The Man With the $100,000 Breasts and Other Gambling Stories

Michael Konik 1999, Huntington Press, $24.95, 234p, Hardbound, ISBN 0-929712-72-2.

I had not intended to review this book this month.

Last month's review was of a Huntington Press book (Burning the Tables in Las Vegas) and I thought I would turn to another publisher for this month. On an extended trip I had even read another book with the intention of reviewing it. However, upon my return I picked up The Man With the $100,000 Breasts and enjoyed it so much that I just have to tell you about it.

I first became acquainted with the writing of Michael Konik through his monthly column in Cigar Aficionado. I don't smoke... I just read it for the articles. :) (In fact I really just read it for Konik's gambling column.) He has an engaging style and his articles are always interesting. So I had high expectations for this volume, which is a collection of 26 stories...lifted from his Cigar Aficionado column as well as from other publications. I was not disappointed.

The title story is about a gentleman named Brian Zembic. Brian craves action--any action-- and will bet on just about anything. So it was a natural for him to accept a $100,000 bet that he get breast implants and wear them for a year. He goes to a plastic surgeon and soon finds himself equipped with a pair of bodacious tata's---38C's to be exact. Expecting them to be a big turn-off for prospective dates, he finds just the opposite--they are an attraction. And just when you think the whole thing is made up, you turn a page and there is a picture of Brian--topless!

Other stories in this wonderful book include the story of Mickey Swift, a crossroader extrordinaire, complete with examples of how he extracts hundreds of thousands of dollars from the casinos. There is the hilarious account of the author's attempt to learn the inscrutable game called Pan. There is the story of Archie Karas who turned $50 into $7 million--playing poker against people with names like Brunson, Ungar and Reese. There is the story of the World's Greatest Golf Hustler Terrance Leon Jr. And lots more.

Included are several chapters on the mechanics of gambling. One of these details how Roxy Roxborough sets the sports betting line. Another fascinating chapter discusses Bob Hamman's interesting business. Bob is the gentleman who fades the action when a basketball team decides to offer $1,000,000 to a lucky fan chosen at random if they can make a successful free throw from mid-court. This insurance comes at a high price (but usually less than 50 cents on the dollar) but allows the team to know exactly what the promotion is going to cost it. (Auditors like this kind of certainty.)

There's lots more to this book. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Note: my company ConJelCo, is pleased to announce that it is taking over publication of Lou Krieger's books Hold'em Excellence and More Hold'em Excellence. These books join Lee Jones' Winning Low-Limit Hold'em, Stuart Perry's Las Vegas Blackjack Diary, and Dan Paymar's Video Poker--Optimum Play as ConJelCo offerings. I mention them here to remind you that you will never see a review of a ConJelCo title in this column.

(c) 1998, Charles B. Weinstock, All Rights Reserved.