I'm looking to pick up another "fun" poker book. I have read Poker Nation and Hunting Fish so far and am reading Big Deal.

A book that chronicles the author's poker-related adventures with an upbeat tempo that might include some humor in it would be what I am looking for.

Any suggestions?

"My 50 Most Memorable Hands" by Doyle Brunson was an awesome read. It's pretty short as I must have made 2 quick visits to a bookstore to finish but it was well worth it.

Ghosts at the Table, was a good read.

Professor, Banker... was very good. It was that book that made me fall in love with Jen Harmon.

She was willing to check herself out of the hospital and play Andy Beal head's up for $10M while hooked up to a dialysis machine. And Andy was in fear for his bankroll. That chick's hard core.

Poker Wisdom of a Champion, currently in print as According to Doyle, was fun not so much for the poker strategy but for the folksy tales of life as a Texas road gambler.

Positively Fifth Street was a good read, but sometimes McManus just has toxic levels of self-absorption. He entered the WSOP ME using someone else's money, made the final table and came in 5th. Then he went to the Spearmint Rhino, got a lap dance and started wondering if this counted as cheating on his wife.

For Christ's sake! He was in Vegas, had a new pile of money and a good reason to celebrate. There are hundreds of stories just like that every year in Vegas. Any story that doesn't end with a kilo of cocaine and a dead teenage prostitute just isn't worth repeating.

phydaux's recommendations are all good.

One other book I enjoyed was Matt Matros book - The Making of a Poker Player.

Just a chronicle of how he got into poker and a few lessons along the way.

I'll put in a recommendation for moneymaker's book..........

also, big deal and bigger deal aren't bad.......

not sure it's fun, but stu unger biography is fascinating.

"Aces and Kings" is a great read. Compilation of articles about poker players. One on Chip Reese is exceptional. In the middle of "Take Me to the River" which is interesting document of a personal journey at the 2005 WSOP. Also "Poker Face" by Katy Lederer gives an interesting account of a girlhood among gamblers. Katy being the sister of Howard and Annie Duke. Kind of depressing though.

Pure fiction, but you gotta read shut up and deal by jesse may

"The Poker World According to Cinch" for humor and entertainment. Guaranteed to fit the bill. Disclaimer: it's mine.

GBS review:

Dave Cinch is a clever writer so steeped in poker culture that he is beginning to embody it as “Poker’s Journalist.” You’ll be treated to some ferocious book-writing chops as Cinch covers the poker scene in such hilarious pieces as “March of the Donkeys,” "Shark Attack," and “Church of the Latter Day Suckers.” Unforgettable real-life characters from Cinch’s poker travels include Notorious D.U.G., Marijuana Slim, Fraulein Omaha, Mr. Fudge Sickle – and many, many more. His infectious voice and over-the-top shtick guarantee some delightful moments for the reader. Entertainment is the name of the game in this one, and Cinch delivers the goods. Don’t miss it. 225 pages, paperbound, 2008.

The Rogues' Game by Milton Burton is an excellent work of fiction with a poker sub-plot.

King of a Small World by Rick Bennet is damn fine too.

not so good as the first book, but still inspiring.

I didn't enjoy reading Positively Fifth Street. McManus seemed incredibly full of himself. I got the impression that he was trying to write another Inferno. He referenced it endlessly. For what the book was, I think he over-flexed his vocabulary.

Professor, Banker... was a VERY good book. Great entertainment that I didn't want to put down. It's a little insight into the world surrounding the Big Game. Always fascinating to read more about that.

Big Deal was a good read. It wasn't as exciting as Professor but still worth it.

Not a poker book, but if you enjoy the "atmosphere" of poker books, I highly recommend Bringing Down the House. I love reading about casinos and the general lifestyle that comes with Vegas. They recently remade it into a movie, but I haven't seen it.

I couldn't find your book on Amazon.

David Hayano's Poker Faces is a sociological view of the LA card room environment pre-hold 'em. Though Poker Faces" is intended to be academic it is very readable, holds many insights and has a lot of color.

In the universe of non-strategy poker books Poker Faces can deservedly be considered a classic and well worth the read.

Another real wild card entry is God Wants You to Roll. This isn't a poker book, but the card rooms of LA play a supporting roll in a story about the "Miracle Car" scam where two teenagers fleeced thousands of people, most were highly religious church goers, for tens of millions of dollars. One of the two con artists became a legendary (and highly abusive) pai gow high roller in the LA rooms and parts of the story touch on this aspect. About forty pages into this 300 page book you expect the whole thing to unravel yet the two protagonists and a handful of associates stretch the thing out for years.

The story is bizarre, fascinating, true and unresolved. The two guys both went to prison for twenty plus years each without fully explaining how the scam worked or where the remaining money is.

Is it not the reverse, that the book is currently in print as Poker Wisdom Of A Champion? I read it years ago, late 80s. It was called According To Doyle then. You are right it is a great read and does have some general lessons for the poker player but is all about the stories.

The Education Of A Poker Player is a fantastic read. It was published in the late 50s and created a generation of players. It is a number of poker stories revolving around particular types of poker. For example, the author Herbert O Yardley was a cryptologist and was working in China prior to WWII and whilst there he taught someone lowball so you get a lot about his time in China and a lesson in lowball. All the games it covers would now be thought non-standard: Jacks or better with the bug, five stud, seven card stud, lowball, deuces wild draw and many others. It is a hell of a read...

On line at Gambler's Book Shop, Cinch Publications, and Gambling Incorporated. I probably should mainstream it because it has appeal to the multitudes of recreational/casual players, admittedly more so at times than to pros seeking strategy/instructional advice. Self-published but don't pre-judge on that basis, and I do like tough critics.

Cinch

Cinch, I will be picking up a copy of your book from the Gambler's Book Shop within the next couple of days .



Thanks,

Max

"Winning secrets of poker" by Peter Fornatale is a very enjoyable read. I purchased it after it came highly recommended by Ed Miller at his NPA site and I would say is one of the most enjoyable poker books I've ever read. Professor, Banker is also very good as many posters have already said. Also, "Play poker like the pros" by Phil Hellmuth is actually very entertaining in the way it's written although a lot of the advice is ridiculous.

Winner Takes All by Christina Binkley is a new book out chronicalling Kirkorian, Adelson, Wynn and Loveman in their battle to control Vegas (and also the history behind each of them). Recommend.

Be ready for anything, dude. That's fair warning.

Is it a strange, erotic journey from Milan to Minsk?

Not quite, but "strange journey" captures it perfectly - so thanks for posting.

I had to google that phrase to see what you meant. Funny, I never saw a single episode of Seinfeld. Was it good? lol.

I have to say that Foucault gave it a brutal review on here, but even in so doing, he made major concessions to the material, imo. And his is the only less than flattering review so far. Anyway, no big deal. I realize this audience is easily my toughest sell, which becomes self-explanatory in the book.

[I]How to Dominate $1 and $2 No Limit Hold 'Em[I] by Sam O'Connor has advice for novice players and some solid discussion for middle players.

But the part that everyone seems to agree on, are the stories. Several, all good, some better.

The price at Amazon and at the 2 plus 2 store have been greatly reduced, making buying it just for the stories quite worth it.

The Prof, Banker... is a outstanding read. Ted Forrest will be a God to you after reading this book.

I still say Jen Harmon is the hero of the book.

But yeah, Ted made a sick play early in that book.