The Smart Money

How the World's Best Sports Bettors Beat the Bookies Out of Millions

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Games, Gambling, Biography & Memoir, Sports
Cover of the book The Smart Money by Michael Konik, Simon & Schuster
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Michael Konik ISBN: 9780743281720
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Publication: November 14, 2006
Imprint: Simon & Schuster Language: English
Author: Michael Konik
ISBN: 9780743281720
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication: November 14, 2006
Imprint: Simon & Schuster
Language: English

A riveting inside look at the lucrative world of professional high-stakes sports betting by a journalist who lived a secret life as a key operative in the world's most successful sports gambling ring.

When journalist Michael Konik landed an interview with Rick "Big Daddy" Matthews, the largest bet he'd placed on a sporting event was $200. Konik, an expert blackjack and poker player, was no stranger to Vegas. But Matthews was in a different league: the man was rumored to be the world's smartest sports bettor, the mastermind behind "the Brain Trust," a shadowy group of gamblers known for their expertise in beating the Vegas line. Konik had heard the word on the street -- that Matthews was a snake, a conniver who would do anything to gain an edge. But he was also brilliant, cunning, and charming. And when he asked Konik if he'd like to "make a little money" during the football season, the writer found himself seduced . . .

So began Michael Konik's wild ride as an operative of the elite Brain Trust. In The Smart Money, Konik takes readers behind the veil of secrecy shrouding the most successful sports betting operation in America, bypassing the myths and the rumors, going all the way to its innermost sanctum. He reveals how they -- and he -- got rich by beating the Vegas lines and, ultimately, the multimillion-dollar offshore betting circuit. He details the excesses and the betrayals, the horse-trading and the paranoia, that are the perks and perils of a lifestyle in which staking inordinate sums of money on the outcome of a single event -- sometimes as much as $1 million on a football game -- is a normal part of doing business.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

A riveting inside look at the lucrative world of professional high-stakes sports betting by a journalist who lived a secret life as a key operative in the world's most successful sports gambling ring.

When journalist Michael Konik landed an interview with Rick "Big Daddy" Matthews, the largest bet he'd placed on a sporting event was $200. Konik, an expert blackjack and poker player, was no stranger to Vegas. But Matthews was in a different league: the man was rumored to be the world's smartest sports bettor, the mastermind behind "the Brain Trust," a shadowy group of gamblers known for their expertise in beating the Vegas line. Konik had heard the word on the street -- that Matthews was a snake, a conniver who would do anything to gain an edge. But he was also brilliant, cunning, and charming. And when he asked Konik if he'd like to "make a little money" during the football season, the writer found himself seduced . . .

So began Michael Konik's wild ride as an operative of the elite Brain Trust. In The Smart Money, Konik takes readers behind the veil of secrecy shrouding the most successful sports betting operation in America, bypassing the myths and the rumors, going all the way to its innermost sanctum. He reveals how they -- and he -- got rich by beating the Vegas lines and, ultimately, the multimillion-dollar offshore betting circuit. He details the excesses and the betrayals, the horse-trading and the paranoia, that are the perks and perils of a lifestyle in which staking inordinate sums of money on the outcome of a single event -- sometimes as much as $1 million on a football game -- is a normal part of doing business.

More books from Simon & Schuster

Cover of the book Under Pressure by Michael Konik
Cover of the book Spell Sisters: Olivia the Otter Sister by Michael Konik
Cover of the book The Marvelous Magic of Miss Mabel by Michael Konik
Cover of the book Naughts & Crosses by Michael Konik
Cover of the book Occupational Hazards by Michael Konik
Cover of the book Conquest by Michael Konik
Cover of the book Pinstripe Pride by Michael Konik
Cover of the book Leap of Faith by Michael Konik
Cover of the book A Brain Wider Than the Sky by Michael Konik
Cover of the book Amelia's Boy Survival Guide by Michael Konik
Cover of the book Total Competition by Michael Konik
Cover of the book Pericles by Michael Konik
Cover of the book Monkey Mind by Michael Konik
Cover of the book Parrotfish by Michael Konik
Cover of the book Haunt: Dead Scared by Michael Konik
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy