Poker Narrative/Fiction

"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." - Amazon Editor Review

A large portion of this 1983 volume initially appeared in The New Yorker as a series of sketches of the cardsharps who annually descend on Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker. The players make for interesting portraits, and Alvarez lets them have their say. Anyone interested in gaming will enjoy this, but others might as well. -Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

You may recognize the author from his commentary during many of the recent ESPN poker games including the two game all-star elimination poker event with the likes of Doyle Brunson and Howard Lederer.

"With this magnificent work, Konik cements his role as dean of the world's gambling writers." --Detroit Free Press