The Man With the $100,000 Breasts And Other Gambling Stories [Hardcover]

Michael Konik (Author)

Book Description

Series: Gambling Theories Methods | Publication Date: January 1, 1999

A fearless gambler who got breast implants to win a $100,000 bet. A hard-core dice shooter who turned a borrowed stake of $10,000 into $17 million. A marketing genius who developed a line for selecting winners of NFL football games--and had his 4-year-old son make the picks. These are some of the characters that populate Michael Konik's The Man With the $100,000 Breasts and Other Gambling Stories, a collection of the renowned gambling writer's best magazine pieces. Konik, the long-time gambling columnist for Cigar Aficionado, ushers readers into the arena of risk and reward, introducing them to the subculture of high rollers, hustlers, professional card counters, horse handicappers, and poker champions. These stories take you to the final table of the World Series of Poker where a $1 million prize awaits the winner, to a secret golf course reserved for the biggest gamblers in Las Vegas, and to the inner sanctum of an international bookmaking operation. Konik profiles America's greatest golf hustler and most accomplished blackjack cheat. He reveals the best and worst games in the casino. And he shares some of his own hilarious attempts at achieving gambling nirvana. Entertaining and stylish, The Man With the $100,000 Breasts and Other Gambling Stories is a literary look inside the world of gambling.

Editorial Reviews

Review

If we were gambling men, we'd give big odds you'll like this book. --Maxim Magazine

The people in The Man With the $100,000 Breasts operate in a hairier zone of human behavior, where desire and risk are intertwined and the normal social customs don't apply. Wickedly fascinating. --Las Vegas Sun

A fun look at the lengths some people will go to make that easy living . . . Konik has a deft touch with the personality profile. --Chicago Sun-Times

From the Inside Flap

Some people will do anything for money.  Take Brian Zembic, recipient of the world's most notorious boob job.  After a fellow gambler bet $100,000 that Brian wouldn't subject himself to the breast implants he so admired in women, Brian found himself going under the knife to become a 38C--and $100,000 richer.

Anchored by this incredible tale, gambling expert Michael Konik introduces readers to the quirky subculture of high rollers and hustlers in dozens of other outrageous true stories profiling gamblers who make wagering a way of life.

You'll meet the man who turned $10,000 into $17 million with a pair of dice, the man responsible for determining the point spread of the Super Bowl, and the world's most notorious golf hustler.  In addition to the bizarre and hilarious escapades of hard-core gamblers, Konik shares insider tips for how to score more in comps than you lose at the tables, how to identify casino games that should be avoided, and how to gain a legal advantage over the house.

In this rollicking collection of stories, Konik celebrates the glamour, glitz, and excitement of gambling culture in Vegas and beyond, giving readers a behind-the-tables look at one of the nation's most lucrative entertainment industries. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 300 pages
• Publisher: Huntington Press; First Edition edition (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0929712722
• ISBN-13: 978-0929712727
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #499,021 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic, September 13, 2004

By 

richieob "OB" (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man with the $100,000 Breasts: And Other Gambling Stories (Paperback)

Konik is the same guy on all the poker televsion shows. He obviously has a lot of connections in the gambling world which gives him great stories to tell. There's all sorts of entertaining stuff to amuse you in this collection. I like the stories about greyhound racing (laugh out loud funny) and the ones about playing the World Series of Poker. This is a must for anyone who likes gambling stories.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, February 21, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Man with the $100,000 Breasts: And Other Gambling Stories (Paperback)

This is the collection of gambling stories that started it all. I have Mr. Konik's other one Telling Lies and Getting Paid and this one is a little lighter and slightly less intense. Very easy to read. I could have finished it in one sitting but I wanted to strecth it out over a couple of days because the author's writing style is very enjoyable. Big thumbs up.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Man with $100,000 Breasts, March 29, 2006

By 

D. M. McGee (KDH, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Man with the $100,000 Breasts: And Other Gambling Stories (Paperback)

I had heard about this guy a long time ago and finally found this book. After reading the first chapter, I was a bit dissapointed that the story of the man with the $100,000 breasts was over, but to my suprise, the stories just got better. Each chapter tells a different gambling story, which I must say, were all great stories.

I think a lot of people won't read this book because of the title, but it is a shame because the book is that good. I showed it to some coworkers and they thought I was nuts for reading a book about what the title depicts. I tried to explain to one of them how good it was but many turned there nose up without trying it. The one who did try it out read the first 3 chapters and said-- I want it when your done!!!

Very entertaining and unlike the previous review, I think anybody would enjoy this book. You don't have to be a hard core gambler.

One last note- I am not a book reader. I have read very few books, but i have to tell you, I could not put this one down and finished it within a week, reading a couple of chapters before bed each night. I only wish there were more stories!!!