling novel and hit movie, but has also started three different companies—the latest of which, Citizen Sports, is an innovative marriage of sports, betting, and digital technology—and launched a successful corporate speaking career. The House Advantage reveals Ma's cutting-edge mathematical insights into the world of statistics and makes them applicable to a wide business audience. He argues that numbers are the key to analyzing nearly everything in the world of business, from how to spot and profit from global market inefficiencies to having multiple backup plans in anticipation of every probability. Ma's stories and business lessons are as intriguing as they are universally applicable.

“Persuasive. . . . Even those who do not consider themselves math types can benefit. . . . A spirited . . . approach to decision making.” —Publishers Weekly

“With vivid anecdotes and concise analysis, Ma argues that anybody hoping to be successful in business shouldn’t be afraid to make a [controversial choice].” —Forbes.com

“[Jeff’s] experiences make for an absorbing read about the indisputable role of statistics and objective analysis in the making of smarter business decisions. Jeff’s story is compelling evidence as to why leaders in every field should believe in The House Advantage.” —Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland Athletics