The Man With the $100,000 Breasts And Other Gambling Stories | 
 enlarge | Author: Michael Konik
Publisher: Huntington Press
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy Used: $0.48
You Save: $24.47 (98%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  38 reviews
Sales Rank: 1059428
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 300
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.3 x 1
ISBN: 0929712722
Dewey Decimal Number: 795
EAN: 9780929712727
ASIN: 0929712722
Publication Date: January 1, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy!
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
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 "900" 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. Michael Konik is the gambling columnist for Cigar Aficionado. His work has also appeared in more than 100 magazines and newspapers worldwide, including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Sports Illustrated, GQ, Elle, Travel and Leisure, Forbes FYI, and Men's Journal. He is an editor of Delta Air Lines Sky, where his monthly column, "Tee Time," has been honored by the Golf Writers Association of America. A resident of Los Angeles, Konik is a regular visitor to Las Vegas and has won numerous blackjack and poker tournaments, as well as the occasional sports bet.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 33 more reviews...
 Quick hitters with substance September 23, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have probably given this book out as presents to at least a half dozen people since it's release. Although I don't want to jump on the person who gave the book 3*, they were completely missing the point.
This book was ranked #2 on the Wall Street Journal's list of the 5 best books on gambling.
This book opens up with the ultimate risk taker, Brian Zembic. A man who will take a bet on everything, and lives up to it. To be perfectly honest, as mentioned, it only takes up about 10-15% of the book, but I don't want it to take up more. As one of the other 5* reviewers said, the worst part of the book is that it stops.
We read bios on Trump, Walsh, Jordan, and Woods, but here we read "mini-bios" on a differnet style of person. Andrew Beyer, Roxy Roxborough, Archie Karas, Johnny Moss. You read about how odds are made, how blackjack is played, and how comps get you paid. Poker, Horse Racing, Backgammon, Sports Betting, Blackjack... on and on... But don't think its just about this, they are stories that put you inside, and you don't want to leave.
Obviously the book leans towards people who enjoy the art of gambling, but also to those curious about why they don't gamble. My favorite story in the book is the very last one, "The Hand That's Dealt". Konik knows how to paint a picture with words. The story takes place at a poker table, but it's the furthest thing from a poker story.
Overall, without a doubt, Excellent.
 Interesting reading.... July 9, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Overall I liked this book quite a bit. Very interesting stories, all bite sized and well written. The last half dozen stories are about poker--I'm not a player so these didn't hold much interest.
Man with $100,000 Breasts March 29, 2006
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
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!!!
Fantastic, you'll wish it was longer. December 11, 2005
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
This is one of the many "gambling milieu" books that have hit the scene over the course of the past few years; although, unlike many of the others, Konik's effort features strong writing and a furious pace. Upon finishing it, I took a look at the page numbers because I couldn't believe it was over. It wasn't that it was too short, the real problem was that it was too good. In small chip size pieces, Konik addresses the infamous world of gambling. His coverage is far better than that of the average commentator as he includes horse racing, greyhounds, blackjack, sports betting, and golf hustling within his narrative. To say this one is fascinating is an understatement. A better description is that it will even, dare I say, appeal to the general public--and, indeed, it has. The title essay concerns crazy proposition man Brian Zembic, and it may well be the best of the compilation. After all, how many people become quasi-transvestites for 100 grand? Well, that's the terrain you're in once you open these pages, and you'll be grateful that Konik did such a magnificent job of immersing himself in it.
Fun and entertaining January 29, 2005
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
A great collection of gambling related stories, with strange but likeable characters. Each story is different, but fun to read. Even if you have no knowledge of some of the activities or games covered, the stories are enjoyable.
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