Telling Lies and Getting Paid: More Gambling Stories (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "He doesn't have a permanent address..." (more)
Key Phrases: offshore bookies, home poker game, press tournament, Las Vegas, Line Mover, Hong Kong (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"With this magnificent work, Konik cements his role as dean of the world's gambling writers." -- Andrew N.S. Glazer, Detroit Free Press, March 2001

Product Description

Meet the Chicago num who consistently out-handicaps the bookies with her pro football picks. Observe the world's greatest backgammon hustler at work as he travels the globe in search of fresh suckers. Follow the legendary (and widely feared) Line Mover, whose massive sports bets force bookies nationwide to alter the odds. Live the secret life of the High Roller, who gets whatever he wants (yes, whatever) just by showing up in Los Vegas. Glimpse the wild scene at the casinos in Macao and visit some of the planet's poshest gambling dens. Get tips on how to set up the perfect home poker game, how not to get ripped off by offshore sports books and how to play "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" like a gambling expert.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 241 pages
• Publisher: Huntington Press; 1st edition (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0929712730
• ISBN-13: 978-0929712734
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #785,183 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you've ever made a bet, buy this book, October 30, 2001

By	Maximillion Jones (Las Vegas, Nevada United States) - See all my reviews

It's about time that a world-class writer told the world what it feels like when a semi-degenerate gambler and sorta-professional hustler parlays a couple hundred bucks into a legitimate shot at winning the World Series of Poker.

When you read Mr. Konik's recap of his unbelievable adventure into the underbelly of Vegas while trying to undermine an army of suckers and scamsters, you'll think that you're reading a Hollywood script, except that it's all true.

The other stories in "Telling Lies" feature larger-than-life gambling characters who really exist and really really make me wish I hadn't wasted my education on college.

For my money, this one of the 10 best gambling books ever written and maybe the finest first-person account of what it feels like to actually bet it all and.......Naw, you gotta read the book.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MUST read, August 19, 2001

By	Brigitte (LA, CA) - See all my reviews

This is the most amazing book ever written about poker. Michael Konik gives you a chance to have a real taste of how it "feels" to be sitting on a poker table with all these big poker players in the World Series of Poker. His honest psychological analysis of the game gives this book a very original flavor. It's not about odds. It's about people. The main story is preceded by a bunch of entertaining stories about some of the most intriguing characters and casinos of the gambling world. If you have any interest in the gambling world, it is a MUST read. Konik's book will probably change the way you look at gambling.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best, March 28, 2002

By	phil (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

This is the best book I've ever read about gambling in general and poker in specific. Anyone even thinking of playing in the World Series of Poker should read Konik's account of playing in the Big One. He captures poker in a way I've never read before. Its very personal but very applicable to everyone at the same time, and that's why I would suggest this book to anyone. Some "big" words but very easy to read. Excellent.