The book covers casino gambling, sports gambling, horse racing, golf betting, as well as the type of betting that goes on between Las Vegas bettors themselves, which can be pretty outrageous, as the book's title implies.
The Main Story
Konik does a great job of getting the reader's interest right from the start of the book, with a tale of a man living in a bathroom. What's at stake is a $14,000 wager between friends that Brian Zembic can stay in a bathroom for 30 straight days. But there's more.
One of the people who Brian made the wager with happens to own the apartment in which the bathroom is located. And he's been sending people over to take care of their business.
But Zembic is far from finished in his quest to make a living without actually having to work. So when an opportunity to earn $100,000 comes along, he finds it too much to turn down - even though it involves getting breast implants and keeping them for a year.
Other Tales
Without giving too much away, there are some humorous stories of Archie Karas, the man who turned borrowed money into $17 million and kept the Las Vegas dream alive for numerous bettors, most of whom ended up broke trying to duplicate Karas' hot streak.
There's the story of David James, a professional sports handicapping tout, who had his 4-year-old son make his selections.
Terrence Leon isn't exactly a household name. He doesn't have Nike or Gatorade hot on his trail to endorse their products, but maybe he should. He's possibly made more money than any golfer alive, with the possible exception of Tiger Woods.
He doesn't play on the PGA Tour, nor does he play in any tournaments. He's a hustler. Probably the greatest golf hustler of all time.
There are also tales of people you have probably heard of, such as linesmaker Roxy Roxborough and horse racing guru Andrew Beyer.
Summary
If you have a bettor's mentality, you're sure to love this book, which is well-written and moves along at a nice pace.
It doesn't matter if you're interested in solely sports betting, poker, or horse racing, there is enough to keep a person's interest, primarily because the book is more about the people who make up the gambling scene than it is about the gambling scene itself.
Naturally, this book won't point you towards any winners in sports betting or how to make a fortune at the card tables, but it's an enjoyable way to spend some time away from the tables or away from the games.
Naturally, some of the language used by the characters in the book isn't exactly what you would want your children hearing, but it's not too excessive and is pretty much used in quotes.
About the only complaint I have of the book is that the end came far too quickly.
