The Smart Money

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

By: Michael Konik

Narrated by: Michael Konik

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.©2006 Michael Konik. All rights reserved; (P)2006 Simon and Schuster Inc. All rights reserved.

Double Life

If you could sum up The Smart Money in three words, what would they be?

Party, Energy & Waiting

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Smart Money?

When 44 decides to quit.

What about Michael Konik’s performance did you like?

The way he played the part.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was a heavy better, it made me want to go back, But I know better.

Any additional comments?

Great book.

intriguing

Several have stated this story is boring and repetitive and I could not disagree more. The author built a great story that is not only believable but enviable. I love Vegas and gambling stories, and this is near the top of my list.

Fun to imagine

Enjoyed it from start to finish! Was interesting to imagine what he was going through and kept me wanting to hear about what happened next.

Riveting

Let me state upfront that I'm female, I know NOTHING about sports or sports betting and was, nonetheless, totally enthralled by this book. The writing is as good or better than Augsten Burroughts and the story moves at a fast clip and in directions you don't expect. Though the author is an established gambling journalist, at times you'd swear you were listening to a novel. His reading and his characterization are better than most pros.

Terrible narration, even worse writing.

Yes. I find the world of sports betting and gambling to be quite an interesting topic.

The author manages to be excruciatingly cringe-worthy in countless capacities… from his endless romanticizing of his endeavors at the behest of his employer, to the god-awful portrayal of gay men with his terrible accent-laden re-enactments of certain conversations. If it weren’t for the interest in the underlying topic, this listen would be absolutely intolerable.