All In: The (Almost) Entirely True Story of the World Series of Poker
The authors, both professional poker players and writers, offer the definitive history of a tournament that has grown from humble beginnings in 1970, with a mere eight players, into a cultural phenomenon with over 2,500 entrants and millions of dollars in prize money. In the world of poker, there are as many side stories as there are players, and Grotenstein and Reback mine to good effect the lore surrounding old school legends like Doyle "Dolly" Brunson, as well as the new generation of players who have gained notoriety; there are stories of booms and busts, of preternatural abilities to "read" opponents, of breathtaking bluffs and sometimes tragic flaws. Much of the book is devoted to recounting the pivotal hands that decided the outcomes of the 30-odd years of tournament play as well as insightful analysis of those hands. The allure of tournament poker—no doubt built in part on the fantasy that anyone, like the amateur 2003 WSOP winner Chris Moneymaker, can beat the Michael Jordans of the poker world—will bring many readers "all in."Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.