I am currently putting the finishing touches on a book that has the 2014 One Drop, which I covered live, at its center. Interspersed with photos from the tournament and a play-by-play strategic account are background stories on everything from the Macau Big Game to the Ivey-Negreanu prop bet. I am posting this a couple weeks before I plan to have the book up and ready, in case anyone has some comments on the approach I took, or would like to give feedback.

As a taste of the project, I have put together a simple website.

http://averydarkgame.******.com

I feel particularly motivated to get the facts and stories right because I just picked up a literary agent for my mystery-thriller set in Japan, Arisugawa Park. So, although I don't expect to generate many sales from the poker book in the short term, this four month project may be discovered by the general public in a year or two. Better get it right the first time, I figure.

Cool... I was hoping that this timely book would not generate any waves on 2+2, which tends to be pretty critical, and it doesn't seem to be No news is good news.

I have to say the title seems pretty terrible. Why?

It's the Colman quote everyone remembers from his win from that particular One Drop tournament. So it seemed memorable, as well as historically appropriate––if you came back to the book in 10 years, it would help center the narrative on a specific time and place in poker.

It does not describe my particular take on poker, but it does inform the book. I spend a good couple chapters looking at the Colman/media controversy and how poker might be perceived in positive and negative ways.

I'd hate to berate someone's hard work, but I truly dislike the title. Poker is a great game - not a dark one. People abusing eachothers trust is what's dark. And then practially anything involving large sums of money would be a dark business since cheaters, fraudsters and degenerates are found in all walks of life.

True hm... It's just that sometimes you find a title gift wrapped for you. I'm a mystery thriller writer as well, so a bit on dark side.

The title is horrible for the game of poker and as a poker player you should have more respect for the game. Why in the world would you want to publish a book with that title unless you hate poker? Do you ghost write for Newsweek too?

What exactly are you trying to accomplish by bringing the "dark side of the game" to light? Everyone that needs to know about it already knows and the rest of the fish/public/media/etc doesn't need to know. It's really no darker than anything else in the world. Everything has it's dark side and everything has it's bright side.

Not to put you down but as poker player I think this book is a horrible idea especially the title. I'm guessing it's just rehashed information that you have found on various websites and probably most of it coming from 2+2. Have you actually gone out and done investigative research or are you just retelling information already known?

You're title is just absurd. "A Very Dark Game - Poker's Million Dollar Tournament" ....you say it is a very dark game (clear in your title) and reference the One Drop (million dollar tournament) but the One Drop has raised 13 million for charity since 2012. Poker may have dark aspects of the game but there is also many positive things about it as well.

Luckily your other books haven't exactly been best sellers or even sellers so we probably won't have to worry about this one becoming a best seller either.

Also correct me if I'm wrong but aren't you supposed to have permission to use those photos on your page? You wouldn't want someone stealing your books and republishing them so what makes it ok for you to use someone else's photos? The majority of them also look terrible because you are using low resolution images and are making them bigger.

They are my photos. I covered the tournament. Guess you didn't look at the site, or you would know that. Nice to see some opinionated comments coming through.

The book is kind of a literature review of various media forms, just reflecting what is fairly known already. I don't break any super controversial stories, and that is not my aim. It's mixed with my own firsthand observations covering the three days of One Drop. A lot of my own take on the strategy in play. Because this really interests me. I have an entire chapter on Guy and the charity, which is pretty positive. A Very Dark Game is a conversational topic throughout, not an opinion. I think it is valid, as it's a theme that generated much debate. So it has value as a topic to explore. My novel just found a respected agent after 10 years in the works. I'm obv not in the writing business for the money.

Don't listen to the haters dude.

The title is good.

People who know anything about poker will instantly pick up on the event and the situation that you are referring too.

Those who don't know will know after reading your book (I presume).

Its attention grabbing for those not in the know, and clearly brings outs people opinions.

Maybe these people would be happier if your title was:

--------------------
"A very Dark Game" - Poker's Million Dollar Tournament
--------------------

They would then realise it was a quote and not your opinion. (But probably still hate).

(just checked the website, def look at getting the cover redone. I didn't even realise it was supposed to be the cover image at first. I'd be looking to have a photo of Coleman (as the title of the book is from his quote). But make the title bigger and easier to read. If you want a hand with the cover let me know, I'm swamped with work for the next week - 2 weeks but will definitely give you a hand at no cost. You can check amazon and search for home poker pro to see the 2 covers I have done.

thanks, definitely could use a partner on the design side.

I'm gonna share a little more about the life of a writer/poker enthusiast. I don't want to be a pro, I have no aspirations in that direction. There is still a little too much Trickett in me, his original vision was football, mine writing. Esfandiari's magic.

Dark Colman. Deep Negreanu. Phrases like these are what keeps me interested in poker, cause I like writing that stands the test of time.

This is probably my only book on poker, so I just write it once to pass the time.

I am an adventurer in poker, and I like the fact that in this era there still are adventures in poker. Like a slow boat up the Mississippi, like silver mining town Nevada saloon. Adventureland. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

This is what is part of a full comfortable existence. That I choose.

Poker, writing, what's not to like?

Here is a little excerpt. This is my level of immersion.

"The ever voluble Negreanu gives a well-reasoned response to Daniel Colman’s views in a Poker Journal article published in early July. He notes that, despite rumors of “run-ins” with other poker players, “the banter between him and I has always been friendly.” As he recounts it, at the end of the One Drop, Colman approached him and told him he wasn’t comfortable doing any interviews. “I asked him why, and he said that most people lose at poker and he doesn't want to promote something that has a negative effect on peoples lives. There is some nobility in that.”

Negreanu concedes that Colman has a fundamentally valid point of view. “Most of you reading this will be lifetime losers at poker. You are unlikely to become successful professional poker players. It is available to all of you, and some of you will find success at the tables, but the truth is clear: most of you will fail. Sucks huh? It's the truth and he is right about that.” He compares the dream of being a top-tier poker player to that of the high school NFL hopeful who bulks up to 350 pounds in order to increase his chances of being drafted - despite the poor odds of making a living at football and the possibly life-threatening health consequences of this decision.

Ultimately, Negreanu finds fault with Colman’s reasoning because “it's difficult to take the position he does and actually still profit from the game and the weaker players he exploits. I'm assuming when he plays heads-up sit n' gos online, he doesn't inform his opponent that he is a professional and they are likely to lose the match.” While admitting that the “seedy underbelly” Colman writes about exists, Negreanu writes “That's not all poker is. At least not from the lenses I look through. One Drop collected a group of wealthy men for a fun poker tournament, but the bigger picture? $4.6 million raised for a cause. MAKING A DIFFERENCE! All through a game we all love to play.” He notes that, while gambling addiction is a serious problem, the majority of people with problem gambling habits gravitate toward “instant gratification games like slot machines rather than a game of wits like poker.” Negreanu now gets to his central point:

Daniel [Colman] opened his statement with ‘I don't owe poker anything.’ No, I guess not, but I would look at it differently Daniel: GRATITUDE! Being thankful that you found a game you both love to play and are also good enough so that you can make a life for yourself. You don't owe poker anything, sure, but poker has given you a lot. The camera crew filming the event, the dealers, floor staff, Caesars, the WSOP, ESPN, PokerStars.com for giving you an opportunity to support yourself, the players that came before you and did spend time promoting a game you would have likely never heard about. You don't owe poker, or me personally anything, much like when a waitress brings your order, you don't owe her a tip or even a thank you. It's just a gracious custom, much like doing a winner’s interview...

Negreanu finishes by conceding that he has quite a different view of life now (approaching 40) than when he was 24 and applauds Colman for “wanting to live his life with a higher consciousness.” So basically, as usual, Negreanu has it both ways––conceding the validity of Colman’s opinion while presenting his own take on the issue. Although I cannot find anything wrong with Negreanu’s views, there seems to me to be a certain element of “getting on the high horse” that is not quite in proportion with Colman’s original sin.

Not to bump myself, but the thread has generated a nice buzz, including an invitation to be on the syndicated radio program House Of Cards, talking about the book. Details to come. I have so far hung out with Nate Dowland on his various shows (Beyond the Grind/Big Ass Poker Show) which is fun in a semi-dystopian basement hang sesh sort of way. And educational. I learned how not to play a double-gutter J-10 on a K high board against A-K.

Had a 2+2 veteran poster who is reading the full manuscript give some encouraging feedback:

"Just letting you know that I'm about 60% through the book and I'm impressed so far. It's more wide-ranging than I expected and is actually quite riveting. All the stuff about Macau etc is more interesting than the One Drop itself in my opinion, and it's great that the info is up to date. You've certainly done your research. "

I hafta say that 2+2 community has been a big support in this endeavor.

I'll be posting links to hidden site content on this thread in next couple weeks, just to try out material from the book.

Wonder how Negreanu is going to react to being called voluble.

He will react volubly?

Lol @ what's good for the game. I always hate it when people talk this way.

Just write your book and publish it. What's bad for the game is hiding the darker parts of it Just bring it all to light. People are still going to play and there'll always be plenty of gambling addicts that professionals can take money from to keep them happy.

Yes, it is a dark game.

I love the title. It's delusional to think this game doesn't have a dark side.

Things I like, based on what I've seen: The book is written by a professional writer who (presumably) has no axe to grind. It looks to be well written, which is by no means a certainty in poker literature. The writer is detached, i.e., not a pro writing about other pros.

A poster higher up in this thread seemed quite pleased that the writer's other titles haven't sold well. Have a nice day.

I see it differently. The writer has two books on Amazon. These titles show me a writer who seems to be knowledgeable, free-spirited and outside the usual poker sphere. These are good qualifications for writing an insightful book. I look forward to it.

+2

Just had a really interesting four-hour convo with Brian Rast looking at specific hands, etc. Much of what I thought I knew is in shreds.

I find your lack of shame ... impressive. I mean after all, this is really just a shameless self promotion. You even managed to drop the name of your other book (which sounds like it has nothing to do with poker) into the OP along with a link to your website for a book that doesn't even exist yet.

I understand the title. From a sales point of view the title makes perfect sense; however, I hope you clarify the context by using the entire quote. Just two sentences before that quote Colman is saying that even he's conflicted.

I do wish you would use a little restraint. 4 posts in a row ( 3 self-bumps) in over 75 hours is excessive and classless. You could learn a lot from an excerpt from Robert Kiyosaki's book Rich Dad, Poor Dad (its a book about money management). In it he relates a conversation he had with a woman who was interviewing him. He basically says that she asked him for advice about writing. He reached out and pointed to the top of his book and said something like: What does it say at the top of my book? It doesn't say, "best writing author." It says, "best selling author."
What I'm saying here is that you seem like a salesman. As a salesman you should consider your over exposure here. Trust me, you are over exposed. I'm not a grammar nazi and I would normally never bust somebodies chops about their sentence structure in an online forum; nor would I say that bad English skills necessarily make you a bad writer. However, I would say that you should be ashamed; if not for this sleazy self promotion, then for butchering the English language in the same thread you talk about being a writer:

I understand that this is just an online forum; but as a, "writer" you should be embarrassed by your poor representation of the English language. These weren't even close to all of the mistakes. My college English Composition professor would want to kill you. Your sentence structure is a complete joke. F-

Where's the *EPIC FACE PALM* button?

p.s. Have you ever heard of a semi-colon? You should also try to learn all of the appropriate uses of the comma. The excerpt you provided is rife with comma splices.

I feel ashamed.

Sorry. Maybe I was a little harsher than I'd originally intended. I just saw all the bumps without anyone else responding in between and kind of went off. My bad. I did feel like I should come back and say that the other parts of your book actually looked kind of interesting and I should admit that it is a good topic for a book. Also, your sentence structure in the book isn't bad like some of your posts on here are.

See this is why I have guilt issues with poker; I always feel bad afterward. Kind of ironic ITT. Thank God the dealers won't let me give chips back after a cooler.

That excerpt is just a summary/ light rewording of Negreanu's article, right? I guess that's acceptable as part of a larger work, but it seems like an odd thing to present as your one excerpt here.

As for the title, without caring at all about some "good for poker" argument, my first thought was that this was a work about cheating, stealing, and all of the other 'dark' aspects of the game.

Good observations.

I posted the excerpt really just to make it clear (based on a couple previous posts) that I do fully present Negreanu's point of view in the book, as one shared by many of those who enjoy and support poker. I fully quote Colman's mini-essay as well for balance. I take two full chapters to look at the players' and media's reactions to the One Drop.

The book is much more than quotes, but I am not shy about using carefully referenced source materials, as these give a true flavor of the subject matter. It is a delicate balance between interjecting my own point of view and letting others speak. Sometimes I see my purpose as connecting disparate dots. I do give editorial perspective, but I try not to make it too overt. If people are not interested, I suppose they will not buy the book.

This is a big experiment for me, to see if self publishing is viable. I have been knocking on the publishing doors for so long as a writer and getting no response, I feel I have nothing to lose. The mystery writers conference scholarship/agent thing all came together a month after I began this project and was a complete surprise.

I feel I have some valuable insights and, moreover, skills in weaving a fairly complex narrative in an interesting way. I do think about live poker on a fairly deep level. In the tournament strategy sections I let loose a bit more and give an "armchair" view of the strategies, as I see them.

The title is a bit dark, there is an element of that, but it is not a focus. I must admit that as a kid, one of my favorite books was Walter Brown Gibson's 1946 classic The Bunco Book (Gambler's book shelf). I will say unequivocally, that my book is not that type of "mechanics" focused expose.

Minor bump:

Just wanted to let everyone know that I have decided to delay release of AVDG until mid-February, as I want it to be its very best––not a quickie in any way (except the actual time spent constructing it).

Have brought a very competent editor and publicist on board, and am also working with an illustrator (insanely cool double faced card-back designs) and a German translator. This is definitely the brave new world of self-publishing and anything is possible.

I am now involved in the laborious process of transferring the entire book from Apple's Pages to InDesign (Pages 5.0 is a new curse word in my lexicon).