Poker Books (Non-Strategy reading)

ditpoker

I figured this type of thread could be handy for anyone looking for light holiday reading or something and are tired of reading strategy guides.... the majority of books below are poker based, or at least gambling based. I have read some of them and could be enjoyed by any poker player.
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Positively Fifth St - by James McManus: As far as I know this started out as a book about a gambling related murder in vegas but the author got side tracked by his attempts to win the world series... 4/5

The Biggest Game in Town - by A. Alvarez: Haven't read this personally but my mate swears by it and I have heard alot about it. And amazon.com readers seem to rate it. As far as I know its a collection of stories from the WSOP. 4.5/5

Big Deal - One Year as a Professional Poker Player - by Anthony Holden: Great autobiographical book about Holden's year traveling the world playing cards... essential non-strategy reading. 5/5

Shut up and deal: A Novel - by Jesse May: Don't know much about this one at all but amazon.com readers give it 4/5

Telling Lies and Getting Paid: Gambling Stories - by Michael Konik: This is not all poker based, more gambling in general. half good, half bad, but could keep you entertained if only in parts. 2.5/5

Deadman's Poker - by James Swain: recent release, continues the work of Swain's character Tony Valentine who is a 'gambling detective' who is hired to stop cheats and cons by casino's. This is Swain's first Tany Valentine novel to be based mainly around poker. Amazon.com recommends it to anyone who has been caught by the poker bug. Havent got this yet but I will. potentially 5/5

Deadman's Bluff - by James Swain: Yet to be released but is to be the follow up to Deadman's Poker, again focused on scams, cons and cheats in the world of poker as far as i know. As above, potentially 5/5

Sucker Bet - by James Swain: One of the earlier Tony Valentine novels, this one is not poker based but rather about blackjack/dealers. 4.5/5

Mr. Lucky: A Novel of High Stakes - by James Swain: "Gambler Ricky Smith takes a swan dive from a burning balcony into a pool as the Riverboat Casino in Vegas goes up in flames. Smith gets up, walks across the street to the Mint and proceeds to win a cool million, never losing a hand. The odds say no one's that lucky. Tony Valentine, head of Grift Sense, a gambling consulting company, gets called in to find out exactly how Ricky cheated, so the casino doesn't have to pay." This one is a bit over the top but fun none the less, some of the fun comes from trying to work out (before the book reveals) how certain scams are pulled off. 4/5
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i'm sure there are many many others, but as i said the above list should keep most poker players entertained.

Chomp

The Anthony Holden is a really terrific read. Very entertaining and informative.

roryc

is that sig for real?

There's no need for that...

Linford

A brilliant book you could add to that list is: Fast Company by John Bradshaw - written in the 70s it tells the story of some of the best known gamblers of the time including Puggy Pearson, Titanic Thompson, Bobby Riggs and Johnny Moss. Really good read and brilliantly written. Not exclusively poker.

El Stuntman

The Professor, the Banker and the Suicide King by Michael Craig
- excellent read covering Andy Beal's (Texas gazillionaire) challenge to The Corporation (best poker pros in Vegas) to play heads-up for stakes that would scare the bejaysis out of you....try 50,000/100,000 blinds for size!! His whole plan was to take them out of their comfort zone.
He's currently playing them again now as well

not strictly poker but read The Gambler by Dostoyevsky as well

5starpool

El Stuntman wrote:

He's currently playing them again now as well

was.........

Culchie

He beat them methinks.

brianmc

Culchie wrote:

He beat them methinks.

But apparently he still wants more. (This information may be out of date and comes with a slight possibility of just being wrong.)

5starpool

He got cleaned out by Phil Ivey last I heard. Unless he went back for more after that of course, but a $16m swing is a fair one.

Rnger

Dont forget "The Education of a Poker Player" by Herbert Yardley and "The Cincinnati Kid" by ... Joseph Hessup is it?

El Stuntman

5starpool wrote:

He got cleaned out by Phil Ivey last I heard. Unless he went back for more after that of course, but a $16m swing is a fair one.

you're right there, check it out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Beal#Poker_playing

I think I might give up poker forever too if I dropped 16 mills in 1 game....

markontap

Another poker related book is;

The Man Behind the Shades - The Rise and Fall of Stuey "The Kid" Ungar

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0297849034/104-8736183-0075130?v=glance&n=283155

It doesn't have a rating on Amazon and I've only read the first few chapters.. but it seems like a good read.