Ray Michael B. Serious poker players are often asked, "What’s it really like...the world of poker? The answer is not easy because poker is an amazingly complex game. As complex as life itself.

This book will attempt to answer that question. You will be taken to a serious game and be sitting besides the author. That is, you will be a spectator to the unfolding drama of poker. You will get to meet the players up close and personal, witness their strong and weak points, and watch their varied reactions in victory and defeat.

Not only will you "play," but you will have to address those problems that all poker players deal with. This includes bankroll management, developing self control, and understanding what it is that makes a poker player truly great. Your opponents will range from some of the best players in Las Vegas to a brilliant Japanese Admiral as he planned his attack on Pearl harbor.

Paula (Editor) Cizmar, Paula Cizmar About Dan Paymar: Dan was born and raised in Flint, Michigan. Before turning to a career in the poker industry, Dan spent four years at Michigan Tech, becoming an engineer. His first work in the computer industry was in field service for Bendix Computer, which was bought out by Control Data in 1963. In 1967, Dan moved on to develop a text editing system for Encyclopædia Britannica.

With two other engineers, Dan started Educational Data Systems. Their goal: to write a BASIC language interpreter and disk operating system for the Data General Nova computer to handle up to sixteen users. As far as we know, this was the first time-sharing system ever to run on a minicomputer. When the company began manufacturing its own computers Educational Data Systems became Point 4 Data Corporation.

Always the idea man, Dan then developed an accessory for the Apple-II computer which he sold via his own mail order business and through retail outlets.

In 1989 Dan changed his career direction about 180 degrees and returned to school — to become a poker dealer. That same year, he moved to Las Vegas.

After five years working as a poker dealer, playing some poker, and getting interested in video poker, Dan became an instructor for poker dealers at Casino Gaming School. Not satisfied with the instructional materials then available, the original edition of this book was born. Starting as a booklet of fifty pages, the text evolved as new situations and questions came up in class that were not covered. In 1995, the second edition of the original text, with eighty pages, was published and sold in gaming bookstores.

About Donna Harris: Donna Harris was born and raised in California and came to Las Vegas in 1979 for the World Cup of Darts, which was held at the Sahara Hotel. She was the first female official for this event. Like many Las Vegas visitors, she was fascinated by the prospect of building a career in the casino industry, and in 1980 she returned to Las Vegas to deal blackjack professionally. Her first job was at the Golden Nugget Gambling Hall in downtown Las Vegas.

That same year, after becoming intrigued by the game of poker (which was played directly across the pit from where she dealt), and then playing poker after work, Donna asked to be transferred into the cardroom where the legendary Bill Boyd was the manager. Her initial position was as a "shill dealer" — a dealer who only dealt when the "regular" dealers were out of the lineup — usually to play poker. Her other early job duties included brushing tables, getting fills and player’s checks, and "playing poker" as a shill. She dealt poker until 1985.

In 1982 Bill Boyd retired, turning the cardroom over to another legend, Eric Drache. At that time very few women were in poker management and Eric felt that many of his regular customers, who originally played in "smokey back room" type environments, would not respect the decision of a young and inexperienced female floorperson. However, Donna persisted and was given the opportunity to succeed.

In 1998 Donna became the cardroom manager at The Mirage, where you can still find her today. Donna has also held positions in both The World Series of Poker and Grand Prix of Poker tournaments held in Las Vegas. Her experience includes traveling with Poker Cruises International, whose routes to most ports in the Caribbean and Mexico have now been taken over by Card Player Cruises and Classic Poker Cruises. She was also aboard the first "poker cruise" to England on the QE II in 1985, and worked poker tournaments in such exotic locales as Marakesh, Morocco, and Port Vila, Vanuatu.

About Mason Malmuth: Mason Malmuth was born and raised in Coral Gables, Florida. In 1973 he received his BS in Mathematics from Virginia Tech, and completed their Masters’ program in 1975. While working for the United States Census Bureau in 1978, Mason stopped overnight in Las Vegas while driving to his new assignment in California. He was immediately

Michael Craig DESCRIPTION: In 2001, a Texas billionaire descended on the high-stakes poker room at the world famous Bellagio casino in Las Vegas. Challenging some of the best players in the world, including Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Howard Lederer, and Jennifer Harman, the result was a series of unforgettable poker games, including the final showdown—a single game with a jackpot of more than 20 million dollars. Filled with vivid characters, sensational tales, and riveting human drama, this is a unique, suspenseful journey into the world of people who live on the razor's edge of fortune—where incredible wealth, or utter ruin, turns on the flip of a card.

Nolan Dalla, Peter Alson He was the Jim Morrison of the casino, a legend before he was of legal age. Stuey Ungar, the son of a Jewish bookie on Manhattan's Lower East Side, dropped out of high school to become an underground card-table sensation, eventually taking out every top gin-rummy player on the East Coast. Bankrolled by the Genovese crime family, Stuey would soon travel around the country in search of new opponents and opportunities — including poker. He would go on to win the World Series of Poker a record three times. And then his luck began to run out.

One of a Kind is the startling tale of a man who won at his game and lost control of his life. Whether tossing away his winnings at the racetrack or on a single roll of the dice, Stuey was notorious for gambling every single dollar in his pocket. Though he had won an estimated $30 million in his lifetime, Stuey had no bank account, not even a home address. He was found dead in a Vegas motel — with $800 in cash on his person, the only money he had left — at the age of forty-five.

An intimate, authorized biography — Nolan Dalla was commissioned by Stuey in 1998 to pen his story, resulting in hundreds of hours of taped interviews and conversations — One of a Kind illuminates the dark genius of one of poker's most memorable figures.

Jonathan Grotenstein, Storms Reback All In is the story of the greatest tournament in the world—-the World Series of Poker—- from its humble beginnings in 1970 as a mere gathering of Texas road gamblers to its present status as a cultural phenomenon, attracting exhaustive national television coverage, legions of fans, and thousands of players.
Professional poker players themselves, authors Jonathan Grotenstein and Storms Reback take an entertaining look at this unique experience, recounting its history through the breathtaking and sometimes brutal hands played at the Horseshoe’s tables. They introduce the colorful and seemingly fearless characters who have been lured by huge paydays—-and the chance to play against the best in the world; including the legends Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim, Stuey “The Kid” Ungar, and Chris Moneymaker.
All In is a no-limit look at the phenomenal transformation of poker from a vice hidden in shady back rooms into the hottest game on the planet. “Jonathan Grotenstein and coauthor Storms Reback, have done a remarkable job of research in writing All In.”
—-PokerMag.com

“If you’ve ever played a hand of Texas Hold’em, you won’t want to miss this book.”
—-Amarillo Slim Preston, 1972 World Series of Poker champion and author of Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People

“Almost every poker aficionado will greatly enjoy this book.”
—- Card Player magazine

“Reading this book is like having Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim, and every single one of the World Series of Poker champions over to the house for dinner, a beer, tall tales, and a fine game of No-Limit Texas Hold’em.”
—-Phil Gordon, coauthor of Poker: The Real Deal and cohost of Celebrity Poker Showdown

Anthony Holden In 1988, best-selling biographer Anthony Holden spent one year living the life of a professional poker player. His mesmerizing account of that year went on to become a classic of the genre, an inspiration to innumerable poker players and poker memoirists who followed. Big Deal is his story of days and nights in Las Vegas, Malta, and Morocco, mingling with the greats, sharpening his game, perfecting his repartee, and learning a great deal about himself in the process. Poker, Holden would insist, is a paradigm of life at its most intense, a gladiatorial contest that brings out the best as well as the worst in people. The heroes and eccentrics of the poker world stalk the pages of this remarkable book, along with all the hairraising, nail-biting excitement of the game itself.

Allan Kronzek It’s no news that cheating pervades American culture. Americans cheat on taxes, tests, sports and spouses. But the largest arena for cheating may be at the poker table! With an estimated 60-80 million Americans playing poker every week—for the highest stakes ever—you can be sure that not everyone is playing by the rules!

In this fascinating look at the card sharper’s art—from its origins in Renaissance Italy to the high-tech methods of today—sleight-of-hand and deception expert Allan Kronzek reveals 52 of the most diabolical scams ever invented. Codes and signaling systems, hidden cameras and miniature ear pieces, false cuts and shuffles, peeking and flashing, deck switches, instant stacks, marked cards, “location play,” and dozens of other devious devices are all in use today. In fact, cheating at cards may be the most under-reported crime in America.

Each chapter of 52 Ways zeroes in on a single cheating method, along with its variations and provides expert advice on how to spot and foil the scam (when possible!). You’ll learn the secrets of shade, flash, and juice— the subtlest marking systems; why cutting the cards doesn’t guarantee an honest deal, how a crooked dealer can instantly stack the flop in hold ‘em, why casino card rooms are not 100% safe, and how cheating crews crush the opposition without marked cards or sleight of hand.

Thoroughly illustrated and researched, and enlivened with a wealth of historical sidebars, 52 Ways to Cheat at Poker is essential reading for anyone who plays cards for money—or anyone interested in the ingenious ways cheats have dreamed up steal your money while appearing to do nothing at all.

Richard Marcus Do you: Ever wonder if you have been cheated at poker? Have any idea how much it goes on? Know about collusion, sleight-of-hand, marked cards and chip dumping? Cheating in poker is more common than people care to believe. Although most cheating occurs in private games that do not follow strict gaming procedures, it is also common in regulated card rooms, casinos and even online. There are many ways to cheat, some subtle, some not so subtle. Richard Marcus knows about them all. Ten years ago poker was a minority interest. The advent of online play has changed all that - poker is now big business. Millions of players play every day, both live and online. If you are one of them you will want to ensure that the games you play in are clean. This book will tell you how cheaters operate, what methods they use and how to spot them. Table of Contents: Introduction: “Why this book?” Chapter One: “Poker cheating: It’s been going on for ages and not about to stop.” Chapter Two: “The underworld of legal casino poker.” Chapter Three: “It happens here, there, everywhere.” Chapter Four: “Underneath the tournament tables.” Chapter Five: “The Underworld Series of Poker.”The granddaddy of crooked tournament play. Chapter Six: “Crooked Fingers in World Series Ring Games.” Chapter Seven: “Online-Oncrime.” Chapter Eight: “For those of you who play at home.” Beware of best friends who are your poker night enemies. Chapter Nine: “The top ten poker scams of all time.” Chapter Ten: “Where will it go from here.”

Mike Matusow, Amy Calistri, Dr Tim Lavalli Get Ready for a Wild Ride…

Hang on tight as Mike “The Mouth” Matusow, poker player extraordinaire, takes you with him on a breathtaking, true-life roller coaster ride from his humble beginnings in a trailer park to a rock and roll lifestyle full of hot women, sex, wild drug-filled parties and million-dollar wins and losses. Yet behind the glamour and glory of his high-stakes poker career lurked the flip side: a person torn between two debilitating mental illnesses?—?bipolar disorder and ADHD. To dig himself out of depression and suicidal despair, Matusow turned to dangerous street drugs to self-medicate a problem he didn’t understand, and spiraled deeper into the darker world of addiction, police narcotic stings, and jail time.

In this revealing and tumultuous autobiography, the combustible Matusow holds nothing back. You’ll get a mouthful of the man behind the infamous Matusow Meltdowns seen on national TV.

Riveting, exhilarating, sexy, sometimes shocking and always fascinating, this voyeur’s look into the world of high-stakes poker, mental illness, and ultimately, Matusow’s inspiring redemption, will keep you glued to your seat until the very last page!

James McManus In 2000, novelist and poet James McManus was sent to Las Vegas, innocently enough, by Harper's magazine to write a story about the World Series of Poker held annually at Binion's Horseshoe. But then, as so often happens on trips to Sin City, something kind of ... happened. Rather than becoming an objective report, McManus's article evolved into a memoir as he put his entire advance on the line, got lucky with his cards and won a spot in the competition, and came much closer than anyone expected to winning the darn thing. The result, Positively Fifth Street, is just as dazzling, exciting, and disturbing as Vegas itself.

McManus details his battles not only against his opponents but also against "Bad Jim," the portion of his own personality that needs to get in on a poker game in spite of both common and fiscal sense. Besides telling his own story, he relates the considerably more unpleasant tale of Ted Binion, whose grisly death was blamed on Binion's former stripper-girlfriend and her ex-linebacker beau. In the hands of a lesser author, the pursuit of these separate through lines of poker and the seedy personal lives of wealthy casino heirs may have lead readers to wish the author had picked just one subject. But under McManus's careful watch, they're really pretty similar: steeped in adrenaline, mystery, deception, and skating on thrillingly thin ice. Each story underscores the other, a neat little "narrative as metaphor" device, while also painting a vivid picture of Vegas casino life. Poker, as anyone who has lost at it will tell you, is an intricate game and it's nice to see a top-notch author and player relate its finer points in an entertaining style that will appeal even to non-players. The author's hilariously self-aware and at times self-loathing style make Positively Fifth Street a fun read. But beyond that, his account of nearly winning the biggest poker tournament in the world and subsequently watching as the verdicts are announced for Binion's accused murderers makes for a great story. Even if it wasn't the one he was sent there to write. —John Moe

Kelli Mix The Game Day Poker Almanac Official Rules of Poker is the poker rulebook of the Poker Almanac brand of poker reference books. The rulebook is one of the most complete set of poker rules ever published. Chapters include the Elements of Poker, Robert's Rules of Poker, the Poker Tournament Directors Association Rules, the World Series of Poker Rules, Poker Etiquette, and an extensive Glossary. Includes index and six illustrations. The author, Kelli Mix, is a professional poker player and plays in various top-rated poker tournaments around the United States. The Game Day Poker Almanac is an annual almanac of poker-related information, and is also a series of poker reference books.

Chris Moneymaker In 2004 the number of entrants — and the winning pool — at the World Series of Poker tripled, thanks in large part to Chris Moneymaker, an amateur player who came out of nowhere to win the 2003 Series, and prove to newcomers and poker pros alike that anything is possible with a chip and a chair.

Moneymaker was a young accountant from Tennessee who loved to gamble but only took up cards after college. Three years later he was playing a $40 game of online Texas Hold 'Em and won a coveted seat at the 2003 World Series of Poker. Borrowing money to get to Las Vegas, he entered his first real-time tournament and spent the next four days battling for a top spot at the final table.

Filled with everything from his early gambling ventures to a play-by-play of his major hands at the World Series of Poker, Moneymaker is a gripping, fast-paced story for anyone who has ever dreamed of winning it big.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb