Deal is a novel that explores the world of the compulsive, yet professional, high limit poker player. This fictional account chronicles a piece of the life of a young poker pro named Mickey as he struggles to keep himself in the black, but more importantly in action, over the course of several months. Shut Up and Deal has engendered a great deal of controversy in knowledgeable poker circles.
Folks seem to love or hate the book, but few are indifferent to it.
It's not a book on how to play poker, nor is it long in conventional literary stylings. For example, the book is almost completely devoid of theme and is very light on plot. Only one character is developed. It's a narrative, and one that doesn't go anywhere, although that's partly the point. The protagonist spends most of the book spinning his wheels, but in his mind, that's a victory, because his ambition seems to be just to stay in the game.