An inside look at the high-stakes world of professional sports betting -- by a journalist who lived a secret life as a key gambling ring operative.
"Gamblers whisper about a legendary syndicate known as The Brain Trust because they seem to understand more about sports betting than anyone else. Though they operate in secret, everyone involved in sports gambling wants to know what The Brains are doing -- how they do what they do, and especially, what they'll do next. I'm one of the few people in the world who can tell you. Because for several years I was one of them." -- from The Smart Money
In The Smart Money, Michael Konik takes listeners behind the veil of secrecy shrouding the most successful sports gambling operation in America, to its innermost sanctum. He reveals how they -- and he -- got rich by beating the Vegas lines and, ultimately, the multi-million-dollar offshore betting circuit. He details the perks and perils of a lifestyle in which staking inordinate sums of money on the outcome of a game -- sometimes as much as $1 million on a single event -- is a normal part of doing business.
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"Interesting read about a subject I know pretty much nothing about, high stakes sports betting. This gives a view into the large gambling syndicates that (try to) bet huge amounts based on their computer models. "
— Jonathan (4 out of 5 stars)
“This fascinating inside look at the gambling biz…reveals so much information that you would swear the author was breaking some sort of Omertà-like code of silence; in fact, the parallels between organized gambling and organized crime are numerous…The author conceals the identities of the principal players behind fake names, but his fictionalized stand-ins are so compelling…that the book feels like a mixture of true-life expose and high-stakes fiction…A definite must-read.”
— Booklist" Another excellent book from Konik. "
— Jason, 3/19/2013" Interesting read about a subject I know pretty much nothing about, high stakes sports betting. This gives a view into the large gambling syndicates that (try to) bet huge amounts based on their computer models. "
— Jonathan, 12/9/2012" I found this book to be quite entertaining and I looked forward to reading it every time I picked it up. "
— Mike, 7/2/2010" Read this book on a flight to vegas. An entertaining, quick read. But the ending isn't so good. "
— Ian, 5/15/2010" Read this book on a flight to vegas. An entertaining, quick read. But the ending isn't so good. "
— Ian, 6/6/2007Michael Konik, referred to as “the dean of the world’s gambling writers,” is the author of several books, including the gaming classic The Man with the $100,000 Breasts. He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Times, Travel + Leisure, and Sports Illustrated. On television, Konik has competed in the World Series of Poker and the World Series of Blackjack and appears regularly as an expert commentator on FoxSports poker broadcasts.