Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

Hello,

I just finished "One of a kind" the rise and fall of Stu ungar. I just couldn´t stop reading. Its very well written and highly entertaining. Can you recommend similar books? Some kind of biography of great players?

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

I liked "Aces and Kings"

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showfl...=0#Post11512713

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

I couldnt put down OAK as well. Sad part while reading was already knowing how it ended.

These are not in the same vain but for some entertaining reading mixed with the strategy, Phil Gordon's Little Green and Little Blue book are good as well as How to Dominate $1-$2 No-Limit Hold'em.

Phil Hellmuth's Bad Beats and Luck Draws is available on Amazon's Marketplace for a penny plus shipping. - Story books generally dont sell well. linky [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

I'm not a big fan of Amarillo slim, but his book (life in a world full of fat people) was pretty entertaining. Also Katy Ledderer wrote a book (sister of Howard and Annie) it's called 'Poker Face' it was very well written.

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

Agreed, one of a kind was excelent.

I found Doyle's book "poker wisdom of a campion" quite enjoyable. Many stories from the old days.
"The professor, the banker and the suicide king" was also a good read.

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

[ QUOTE ]
I found Doyle's book "poker wisdom of a campion" quite enjoyable. Many stories from the old days.
"The professor, the banker and the suicide king" was also a good read.

[/ QUOTE ]

Both very true. I always enjoyed Doyle's down home, folksy tales of life as a Texas road gambler.

And "Professor, Banker" left me with two things stuck in my mind. First, that Jen Harmon is totally an ass-kickin', world class poker player. She's much more the hero of the story than Howard or Doyle. Second, I wish more billionairs were both poker players and degenerate gamblers. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

"That's it. I'm quitting poker forever."

"Sorry to hear that, Andy. See you in two weeks."

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

For starters:Shut up and deal

The prop

I have a spreadsheet with about 300 poker books, I'll post a link once I get my server up again [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

[ QUOTE ]
Hello,

I just finished "One of a kind" the rise and fall of Stu ungar. I just couldn´t stop reading. Its very well written and highly entertaining. Can you recommend similar books? Some kind of biography of great players?

[/ QUOTE ]

You should read "Take Me To The River". It's from the same author as the Stuey book, Peter Alson. It's his story about being in Las Vegas for the entire 2005 WSOP. It covers the whole Las Vegas poker experience during the WSOP. He also talks about friends of his, one of whom is Shaniac. He gets a good amount of coverage.

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

"Hunting Fish" by Jay Greenspan was great.
"Amarillo Slim In A World Full Of Fat People" by Amarillo Slim Preston was awesome aswell.

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

"The Biggest Game In Town" by A Alvarez is a must read.

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

Perhaps not entertaining but a very interesting read is "Swimming with the Devilfish" by Des Wilson.

People in the US maybe unaware of this book since it is about the UK poker scene but I'm sure if people want a change of scenery then they will enjoy this book.

A lot of the book is focussed on Dave "Devilfish" Ulliot but there are some good stories of the underground poker games that were played in the UK before it was introduced to Casinos.

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

Third vote for Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People, top stuff.

Also, no one has mentioned Antony Holden's first poker book Big Deal?? One of the best non-strategy poker books out there IMHO, about a year spent as a professional player and playing the WSOP, with plenty of anecdotes about the players. It's a few years old but is fascinating, it's what got me into poker in the first place. He's also got a new one out (called, imaginatively enough, A Bigger Deal) - I haven't read that one yet, I'm sure it's also excellent though.

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

Thanks guys for the recommendations!

I already read big deal and shut up and deal.

Ordered: Swimming with the devilfish, the biggest game in town, amarillo slim in a world full of fat people and "the professor, the banker and the suicide king.

To appease my bad conscience i bought the new NL book...

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

[ QUOTE ]
And "Professor, Banker" left me with two things stuck in my mind. First, that Jen Harmon is totally an ass-kickin', world class poker player. She's much more the hero of the story than Howard or Doyle. Second, I wish more billionairs were both poker players and degenerate gamblers. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

"That's it. I'm quitting poker forever."

"Sorry to hear that, Andy. See you in two weeks."

[/ QUOTE ]

It's a very good book. A+. In my opinion Ted Forrest is the hero in the book tho. Lots of great storys..

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

"Big Deal" by Anthony Holden is an entertaining read about his attempt to make it as a pro in Vegas, I think in the 80's. It's one of those books you'll be through in 3 days it's such fun.

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

Shut up and deal was the fastest poker book I ever read probably because I could relate so much to what he was writing.

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

Yeah ... Shut up and deal ... a good book [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

I second the shout outs for Shut up and Deal - a really really good book; a similar novel that is also very evocative of the poker milieu is King of a Small World by Rick Bennett.

Another good novel is Broke by Brandon Adams who maybe posts on 2+2 sometimes? I read some recent blogs by him somewhere talking about the big cash games at the bellagio that were pretty interesting.

Finally a book that is sort of similar to Aces and Kings is Gambling Wizards by Richard W. Munchkin which contains interviews with various professional gamblers inc Chip Reese, Doyle Brunson, Mike Svobodny and Billy Walters to name a few

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

Ken Warren teaches Texas hold 'em.

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

Positively Fifth Street

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

Big Deal

Positively Fifth Street is far and away the best. I could read it one hundred times and still feel smarter.

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

[ QUOTE ]
Big Deal

Positively Fifth Street is far and away the best. I could read it one hundred times and still feel smarter.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll third Positively Fifth street. Author blends the Binion murder and trial with the 2000 Main event. Very, very good.

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

'Cards'

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

Has anybody read, "Knights of the Green Cloth?" Mason gives it a 9 or 10, even though it is not educational.

I would also suggest "Gambling Scams" by Darwin Oritz. It is not all about poker, but the stories and information are great.

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

education of a poker player
by herbert yardley

a true classic

Re: Entertaining pokerbooks I should read
 

Poker Nation by Andy Bellin