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21 (2008 Film)
''21'' is a 2008 American heist drama film directed by Robert Luketic and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film is inspired by the story of the MIT Blackjack Team as told in '' Bringing Down the House'', the best-selling 2003 book by Ben Mezrich. The film stars Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Bosworth, Liza Lapira, Jacob Pitts, Aaron Yoo, and Kieu Chinh. ''21'' was a box office success and was the number one film in the United States and Canada during its first and second weekends of release, despite some mixed reviews. Plot Ben Campbell, a mathematics major at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is accepted into Harvard Medical School, but cannot afford the $300,000 tuition. He applies for the prestigious Robinson Scholarship, which would cover the entire cost. Despite having a Medical College Admission Test score of 44 (at the time, MCAT scoring was on a scale of 3-45) and high grades, he faces fierce competition, and is told by t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Luketic
Robert Luketic ( Croatian: Luketić) is an Australian film director. His films include '' Legally Blonde'' (2001), '' Monster-in-Law'' (2005), '' 21'' (2008), '' Killers'' (2010), and ''Paranoia'' (2013). Early life and education Robert Luketic was born in Sydney, Australia on November 1st, 1973, as the elder of two children of a Croatian father and Italian mother. He has a younger sister called Marie. Luketic started making short films as a teenager and went on to study at the Victorian College of Arts – School of Film and Television (VCA). Career He first attracted Hollywood's attention with his award-winning short film '' Titsiana Booberini'' written by Tania Lacy. After screening to much acclaim at several festivals within Australia, ''Titsiana Booberini'' became a hit at many internationally renowned festivals including the Sundance Film Festival. It won "Best Film" at the Aspen Shortsfest. Luketic directed the comedy '' Legally Blonde'' for MGM in the summer of 20 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trigger Street Productions
Trigger Street Productions is an American entertainment production company formed by Kevin Spacey in 1997 and further developed by his business partner Dana Brunetti. The company's credits include '' Captain Phillips'', ''Shakespeare High'', ''Safe'', ''The Social Network'', '' 21'', '' Shrink'', '' Fanboys'', the Emmy-nominated '' Bernard and Doris'', Emmy-winning '' Recount'', ''Mini's First Time'', '' Beyond the Sea'', ''The United States of Leland'', '' The Big Kahuna'' and ''House of Cards'', as well as stage productions of '' The Iceman Cometh'' and '' Cobb''. Shortly after the company was formed, Trigger Street Productions had signed a deal with Fine Line Features in order to release films for a two-year period. In 2001, Trigger Street Productions was then signed to a contract with film financer Intermedia in order to finance future Trigger Street features, for a first-look deal, which resulted in the founder's involvement in producing '' K-PAX''. The name "Trigger Str ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Card Counting
Card counting is a blackjack betting strategy, strategy used to determine whether the player or the dealer has an advantage on the next hand. Card counters try to overcome the casino house edge by keeping a running count of high and low valued cards dealt. They generally bet more when they have an advantage and less when the dealer has an advantage. They also change playing decisions based on the composition of the deck and sometimes play in teams. Basics Card counting is based on statistical evidence that high cards (aces, 10s, and 9s) benefit the player, while low cards, (2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s, and 7s) benefit the dealer. High cards benefit the player in the following ways: # They increase the player's probability of hitting a Blackjack, which often pays out at 3 to 2 odds (although some casinos pay at 6 to 5). # Doubling down increases expected value. The elevated ratio of tens and aces improves the probability that doubling down will succeed. The most common hand values that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monty Hall Problem
The Monty Hall problem is a brain teaser, in the form of a probability puzzle, based nominally on the American television game show ''Let's Make a Deal'' and named after its original host, Monty Hall. The problem was originally posed (and solved) in a letter by Steve Selvin to the ''The American Statistician, American Statistician'' in 1975. It became famous as a question from reader Craig F. Whitaker's letter quoted in Marilyn vos Savant's "Ask Marilyn" column in ''Parade (magazine), Parade'' magazine in 1990: Savant's response was that the contestant should switch to the other door. By the standard assumptions, the switching strategy has a probability of winning the car, while the strategy of keeping the initial choice has only a probability. When the player first makes their choice, there is a chance that the car is behind one of the doors not chosen. This probability does not change after the host reveals a goat behind one of the unchosen doors. When the host provides i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Medical College Admission Test
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT; ) is a Computer-based testing, computer-based standardized examination for prospective medical students in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the Offshore medical school, Caribbean Islands. It is designed to assess problem solving, critical thinking, written analysis and knowledge of scientific concepts and principles. Before 2007, the exam was a paper-and-pencil test; since 2007, all administrations of the exam have been computer-based. The most recent version of the exam was introduced in April 2015 and takes approximately hours to complete, including breaks. The test is scored in a range from 472 to 528. The MCAT is administered by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). History Moss Test: 1928–1946 In the 1920s, dropout rates in US medical schools soared from 5% to 50%, leading to the development of a test that would measure readiness for medical school. Physician F. A. Moss and his colleagues developed t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is the third oldest medical school in the United States. It provides patient care, medical education, and research training through its 15 clinical affiliates and research institutes, including Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston Children's Hospital, Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Mount Auburn Hospital, McLean Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, The Baker Center for Children and Families, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, and others. Harvard Medical School also partners with newer entities such as Harvard Catalyst, Broad Institute , Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, the Center for Primary Care, and Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. History Harvard ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and science. In response to the increasing Technological and industrial history of the United States, industrialization of the United States, William Barton Rogers organized a school in Boston to create "useful knowledge." Initially funded by a land-grant universities, federal land grant, the institute adopted a Polytechnic, polytechnic model that stressed laboratory instruction in applied science and engineering. MIT moved from Boston to Cambridge in 1916 and grew rapidly through collaboration with private industry, military branches, and new federal basic research agencies, the formation of which was influenced by MIT faculty like Vannevar Bush. In the late twentieth century, MIT became a leading center for research in compu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kieu Chinh
Kieu Chinh (; born September 3, 1937) is a Vietnamese-American actress, producer, humanitarian, lecturer and philanthropist. Early life Dame Kieu Chinh was born on September 3, 1937, in Hanoi as Nguyễn Thị Kiều Chinh. During World War II, her mother and her newly born brother were killed when their hospital was struck by an Allied bombing raid targeting Japanese troops in Hanoi during the Japanese occupation of French Indochina, when Chinh was at the age of six. Even so, her father was a government official so the family was quite wealthy. Following the end of World War II and the subsequent division of Vietnam into Communist and National regimes after the Geneva Conference, Chinh's older brother ran away from home to join the Resistance Forces. Her father urged her to board an aircraft and travel to the South, while he remained in the North to search for her older brother, promising to reunite with her in Saigon. Following her arrival in South Vietnam, however, she ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aaron Yoo
Aaron Yoo (born May 12, 1979) is an American actor. He is best known for appearing in the films ''Disturbia (film), Disturbia'' (2007), ''21 (2008 film), 21'' (2008), and ''Friday the 13th (2009 film), Friday the 13th'' (2009), as well as playing Russell Kwon in the sci-fi series ''The Tomorrow People (American TV series), The Tomorrow People'' (2013–14). Career He starred in ''Disturbia (film), Disturbia'', ''Rocket Science (film), Rocket Science'', and ''American Pastime (film), American Pastime'' (all 2007); ''21 (2008 film), 21'', ''Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist'', and ''The Wackness'' (all 2008); and ''Labor Pains (film), Labor Pains'' and the ''Friday the 13th (2009 film), Friday the 13th'' reboot (both 2009). Shortly before filming of ''Friday the 13th'' began, Yoo had his Appendicectomy, appendix removed; as a result, he could not film his scenes right away. As soon as he was ready for filming, director Marcus Nispel immediately hung him upside down from some raft ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jacob Pitts
Jacob Rives Pitts (born November 20, 1979) is an American television, film and stage actor. His most notable performances were as Cooper Harris in the film '' EuroTrip'' (2004), as Bill "Hoosier" Smith in the HBO miniseries '' The Pacific'' (2010), and as Deputy U.S. Marshal Tim Gutterson on the FX television drama '' Justified'' (2010–2015). He appeared in the play ''Where Do We Live'' at the Vineyard Theatre in May 2004. Pitts has also appeared in TV shows such as ''Law & Order'', '' Ed'' and ''Sex and the City''.Southern, N. (2009)Jacob Pitts: Biography/ref> He had a recurring role in the first season of '' The Sinner'' and starred as Lance Lord in the crime drama series ''Sneaky Pete''. Early life Pitts grew up in Weston, Connecticut, the son of Arlene and Joseph Rives Pitts. He described himself as a hyperactive child. In high school, he was involved in the theater production company, and took part in productions while he was in school, including a performance as the Myst ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Liza Lapira
Liza Lapira (born December 3, 1981) is an American actress. She played Kianna in the 2008 film '' 21'', Special Agent Michelle Lee in the CBS police procedural series ''NCIS'', and Ivy, Topher Brink's assistant, in '' Dollhouse''. Lapira has also co-starred in the short-lived sitcoms ''Traffic Light'', '' Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23'', ''Super Fun Night'', and ''9JKL''. She is also known for her roles as Shaquan on UPN's ''The Parkers'' and Melody "Mel" Bayani on CBS's ''The Equalizer''. She also voiced Disgust in the Pixar animated film ''Inside Out 2'', replacing Mindy Kaling from the first film. Early life Lapira was born on December 3, 1981, in Queens, New York. She is of Filipino descent. Career Stage Lapira's New York stage credits include ''As You Like It'', ''The School for Wives'', ''The Odyssey'', and Alexandra Cunningham's ''No. 11 Blue and White''. Most recently, she played Suzanne in Steve Martin’s '' Picasso at the Lapin Agile'' at the Old Globe Theatr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
MIT Blackjack Team
The MIT Blackjack Team was a group of students and ex-students from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and other leading colleges; they used card counting techniques and more sophisticated strategies to beat casinos at blackjack worldwide. The team and its successors operated successfully from 1979 through the beginning of the 21st century. Many other blackjack teams around the world have been formed with the goal of beating the casinos. Blackjack and card counting Blackjack can be legally beaten by a skilled player. Beyond the basic strategy of when to hit and when to stand, individual players can use card counting, shuffle tracking, or hole carding to improve their odds. Since the early 1960s, a large number of card counting schemes have been published, and casinos have adjusted the rules of play in an attempt to counter the most popular methods. The idea behind all card counting is that, because a low card is usually bad and a high card usually good, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
