Neal Gersony private messaged me a few weeks ago and asked me to do an unbiased review on Poker Slam, his new novel. I received the book a few days ago and I was enthusiastic about reading it - but I did not come in with high hopes. Poker Slam turned out to be an edge-of-your-seat page-turner for me. As a matter of fact, I finished reading the entire 236-page novel in one day. I am a relatively accomplished poker player who is a sophomore at the University of Texas.

Poker Slam is indeed fiction, but so majestically told that it comes to life. Gersony's characterization and unorthodox style truly makes this book a wonderful read. His smooth implementation of poker content mixes in with his undeniable life-lessons told throughout.

One of my favorite quotes from the book comes from page 183 and shows a third-person view of the protagonist who is currently down on his luck: "He was happy. Happier, in fact, than he had ever been before. It occurred to him that he was no different than every other living, breathing being on this earth. We live. We exist. In the end, all of us are alone under our own skin. Happiness does not come from the outside. It can only come from the inside. From the heart. From the mind. From the soul. He understood..." Amidst utter rock-bottom - or in poker terms at the crescent of our downswing - we must keep on keepin' on. Happiness is a choice. We choose our destiny.

Gersony throws his fair share of curve-balls and concocts an impressive plot that only thickens as the story progresses. One excellent one-liner that I enjoyed - without spoiling the story - was when the protagonist is perplexed with what to believe, with what is real. The other character responds: "You don't [know what to believe]. But you're well on your way to becoming a truly fine poker player" (232).

A tidbit from Gersony's integration of poker-wisdom includes: "You do the best you can and you let the chips fall." Poker is a lot like life. You do all that you can with what you can control and you don't let the uncontrollable aspect of life control you. Being results oriented is the downfall of many great minds. Poker - like life - is all about the longterm. Gersony closes Poker Slam with the perfect ending.

Gersony truly hits a slam-dunk with Poker Slam. I will definitely be re-reading this book down the road and I whole-heartedly recommend putting it on your must read list. Poker Slam is an inspiring read that is, in my heart, an instant classic.


This was an unbiased review by Max Langley. I received no compensation or instructions on doing the review. To inquire about having your poker book reviewed, private message me or e-mail trevormlangley@gmail.com.

[ ] This review was helpful

Just to let people who are interested know; the first two chapters are available for free on PokerSlamU.com. There is a pdf and two audio files as well. Thanks for the input. I look forward to hearing more and if I can answer any questions . . . let me know.

I, too, found Poker Slam to be a page-turning, enjoyable read. I was reading another book at the time, but once I started Poker Slam, I finished it in less than 24 hours. I am a fan of Broke, by Brandon Adams, and of some other poker fiction works, too. I would rate Poker Slam as well worth your time to read . . . it might be the perfect book to take on a plane to your next poker trip.

Neal Gersony’s Poker Slam is a novel about an aspiring professional poker player trying to track down his legendary uncle, who won millions in the world’s biggest tournaments and then disappeared. Great fiction it isn’t, but once the book gathers steam, it’s a fast-paced and engaging mystery flavored by the game of poker.

It takes the author a while to engage his readers. This isn’t to say the book starts slow. In fact, the exposition often feels clunky and rushed. But it takes a while for the central conflict and mystery to reveal themselves, and Gersony’s characters are too flat to carry the weight of the novel alone.

Utah’s introduction to the poker scene is one of the highlights of the book. In backrooms of bars and in Las Vegas casinos, he meets a variety of very believable poker archetypes: the motorcycle-riding hothead, the grizzled Stud veteran, and the drugged out young star.

It is only in these all-too-brief scenes that the poker content feels germane to the rest of the novel. For the most part, the story would work just as well whether the main characters were poker players or interior designers. Poker is mostly just a veneer beneath which the plot unfolds. Only at the very end does the author draw some thematic connection between poker and the events of the story.

This may be for the best, though, because Gersony’s writing far outshines his knowledge of poker. At times he has a keen eye for the people who populate the game, but his attempts to portray the thinking of world-class players are laughably bad. In the interstitial scenes recounting their epic head up battle, two of the supposedly best players in the world display complete ignorance of basic concepts like pot odds. These scenes contribute virtually nothing to the plot or character development and are generally jarring and distracting given their infidelity to actual poker strategy.

Poker Slam is an entertaining adventure despite, not because of, its connection to poker. If you want a quick diversion, it’s an amusing read. But don’t pick it up looking for a poker novel, because for the most part it isn’t, and when it is, you’ll wish it wasn’t.

Oh dear. I was going to look forward to it too.

As a very avid poker player I highly recommend giving Poker Slam a read.

The thought-processes are a little off, but it does not kill the flow of the novel. The novel is very entertaining and once you pick it up you won't put it back down until you read the final sentence .

[x] good book

We have a few copies at the store. Link

Thanks to all reviewers. Glad to hear all kinds of candid opinions. Keep em coming. But I wanted to also let everyone know that Poker Slam is now available on iTunes. (It may be the only poker novel available in audio format.) So I hope you listen or read and decide for yourself.

Or give me your opinion in person. I can be found playing at most major tournaments.

Could you give some examples of this?

Anyhow, Neal, out of curiosity did you do the voice over yourself, or hire someone?

I hired a professional. His name is Rich Brennan. Did you listen to the sample?

[x] enjoyed it.