The Smart Money: How the World's Best Sports Bettors Beat the Bookies Out of Millions
In 1997, gaming journalist Konik joined the Brain Trust, a sports-gambling operation that took in millions by beating the Vegas bookies at their own game. This fascinating inside look at the gambling biz (perfectly suited, incidentally, to fans of the recent movieTwo for the Money) reveals so much information that you would swear the author was breaking some sort ofOmerta-like code of silence; in fact, the parallels between organized gambling and organized crime are numerous. The book created plenty of buzz in the publishing community well before its release, so expect a great deal of publicity and high reader interest. The author conceals the identities of the principal players behind fake names, but his fictionalized stand-ins are so compelling (especially the Brain Trust chieftain, Rick "Big Daddy" Matthews) that the book feels like a mixture of true-life expose and high-stakes fiction (fans of Puzo'sFools Diemay see some similarities but only in a good way). A definite must-read for the gambling crowd.David PittCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved