Telling Lies and Getting Paid: Gambling Stories

by Michael Konik

Behind the scenes in the fascinating world of risk and reward. (SEE QUOTE.)

Genres: Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2001

About the author

Based in Southern California, Michael Konik is a writer, composer, record producer, artist, improviser, former television personality, unusually articulate stoner, burgeoning thought leader and generally decent person.

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is essentially divided into two parts... Part I is a small collection of anecdotal gambling tales. Examples: the mysterious man who's made fortunes at high-stakes backgammon games; a brief insight into the shady world of offshore online gambling; the virtues and unspoken rules of holding a weekly poker game.

Part II is the author's autobiographical account of his own attempts at poker glory as he takes his stabs at the World Series of Poker. But instead of dragging the reader through endless pages of poker strategy (of which there are already numerous books devoted to the subject), he interweaves his time spent in the tourneys with musings and correlations to his love life and his family life. He even waxes philosophical about the game here and there, which is humorous and familiar to anyone who's played the game with any regularity.

All in all it greatly exceeded my expectations, considering the subject matter.