High Stakes Poker
Written: Feb 28 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A riveting and informative account of the most expensive poker game ever played.
Cons: The lack of individual hand descriptions will bother some people.
The Bottom Line: This is a fascinating look into the world of high stakes poker pros and how a rich amateur attempted to shake it up.
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| briankrakow's Full Review: |
In 2001, Texas billionaire Andy Beal decided to shake up the world of high stakes poker. His idea was to challenge the top poker pros at limits so high that their fear of going bankrupt would negate their edge in poker skill. On the other hand, the pros saw this as a great business opportunity, and pooled their money together to take turns playing him. Over a 4 year period (which would actually continue after the book was published), Beal challenged the pros at the highest stakes in the history of poker. The Proffessor, The Banker, and the Suicide King is the story of those games, and the story of the individual people who played in them.
When amateur Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker in 2003, the Poker world exploded. Millions of people were rushing to the various online sites to try their hand at being the next amateur superstar, and the Travel Channel and ESPN were riding high with their poker coverage. This book starts in 2001, well before all of that happened, and gives us a rare glimpse of what the poker world was like before all the publicity.
In 2001, the best poker players were not found in a tournament, but at the highest stakes cash game at the Bellagio. These players consisted of several of the current tournament stars, such as Howard Lederer, Jennifer Harman, Barry Greenstein, and the king of poker himself, Doyle Brunson. For these guys, they could make much more money playing in these high stakes cash games than spending several days trying to win a tournament.
Author Michael Craig gives us an exciting glimpse into the lives of these players. We get to see how each of them rose from obscurity to the top of the poker world. Several of the players went flat broke several times, and hearing the stories of how they kept plugging away until they broke through is riveting. We also get the background story on how Andy Beal built his fortune, starting with a rental property and eventually creating one of the most reliable international banks in the world.
The one thing some people might miss is the individual hand descriptions. There were no hole card cameras, as seen on Poker telecasts these days, so the author did not have an opportunity to describe the action in minute detail. Instead, he focuses on the overall picture, including the strategy employed by a particularly player, their emotional state, and the overall status of the chip count. This may sound less interesting for the casual poker fan, but Craig makes it tense and exciting.
As the series of games continue through 2004, we get to see how the poker world changed over the years. After Chris Moneymaker's victory in 2003, and the resulting surge in poker publicity, the poker pros began playing more tournaments. The business had changed. The publicity they could get from winning or finishing well in tournaments was an extra bonus to the prize money, and many of them pursued business opportunities, such as online websites, or endorsement deals. Suddenly they were being afforded the same opportunities as sports stars. They still never got tired of playing Andy Beal. Every time he came back to Vegas, they pooled their resources and found enough money to play against him. Even while Jennifer Harman goes through a kidney transplant, her husband knows that she would want a part of the action, and puts in the money for her.
Without revealing any details of the outcome, I can say that Andy Beal acquitted himself very nicely considering he was an amateur playing against the best in the business. It's doubtful that I could have done as well, even if I had the same bankroll as Beal. Andy did get frustrated very often, and several times throughout the book, vows to quit poker. Nobody ever believes him. And they're always right. Andy Beal can't stay away.
Postcript
Note: The following information is not necessarily a spoiler but it does reveal some information that happens after the book.
The book ends in 2004, but Andy Beal has since returned. Just this month, he played in a series of matches with the pros (which now include some new faces, such as Phil Ivey and Gus Hansen). Of course Michael Craig was there and has an upcoming article in Bluff magazine that details these games. After winning $10 million early in the month Beal returned last week. This time, the pros decided it was time to trot out the best poker player in the world, Phil Ivey. Over a period of three days, Ivey won $17 million from Beal (including $10 million after only 4 hours of play on day three). Beal once again walked away, vowing to give up poker for good. He'll be back soon enough. And the pros will be waiting.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
briankrakow
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Member: Larry McGillicuddy
Location: Atlanta, GA
Reviews written: 114
Trusted by: 59 members
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