[jamby]

I'm a big fan of biographies and other real life poker stories. Much of the discussion in this forum is relative to instructional books so thought it might be fun to have a recommended list of good books that are not for the most part instructional in nature, but do impart good poker information and most of all good story telling.

Loved The Professor, the Banker and the Suicide King, Big Deal, Positively Fifth Street and The Only Game in Town. One of a Kind, Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People and How I Raised... (Annie Duke's story) were also good reads.

Am currently reading Take Me To The River and preparing to read Bigger Deal, Hunting Fish, Outplaying the Boys and Aces and Kings.

What else have you all enjoyed or not enjoyed that falls into these categories?

[nelohalo]

Maybe I should read posts more closely.

You've read what I've read.

[Pvt. Joker2244]

Hunting Fish was a good read in my opinion. I liked hearing someone give their impressions of different poker rooms (under and above ground), poker players, different games, limits, bankrolls, upswings, and frustations in navigating the poker community. I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking this crazy stuff when I walk into a card room.

[Couga]

I LOVED Positively Fifth Street. Also According to Doyle is a good read. I am trying to get thru Helmuth's Bad Beats and Lucky Draws... It is painful. The arrogance is just seeping out of that book. Often times he ends paragraphs with "Congrats to (enter well known pro here) for winning (enter event name and year here)," It sounds so condesending.

Also when reading the book it is hard not to put the tone in his "They misunderstand the game soooo badly" or "... if it wasn't for luck I'd win every one" because that is the way he looks at poker. EVERYONE is lucky if they beat him, even the great players. I'm sorry for going off here but it is like the respect he gives to anyone is fake.

Great thread though. I love these types of books as well.

- Couga

[Big Mike]

I very much enjoyed The Biggest Game in Town by A. Alvarez. A great old-school look at poker in Vegas - follows the action of the 1981 WSOP.

[EasilyFound]

Biggest Game In Town is, of course, fabulous. Did not care for the crime plot in Positively 5th Street, but enjoyed the poker plot. Another book not mentioned in this thread, I don't think, is the Stu Ungar bio "One of A Kind." Did not grab me.

[guinness]

I've read this twice. I personally love the crash and burn mentality so this appealed to me. You have to understand the author was with Stu for the last couple years of his life to do this biography and it just happened to be that Stu passed away in the end of that relationship so all the content in this book is first hand. The Mob ties, the high stakes Gin games, his inability to do common life skills as an adult due to his upbringing actually drew me in bigtime.

Amazon.com: One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey "The Kid" Ungar, The World's Greatest Poker Player: Nolan Dalla, Mike Sexton: Books

[Pvt. Joker2244]

There seems to be a recent flourish of "poker themed" fiction novels. I've come across them on different bookkseller sites but haven't pulled the trigger on any. I wish I could remember some titles but to add on the theme of the OP, has anyone read some books of those genre as well?

[jamby]

Agreed and am also seeing a number of them. I made the mistake of reading Vince Van Patten's The Picasso Flop. What a waste of time.

Originally Posted by Pvt. Joker2244

There seems to be a recent flourish of "poker themed" fiction novels....has anyone read some books of those genre as well?

[Wooly1]

I have read quite a few really like "poker wisdom of a champion" (doyle brunson) not really instructional more anecdotal... but I think my fav so far was "The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King" by Micheal Craig... very interesting and intruiging read.. I would def recommend it!!!