[ QUOTE ]
"The Picasso Flop" by Vince Van Patten and Robert J. Randisi
[/ QUOTE ]
I reviewed
The Picasso Flop book for
Publishers Weekly, to wit:
Van Patten, a host of TV's World Poker Tour, has teamed with veteran mystery writer Randisi to create what may be the first novel billed as a "Texas Hold'em Mystery" with so-so results. The action takes place during a major poker tournament at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, and Jimmy Spain—recently released from prison—is there both to play and to coach 22-year-old Kat Landrigan, the talented daughter of a man Spain did time with (part of a pointlessly complex backstory). But the tournament is interrupted by two murders, and, for reasons that strain credulity, Spain is asked to look into the matter. The title refers to the three playing cards discovered with each body: a jack, a queen and a king, which, when dealt together, are sometimes described as a "Picasso flop" in hold'em. Spain is an engaging, likable character, and some of the poker scenes are done with flair and knowledge, but the loose plot doesn't do justice to the fine concept.
There is a better poker mystery (but not much better) called
Dead Money by Randy Stegemoeller, and then there is solid poker mystery by Pete Hautman titled
The Prop.
The best poker-themed novel (at least from the perspective of an actual poker player) has to be
Shut Up and Deal by Jesse May. It definitely captures the pre-Internet life of the grinder and contains dozens of quotable observations about poker like this one:
Poker is a combination of luck and skill. People think mastering the skill part is hard, but they’re wrong. The trick to poker is mastering the luck. That’s philosophy. Understanding luck is philosophy, and there are some people who aren’t ever gonna fade it. That’s what sets poker apart. And that’s what keeps everyone coming back for more....
I've posted a page about that book:
Shut Up and Deal