The Only Way To Play It by Peter Alson is set against the backdrop of the NYC's underground poker world circa 2010-11. Brian Koppelman says about it: "Here is the poker novel I've been waiting years for someone to write. It doesn't just feel true. It is."

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Rounders?

Here's what one reviewer said:

"Fans of the poker movie Rounders have been clamoring for a sequel for years.

One reason for the film’s continued popularity is its depiction of New York City underground poker, circa the late 1990s. With scenes in clubs based on the famous Mayfair and others, the film provides a detailed look at the games’ atmosphere and some of the characters who populated them.

There are some great hands, too.

While Rounders 2 seems unlikely any time soon, Peter Alson’s new poker novel The Only Way to Play It should more than satisfy in the meantime. Partly set in those same NYC poker clubs, Alson’s novel smartly interweaves several intense poker sessions with a domestic drama involving a struggling artist trying to balance card-playing with family obligations.

It’s a page-turner. Poker players and gamblers alike will enjoy how Alson invites the reader to contemplate the difficult decisions his central character is forced to make, both in the hands he plays and when he is away from the tables."