Here is my exclusive interview with Jeff Ma, a.k.a. Kevin Lewis, the main character from Bringing Down the House.


1) What are you doing now, and how can people check out your latest project?

I co-founded a new sports website called PROTRADE. At the simplest level, it is a stock market for athletes.  We are using Moneyball analytics and the power of a predictive market to create a totally new experience for sports fans.  You can check it out at www.protrade.com.

2) What's the craziest thing that's happened to you since the success of BDTH?

Because of the success of BDTH and my work with PROTRADE I have had the opportunity to meet some unbelievable people. I've sat with incredibly impressive people like Billy Beane and Jerry West and have had them talk my ears off with questions about BDTH. I guess one of the craziest moments was when I first sat down with Hall of Fame football coach Bill Walsh. Coach Walsh told me that he was impressed with how smart I was and my jaw must have dropped a foot.  Here was a genius telling me how smart I was. Just a real trip.

3) Who would you like to see play you in the movie based on the book?

That's a tough question. I've heard so many rumors about who it might be. Since the likelihood of an actor of Chinese descent playing me is so small, I would welcome a guy like Topher Grace or Adam Brody who I believe have played characters that are somewhat similar to my personality.

4) What happened to all the money you won playing blackjack?

Much of the money that I won was not mine. We played as a team and therefore won as a team. As for the money that I was paid, I bought a house in Boston and invested in a club/lounge.  I also bought Ferraris for all my close friends.

5) What advice would you give a first time visitor to Las Vegas ? Where to stay, what to do, what not to miss?

I don't even know where to start.  The first thing you have to do is figure out what kind of weekend you want to have, and a lot of that is dependent on who you are rolling with.  If you go with your buddies, I'd stay at the Palms or Hard Rock.  I'd definitely eat at N9 in the Palms (the best restaurant in Vegas). For gambling, I'd stick with blackjack (playing basic strategy) and/or craps (always take maximum odds).  For clubs, I'd head to Body English - Cory, Shannon, and Mike take great care of the customers there. I'd stay away from Tao, Matt Strauss has no clue how to run a club.

The weekend with the girlfriend is definitely different.  I'd stay at the Venetian or Bellagio.  I'd still go to N9 but I'd probably try to head to a show like O or Mystere.  I'd spend some time shopping in the Forum shops.

6) Are you still friends with the other members of your team?

I'm still friends with most of them.  We don't really run in the same circles anymore but I make a point to talk to Martinez from time to time. Andrew Tay lives in LA and has begun a writing career. I helped Fisher with a project that he was working on. We have all kind of gone separate directions but all of us have had success in our own ways.

7) Is it still possible to win millions playing blackjack in Vegas?

As Martinez told me once, as long as blackjack is beatable, there will be people trying to beat it. Blackjack is still beatable and with the right strategies I think there is still money to be made.