The cover of this book by Al Alvarez quotes the London Evening Standard, “…probably the best book on poker ever written.” I’ve read other places online making similar claims and although I haven’t read every book on poker written, this has been the best I’ve turned a page on.

Alvarez has a way with words that makes reading easy and fun. I almost read the entire book on the flight to Philadelphia and couldn’t even put it down when we landed. From what I knew before reading The Biggest Game in Town, it was about the 1981 World Series of Poker, but that is barely the case. Most of the book is composed of gambling stories explaining why the best players in the world play the game. It explains desires and motives of gamblers, giving a new insight into the poker world.

You learn things about Doyle Brunson, Jack Strauss, Stu Ungar, Amarillo Slim, and other poker players that you won’t find anywhere else. After reading this book and Positively Fifth Street, I have a whole new vision of the poker life. Read this book if you enjoy the game.

I give Alvarez’s work an A+.

If you like poker, this is a book for you. In 2000, author James McManus went to Las Vegas, working for Harper’s Magazine. His job was to write an article on the World Series of Poker and the Ted Binion murder case, which were both taking place. (Read the article.)

McManus ends up winning a satellite tournament to get a seat in the main event of the WSOP, where he ends up making the final table and finishing in 5th place. Positively Fifth Street is his account of the tournament, the Binion murder trial, and a look into his life. Most people simply watch the WSOP on ESPN, but this book gives an entirely new perspective on the event. Bad beats, check raises, slow plays, and all-in calls are recapped down to the rank and suit of each card. The book also explains a lot of the history of poker particularly the contributions made by the Binion family. You learn how Benny Binion took over the tournament that has become the grand-daddy of them all, the WSOP.

While I loved reading his book, McManus did bore me in a couple of places. Some of the parts I didn’t care for were the looks back on his own life, but it is his book, so I skimmed through them, getting back to the nuts and bolts of the story. His writing style is a little tough to get used to, but is put to good use in many places. The style actually reminded me of Dan Brown’s, in that they both know how to add history, definitions, and anecdotes to a story to give it more meaning.

If you are a true poker fan, I’d recommend this book for a different look at the biggest poker tournament in the world. I give it an A.