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Douglas.M Elite user 465 Posts |
I recently read a fascinating book titled "Jonny Magic and the Card Sharp Kids: How a Gang of Geeks Broke the Odds and Stormed Las Vegas".
It is the true story of Jon Finkel, a mathematically adept nerdy kid who parlayed his skill in playing Magic The Gathering into the world of poker. Jon eventually joined a card-counting gang and scammed Las Vegas. He proved to be so good that he went back to his Gathering friends and recruited them into the card-counting biz. Then he went for pure poker and online gambling, becoming very wealthy. It is a great "kid from nowhere", "picked-on nerd to riches" story that I could not put down. I highly recommend this book! Douglas M. |
sodman12 Special user raleigh 601 Posts |
Thanks I'm always looking for good gambling books.
you can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all the time but never all of the people all the time.
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meijin Regular user Atlanta, GA 189 Posts |
The book was a good read...interesting to see (as a poker player) where David Williams (2004 WSOP 2nd place) came from.
If you are into poker (and gambling in general), I still say "The Banker, The Professor and the Suicide King" is the best book written to date. Michael
Michael
There are two groups of people that violate basic principles in any endeavor: idiots and experts. I tend to play poker with most of the idiots! Partial paraphrase from Jason England comment |
tommy Eternal Order Devil's Island 16544 Posts |
Is the Banker a fiction book?
I prefer fact based books.
If there is a single truth about Magic, it is that nothing on earth so efficiently evades it.
Tommy |
meijin Regular user Atlanta, GA 189 Posts |
Tommy:
No, it is non-fiction. It tells the true story of how a billionaire banker from TX almost broke the world's best poker players. Quite a good read...especially if you like poker. HTH! Michael
Michael
There are two groups of people that violate basic principles in any endeavor: idiots and experts. I tend to play poker with most of the idiots! Partial paraphrase from Jason England comment |
sodman12 Special user raleigh 601 Posts |
I'm reading american roulette right now and it is very good
you can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all the time but never all of the people all the time.
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tommy Eternal Order Devil's Island 16544 Posts |
Thanks I read a little article about that Banker in a poker mag some months ago. I have not read any of the books tipped above thanks for tips.
We should start a book club. All buy the same book, say one a month, and then we can talk about them each month.
If there is a single truth about Magic, it is that nothing on earth so efficiently evades it.
Tommy |
Douglas.M Elite user 465 Posts |
Has anyone read The Magician and the Cardsharp?
On the cover it has a picture of Dai Vernon smoking a cigarette while staring at a deck of cards. Douglas M. |
ImpromptuBoy Special user Toronto, Canada 898 Posts |
Quote:
On 2006-01-31 21:44, Douglas.M wrote: I've seen it. The story is actually about Dai Vernon searching for the cardsharp. I don't have the book, so I'm not entirely sure of what the story exactly is. All I do know is that Dai Vernon is in the story. |
meijin Regular user Atlanta, GA 189 Posts |
Only because this is something we were discussing...here is the lastest poker news concering the "Banker"...wish I was in Vegas this week!
'The Banker' returns to take on the 'Corporation II' Andy Beal's forays into the poker world are the stuff of legend. The Dallas Billionaire banker was once known as the biggest fish around. Beal would venture to Las Vegas, and line the pockets of some of poker's biggest names. But, a funny thing happened on the way to the bank. The fish took a year off, and studied poker. Beal came back to Las Vegas, and busted all the top pros, as documented in the book 'The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King'. After nearly three years of 'negotiating', and open challenges in the press, the biggest game of all is finally on again tonight in Las Vegas. Andy Beal will take on the 'Corporation II' at the Wynn. Just like before, the stakes will be high, and it is rumored that the match will be a $100,000/$200,000 limit match. As this is a private game, not much information will be released, but we hear that Todd Brunson will play first for the corporation. Unfortunately for poker fans, the game will take place in the private, high limit area of the Wynn Poker Room, and will not be accessable for the public to watch.
Michael
There are two groups of people that violate basic principles in any endeavor: idiots and experts. I tend to play poker with most of the idiots! Partial paraphrase from Jason England comment |
meijin Regular user Atlanta, GA 189 Posts |
Douglas:
I got the book and read it. I enjoyed it a great deal. It got a little long winded in parts, but overall, a good read. Don't get this if you are looking for technique on the Kennedy Center Deal or anything else. This is history. I enjoy stuff like that, so others may not...depending on what you are looking for. Michael
Michael
There are two groups of people that violate basic principles in any endeavor: idiots and experts. I tend to play poker with most of the idiots! Partial paraphrase from Jason England comment |
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