Book Review: Deal Me In
Twenty Leading Poker Players Detail the Ups and Downs of their Careers Makes for Riveting Read

by Brendan Murray | Published: Jun 20, 2009



In the five years I’ve been writing about and working in the poker industry I’ve heard a lot of stories. Indeed, when Deal Me In fell through my letter box I casually assumed I’d be more than familiar with the stories contained therein.

How wrong I was.

The new book from www.pokerbrat.com, takes 20 of the world’s most recognizable poker names and cleverly and simply gives them the space to tell their stories of how they got to where they are in professional poker.

Writers Stephen John and Marvin Karlins tease these tales of triumph and despair from players such as Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, Howard Lederer, Allen Cunningham, Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan, and Chris Ferguson.

I decided to dip in with the featured European players — Carlos Mortensen, David Ulliott, Annette Obrestad, and Peter Eastgate.

Afforded time and space to flesh out their backgrounds, we glean a wealth of biographical information from the characters. From Mortensen’s wanderlust to Ulliott’s helter-skelter lifestyle, Obrestad’s almost innocent teenage fumblings with online poker to Eastgate’s confident yet humble attitude.

Ulliott is funny, of course. A natural comedian. But his humour is born out of his rough-and-ready background in Hull — his time as a safe cracker, his stints in prison, and his ultimate redemption through professional poker.

One paragraph in the introduction to his tale startlingly illustrates what poker has given him:

“During the interview for this book, Devilfish rummaged through his wallet and came upon a check stub for $1.4 million. He said that he had been walking around with the live check for over a year and had just gotten round to depositing it. When he went to the bank, he handed the check to one of the tellers, who was shocked at the condition and age of the un-cashed check. Devilfish said of the teller’s reaction, “I’m not sure but I think she may have shat herself.”

However, when he begins to recount his tale of misspent youth seedy backroom games you see just how far he had to journey to get to where he is now and how raw that story is.

Carlos Mortensen’s story is one of a man searching for something. Most likely, perfection, while he wandered from his native Ecuador to Spain and his early poker trips around Europe and the U.S. While Obrestad and Eastgate, despite not having travelled so far on their respective journeys have a well rounded and matter-of-fact attitude to the millions of dollars they have accrued.

Phil Ivey is often perceived in the media as quite inscrutable. His account of his humble, family-oriented beginnings, his early telemarketing career and how often he went broke and had to return to his sales job to build his bankroll back up seem at odds with his persona while Tom Dwan’s desire to do something else outside of poker reveals how the game and what it means differs for everyone.

However, common themes emerge – drive, passion, focus, – but each tale offers the reader a unique perspective on the players and it comes highly recommended for both the cynical old-hands among us or the virgin player dipping their toes in the poker water for the first time.

Everyone has to start somewhere and these stories, which detail how each player got their first bankrolls off the ground, will no doubt inspire someone who, one day, will be asked to tell the story of their successes. Exactly like these players have.

[www.cardplayer.com]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/02/2009 01:29PM by Axman.

Okay, you've persuaded me, I'll buy the book. I believe that one can be successful if the area chosen is within one's mental and physical limitations. Ideally, one starts as young as possible, works harder and longer than their competition, views setbacks as mere obstacles on the path to success, and never ever loses sight of the goal.

What is the reward? Money and maybe fame. What is the pricetag? Along the road you will give up many of the pleasures that less successful people enjoy. Not much time for personal relationships, TV, pleasure reading, etc.

But, success is a hell of a great ride.

This book should be very interesting. It's really the first to profile poker players. Usually its military, business, political leaders, movement leaders, athletes, etc.

Kathleen

Hellmuth's New Poker Book Profiles The Game's Greats
Twenty Top Poker Pros Share Stories in Their Own Words

by Stephen A. Murphy | Published: May 21, 2009



Allen Cunningham as a pizza delivery boy. Peter Eastgate as a substitute elementary school teacher. Phil Ivey as a telemarketer. Scotty Nguyen as a busboy. Chau Giang as a KFC employee. Phil Hellmuth as a monkey cage cleaner.

You can’t make this stuff up.

Deal Me In, a collection of autobiographical accounts from many of the biggest names in poker, is now available to order online. The book highlights the struggles, obstacles, and tragedies 20 of the greatest poker pros have overcome in their journeys to the top.

Hellmuth, the 11-time bracelet winner, conceptualized the book and convinced his fellow competitors to share some of the most intimate details of their lives for the manuscript.

“Each player gives you a behind-the-scenes look into their early years as scrappy, amateur players and how they broke into the big-time professional ranks,” said Hellmuth. “The pros cover their humble beginnings, the obstacles they overcame, the demons they faces, and ultimately the success they enjoyed.”

In all, 20 players signed on to tell their stories, including seven world champions (Hellmuth, Nguyen, Eastgate, Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Chris Ferguson, and Carlos Mortensen) and some of the most recognizable pros in the game (such as Ivey, Cunningham, Tom Dwan, Howard Lederer, Daniel Negreanu, and Layne Flack).

Deal Me In also features three women who have proven that poker can no longer be considered a man’s game (Annie Duke, Jennifer Harman, Annette Obrestad), and a few elite players that the casual poker fan might not know too much about (such as Giang, Erik Seidel, David ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott, and Chad Brown).

The first-person narratives are described as “heartbreaking and inspiring” on the book’s cover, and the memoirs certainly deliver on that description. What is particularly striking about this book is how forward the pros are with the innermost details of their lives.

They share their biggest regrets (“My major regret as a poker player was that I spent so much time playing that I neglected my family,” Brunson wrote.), the stories of their disapproving fathers (“I remember my dad telling me, ‘Once you, leave, don’t ever come back,’” Chan said; “My father told me that I had a choice. I could quit playing poker for a living, or he would disown me and strike me from his will,” Harman remembered.), and the darkest moments of their lives (“I didn’t care if I lived or died,” Flack recalled.).

Some aspects of the players’ stories are downright sad, such as Nguyen’s. The Prince of Poker tells about how he grew up in war-torn Vietnam and the gruesome sights he witnessed (“One schoolmate was blown to bits while playing soccer (because of a landmine);” “I saw dead bodies piled in semi trucks like garbage,” he remembered.) and how even when he was able to move to the United States, he fell into what was pretty much a child labor camp, prohibited from attending school.

But Nguyen and the others in this book were able to survive and eventually flourish, thanks to sheer will power and the help of a few people along the way. Deal Me In is inspiring not because of the money or the tournaments the players won, but because of the success they achieved against all odds.

While the book does feature some somber details, there are many light moments that will undoubtedly make poker fans laugh. The pros talk about how they met their spouses (Hellmuth staked out a laundry room for hours to manufacture a conversation with his future wife) and reveal some surprising tendencies (such as Cunningham’s admission that although he’s calm in person, he does find himself shouting at the computer screen while playing online poker).

Any aspiring poker player will also take notice of the advice the players give. The pros talk about the value of bankroll management and many players (such as Dwan and Duke) recall how they moved down in stakes whenever they needed to overcome losses.

The book was composed and written by Marvin Karlins and Stephen John, with an introduction by esteemed tournament director Jack McClelland. It was published by Phil’s House Publishing and can be previewed and pre-ordered online at www.pokerbrat.com. The book will be shipped to customers in mid-June.

[www.cardplayer.com]

Deal Me In -- Poker Pro Jennifer Harman

An Exclusive Excerpt from Phil Hellmuth's New Book

by Stephen A. Murphy | Published: Aug 30, 2009



In its pages are never-before-revealed details of the lives of some of the biggest names in poker. Phil Hellmuth’s new book profiles 20 of the biggest poker players in the world, giving the reader an intimate look at the game’s biggest celebrities.

Deal Me In, a collection of autobiographical accounts from many of poker’s elite, is now available to order online exclusively at www.pokerbrat.com. The book highlights the struggles, obstacles, and tragedies that 20 of the greatest poker pros have overcome in their journeys to the top.

CardPlayer.com is providing exclusive excerpts from the book each Sunday. This week’s passage focuses on high-stakes cash game pro Jennifer Harman, who talks about her early health trouble and how poker helped keep her mind on something else:

“It was between my 17th and 18th birthdays that I became very ill, developing kidney failure. I was gravely familiar with this condition. My mom had died of it. It’s a medical problem that runs in our family. I needed a kidney transplant, and had to undergo dialysis for four months while I waited for a donor to become available. The doctors told me that I had only months to live without a new kidney.

“The days I wasn’t on dialysis I went to the casino. Poker took my mind off my health problems, and helped me get through a very tough time. You can imagine the anxiety one feels waiting for a kidney to become available as the clock is ticking. I played between four and six days a week, gambling with money I had saved from jobs I held at Dairy Queen and Macy’s. I lost more than I won during this time; I remember making a lot of trips to the ATM machine. And when I finally had the transplant I took a leave from poker and went to college at the University of Nevada, Reno. I didn’t return to the tables for three years, focusing my efforts on my studies and regaining my strength.

“When I turned 21 I was hired as a cocktail waitress at Harrah’s in Reno. My job was to fill in for other waitresses when they were on break, so I worked different areas of the casino, including the poker room. Because I had been playing poker for so many years, I already knew a lot of players at the tables — they tipped really well. I was making good money cocktailing and after about a month on the job I began playing poker at the end of my shifts. I’d often play against the same people I was serving beers to a few hours earlier — and I was winning. In fact, I was making more money at the tables than I did at my job, and like I said, the cocktailing income was pretty good.

“Gaining confidence, I began playing in the higher limit games, $5-$10 and $10-$20. As I won more, the larger blinds became less intimidating. I had built up a decent bankroll, so I didn’t have to play ‘scared.’ Nobody was backing me; I was playing strictly on my own money.

“Playing higher and winning more cash didn’t eliminate the pain of losing, however. I remember dropping $200 during one session and being really upset about it. I had never lost that much before, and I was steamed. I took another $200 out of my pocket, walked into the casino and put it all down on one hand of blackjack. I was so nervous I was shaking. I won, picked up my money and left. I was even for the night. I didn’t play blackjack again for a long time — and then only for fun.”

[www.cardplayer.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/01/2009 11:32PM by Axman.

Deal Me In -- Johnny Chan
An Exclusive Excerpt from Phil Hellmuth's New Book

by Stephen A. Murphy | Published: Aug 02, 2009 |



In its pages are never-before-revealed details of the lives of some of the biggest names in poker. Phil Hellmuth’s new book profiles 20 of the biggest poker players in the world, giving the reader an intimate look at the game’s biggest celebrities.

Deal Me In, a collection of autobiographical accounts from many of poker’s elite, is now available to order online exclusively at www.pokerbrat.com. The book highlights the struggles, obstacles, and tragedies that 20 of the greatest poker pros have overcome in their journeys to the top.

CardPlayer.com is providing exclusive excerpts from the book each Sunday. This week’s passage focuses on Johnny Chan, 10-time bracelet winner and one of the most respected players in the game. Chan talks about his decision to move to Las Vegas — and how difficult that was for his parents to accept at the time — in this passage:



"When I turned 21, I quit school and moved to the city that never sleeps, determined to be a professional poker player. I didn’t want to work the rest of my life in the restaurant. I wanted to be my own boss. Besides, I liked the nonstop action and, of course, the lure of money. When I told my parents the news, they were devastated and angry.

“Johnny, Las Vegas is sin city,” they would say. “What are you thinking?” They didn’t want me to be a gambler. They loved me and were worried, although at the time it felt as if they were trying to control me. They knew that very few gamblers survived in Las Vegas. I remember my dad telling me, “Once you leave, don’t ever come back.” Those words really hurt. I knew he was trying to protect me from harm, but it always hurts to realize that you have disappointed your family.

“Deep down, I knew they could be right. Las Vegas has ruined the lives of more than one person. How many people go to Las Vegas each year with hopes of striking it rich, only to crawl back home, with their heads down and tails tucked between their legs? The number has to be in the thousands. Would I be another notch in the belt? It was possible. Still, I was determined to try. I believed this was my shot at the brass ring.

“There was no way I would’ve backed down from my parents at that point. “Dad, you’ll regret saying that,” I told him. “One day I’ll be a world champion and I’ll be rich. I’m going to make it. That’s what I want to do.” I hopped in my car and headed to Las Vegas, hoping my old Camaro would survive the trip. I never looked back.”

[www.cardplayer.com]

Deal Me In -- Poker Pro Annie Duke
An Exclusive Excerpt from Phil Hellmuth's New Book

by Stephen A. Murphy | Published: Sep 13, 2009 |



In its pages are never-before-revealed details of the lives of some of the biggest names in poker. Phil Hellmuth’s new book profiles 20 of the biggest poker players in the world, giving the reader an intimate look at the game’s biggest celebrities.

Deal Me In, a collection of autobiographical accounts from many of poker’s elite, is now available to order online exclusively at www.pokerbrat.com. The book highlights the struggles, obstacles, and tragedies that 20 of the greatest poker pros have overcome in their journeys to the top.

CardPlayer.com is providing exclusive excerpts from the book each Sunday. This week’s passage focuses on one of the most well known female pros in the game, Annie Duke. She talks about how her brother encouraged her to pick up the game in this excerpt:

“What was perhaps a defining moment in my life occurred while I was in graduate school. My brother invited me to come visit him in Las Vegas, where he was playing in the World Series of Poker. I was 21 or 22 the first time he flew me out.

“When I arrived, he took me out to dinner at Hugo’s Wine Cellar in the Four Queens Casino. I remember being impressed by how fancy the place was. Of course, back then I saw Chili’s as upscale. I was living on a graduate student’s income — $13,000 a year. The few times I could afford eating out, it was at a place called Salad Alley, where a meal cost $3.00.

“So I thought it was really extravagant for my big brother to put me up at the Golden Nugget and take me to a fine restaurant. The trip was a great break from my studies. I spent a few hours at the blackjack tables, but most of the time I watched Howard play poker.

“The following year, he flew me out to Vegas again. We were sitting in Binion’s coffee house, discussing plans over dinner, when Howard asked, “Why not try playing some poker this trip instead of just watching it?”

“I told him I didn’t think I could play at that level, but he didn’t blink. “You’ve watched me play a lot. Don’t worry. You’ll do great.”

“He took a napkin off the table, wrote down a list of starting hands that I was allowed to play, and sent me off to try $1-$3 limit hold’em at the Fremont. The strategy kept me on a short lease. Basically, I was permitted to play A-J or better in unpaired hands and two sixes or better if I had a pair. I took the napkin and headed for the casino.

“I still had my misgivings, but I went anyway. I had grown up in a card-playing family — I was my dad’s bridge partner by the time I was 14 — so the idea of playing poker wasn’t that scary, but actually betting money on the game against opponents with more experience than I was unnerving. I didn’t want to lose. I was worried about the money, but more worried about disappointing my brother.”

[www.cardplayer.com]

Deal Me In -- Poker Pro Howard Lederer
An Exclusive Excerpt from Phil Hellmuth's New Book

by Stephen A. Murphy | Published: Sep 09, 2009 |



In its pages are never-before-revealed details of the lives of some of the biggest names in poker. Phil Hellmuth’s new book profiles 20 of the biggest poker players in the world, giving the reader an intimate look at the game’s biggest celebrities.

Deal Me In, a collection of autobiographical accounts from many of poker’s elite, is now available to order online exclusively at www.pokerbrat.com. The book highlights the struggles, obstacles, and tragedies that 20 of the greatest poker pros have overcome in their journeys to the top.

CardPlayer.com is providing exclusive excerpts from the book. This week’s passage focuses on Howard Lederer, one of the most recognizes faces in the game. Lederer talks about his introduction to the game in this excerpt:

“During my teen years, I attended a private school. As a senior, I was allowed to undertake one term of independent study. I decided to go to New York City for two months to study with an international chess master. I had just turned 18.

“My study plan included a lesson once a week with the master, and lots of homework studying chess literature. I played in weekend tournaments at the Chess Center of New York. When I visited the club, I discovered that chess wasn’t the only game being played: there was a small $0.25-$1 limit poker game in the back of the room.

“I was completely into chess at the time, so at first the poker game didn’t hold my interest. I remember sitting in a few times. I played mostly because I enjoyed the competition, and socializing with the players. They were interesting characters with lots of great stories to tell. But I didn’t understand what a great game poker is. I saw it more as a game of chance and not a test of skill.

“At the end of my senior year, I was accepted to Columbia University, but I decided to defer my education for a year and continue my independent study. I was going to rent a room at a hotel, get a temporary job, and become a chess professional—that was my goal.

“I moved to New York in mid-June with $2,000 in my pocket. When I returned to the Chess Center, however, I found myself more drawn to poker than to chess. I began playing in the backroom game on a regular basis, but within two weeks I was broke.

“I was disappointed, but I had a lot of pride and didn’t want to return home with my tail between my legs. I had an idea. The July 4th weekend was approaching and the Chess Center was closing. Everyone was heading to the World Chess Open in Pennsylvania. I approached the owner of the Center and made him an offer: if he’d let me stay in the club over the weekend while it was closed, I’d clean the entire place, making it spotless by the time he returned. He agreed, and when he came back, the Center was spotless.

“He was so pleased he said I could continue to live at the Center. In return, my job was to get the poker room cleaned and ready for play each night. In addition, I was to take food and drink orders from the players—which I would fill from the deli across the street. For this, I received good tips. The money was used to play in chess tournaments on weekends and in buy-ins for nightly poker games. I lived at that Chess Center for almost half a year.”

[www.cardplayer.com]

Deal Me In -- Poker Pro Chris 'Jesus' Ferguson
An Exclusive Excerpt from Phil Hellmuth's New Book

by Stephen A. Murphy | Published: Sep 20, 2009 |

In its pages are never-before-revealed details of the lives of some of the biggest names in poker. Phil Hellmuth’s new book profiles 20 of the biggest poker players in the world, giving the reader an intimate look at the game’s biggest celebrities.

Deal Me In, a collection of autobiographical accounts from many of poker’s elite, is now available to order online exclusively at www.pokerbrat.com. The book highlights the struggles, obstacles, and tragedies that 20 of the greatest poker pros have overcome in their journeys to the top.

CardPlayer.com is providing exclusive excerpts from the book each Sunday. This week’s passage focuses on 2000 WSOP main event champ Chris Ferguson, who shares his thoughts on the online generation:



While a great deal of the poker community turned its nose up at the young upstarts emerging from cyberspace, Chris knew that the young guns would make their mark.

“I had a great of respect for the online superstars from day one,” Chris said, “because that’s how I started with the IRC Poker Channel.”

Chris realized from his own experiences that some of these Internet players were seeing way more hands than their live-tournament counterparts.

“I could play 300 hands of no-limit hold’em in an hour. That’s 300 different learning experiences in an hour. If both the live player and the Internet player learn the same amount of information per hand, the Internet player learns more than five times faster than the live player. Think about it this way,” Chris said, “a 22-year-old Internet player playing multiple tables has the ability to see more hands in a few years than Doyle Brunson has seen playing live poker in his lifetime.”

While a number of players believe that the cards themselves don’t matter nearly as much as the ability to read their opponents, Chris believes that a fundamental understanding of poker is paramount to success.

“Some live players use ‘tells’ as a crutch,” Chris says. “It’s more important for players to understand how to play their cards at a fundamental level as opposed to playing their cards based on ‘tells.’”

“Think about it this way; math never lies — ever,” said Chris, who points out if a player has an ace in the hole and two more come on the flop, you know there is one left out there somewhere, but only one.

Tells, on the other hand, lie all the time. Players frequently hide or create false tells. They want to deceive you. They can’t deceive the math. Chris has advice to newer players; first learn the math. This is one reason why the online players are often so strong.

[www.cardplayer.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2009 10:09PM by Axman.

Deal Me In -- Poker Pro Daniel Negreanu
An Exclusive Excerpt from Phil Hellmuth's New Book

by Stephen A. Murphy | Published: Aug 16, 2009 |


In its pages are never-before-revealed details of the lives of some of the biggest names in poker. Phil Hellmuth’s new book profiles 20 of the biggest poker players in the world, giving the reader an intimate look at the game’s biggest celebrities.

Deal Me In, a collection of autobiographical accounts from many of poker’s elite, is now available to order online exclusively at www.pokerbrat.com. The book highlights the struggles, obstacles, and tragedies that 20 of the greatest poker pros have overcome in their journeys to the top.

CardPlayer.com is providing exclusive excerpts from the book each Sunday. This week’s passage focuses on Daniel Negreanu, as he talks about his tumultuous, up-and-down journey to his first WSOP bracelet:

“I had more money than I had ever had before, too — over $60,000.

“But that money too didn’t last. At the Rio Carnival of Poker in January 1998, I blew a bunch of money playing $75-$150 limit hold’em, made a ton of bad loans, and by the time WSOP 1998 rolled around, I was again struggling to stay afloat. I won three tournaments leading up to the WSOP, but I also staked the wrong people, and still had awful money-management skills.

“By this time, I started to get to know some of the Vegas locals. One guy, a poker dealer who had recently quit dealing to play poker, was especially friendly. His name was Mike Matusow. Anyway, I ran into Mike in a $200 buy-in satellite for the $2,000 pot-limit hold’em event at the WSOP the next day. It ended up getting down to me, Mike, and Todd Brunson.


"They asked if I wanted to do a save, meaning everyone gets $500 and we’d play for the other $500. Considering that my bankroll at the time was about $2,800, I obviously took the deal. Heads up against Todd, my K-J beat his K-Q and I’d won the satellite. Todd then throws me a $500 chip and says, “Here, I’ll take a piece of you in the tournament tomorrow.” Well, I hadn’t even planned on playing the tournament, but if Todd Brunson had the confidence to throw a total stranger $500 to play the event, I figured, why not!

“This was my first ever WSOP event. I would have been ecstatic to just make the money. Before I knew it, I was in the money…then, down to two tables…then, at the final table! At that table was some guy named Chris Ferguson, who later went on to do pretty well at the WSOP. I ended up playing heads up for the title against an Englishman named Dominic Bourke. I’d never played pot-limit hold’em heads up before, and didn’t have a clue what I was doing.

“Dominic clearly did know what he was doing, but it all came down to the coin flip of all coin flips. We were all in, almost dead even in chips. My hand was Ah Qh, and his hand was Jc 10c. The flop came Qc Jh 3c, and that’s when all the chips went in. The turn was a black card, a spade. The river was another black card, a six, and I swear I couldn’t see if it was a spade or not. I looked up at the crowd watching, and saw people raise their hands and cheer. Then, and only then, did I know that I’d won.

“I remembered collapsing to the ground. I couldn’t believe it. At the time, I was the youngest bracelet winner ever, at age 23.”

[www.cardplayer.com]

Deal Me In -- Tom Dwan
An Exclusive Excerpt from Phil Hellmuth's New Book

by Stephen A. Murphy | Published: Aug 09, 2009 |



In its pages are never-before-revealed details of the lives of some of the biggest names in poker. Phil Hellmuth’s new book profiles 20 of the biggest poker players in the world, giving the reader an intimate look at the game’s biggest celebrities.

Deal Me In, a collection of autobiographical accounts from many of poker’s elite, is now available to order online exclusively at www.pokerbrat.com. The book highlights the struggles, obstacles, and tragedies that 20 of the greatest poker pros have overcome in their journeys to the top.

CardPlayer.com is providing exclusive excerpts from the book each Sunday. This week’s passage focuses on Tom Dwan, better known as “durrrr” in the online poker community. Dwan describes his mindset concerning the game in this passage:

“I’ve always been a little unconventional compared to other high-stakes players in poker. Though many believe that reading your opponent is a huge factor in winning, I think it’s highly overrated by most recreational players. That said, poker is a game almost equally about the cards you get and your opponents’ actions, including their overall thought processes and their current frames of mind.



"In live games, I think there is definitely an advantage in being able to read players, though even the most amazing players will pick up only on something useful, on the basis of movements or gestures, maybe 10-15 percent of the time. Live tells are certainly a factor, but for me, not an overwhelmingly decisive one. There are more important elements of poker than studying tells, such as being able to read your opponents’ ranges and knowing how often they bluff or value bet.

“Though a player cannot consistently win by using intuition alone, I have also played against people who exclusively use mathematical probabilities in their technique. I find it unwise to ignore the more complex logic and unique individual aspects of poker, and those who neglect this factor end up losing much of the time. Math has a definite place in poker, like any game, and being oblivious to it will obviously be very costly, but it is important also to be conscious of your opponents’ tendencies and moods.

“There are far fewer chances for good decisions based on reads in big-money cash games, where players are more often highly skilled. Players who are really good are going to be really good at all aspects of the game, regardless of what they might try to claim. They will know the math, they will know the complexities of their opponents, and they will surely understand the intricacies of each situation, using their experience as an advantage.

“Another big part of poker success lies in watching the best people play. As I mentioned earlier, you can learn a lot by watching mistakes online and remembering the outcome if a situation repeats itself. Watching people’s successes can also be beneficial, both online and live. I wouldn’t say that I model myself after any one player in particular, but there are plenty of great players that I can learn from while watching, such as Phil Ivey and Patrik Antonius.”

[www.cardplayer.com]

Thanks. Now i think that I will definitely get this book. It should be a fun read.

Kathleen

Tom Durrrr Dwan Makes Poker TV History



Poker fans often flock in scores to watch Tom "Durrrr" Dwan play the largest pots in the largest online cash games on an almost nightly basis. For the year, of the largest pots played out, Dwan has appeared in most of them. Dwan now has another impressive notch to add to his belt as he has now won the largest pot in televised poker history.

The scene was during the final filming for Full Tilt Poker's Million Dollar Cash Game which took place in London. Full Tilt used the enormous power of its brand name to seat some of poker's biggest heavyweights for this show. Some of the mega-stars featured include Phil Ivey, Allen Cunningham, Patrik Antonius, Tom Dwan, Mike Matusow and Gus Hansen.

It was apparent early on that this particular show would make headlines, given the high caliber of player and the blinds they were playing. The game was no-limit hold em with $1,000/$2,000 blinds and a $200 ante. Early on, Antonius and Dwan, no strangers to each other, faced off with Antonius flopping a set of Kings to best Dwan's aces for a half a million dollar pot. This paled in comparison to the historical hand to be contested between Dwan and Ivey later on. After a marathon session, the two players were joined by Antonius to play 3-handed in what would have to be the toughest shorthanded game in the history of poker.

On the button, Dwan put in a standard raise and was 3-bet by Ivey out of the small blind. Antonius folded and Dwan and Ivey were heads up. The flop was Qc-5c-3d and Ivey led out, betting $40,000. After some deliberation, Dwan made the call. The turn card was the 4 of hearts and Ivey again led out. This time, Dwan raised it up to a quarter of a million dollars. Ivey took a long time to think and re-raised all in. He couldn't have felt too good once Durrrrr snap-called the raise. Dwan showed 6h-7h for the nut straight while Ivey turned over Ac-2h for the wheel, however, he was drawing completely dead.

Largest Pot in Poker TV History

The pot was worth approximately $1.2 million. That turn card was both a nightmare (for Ivey) and a dream (for Dwan) and will forever live in poker history.

Source: www.aintluck.com

[www.gambling911.com]

Deal Me In -- Phil Hellmuth
An Exclusive Excerpt from Phil Hellmuth's New Book

by Stephen A. Murphy | Published: Jun 28, 2009 |



In its pages are never-before-revealed details of the lives of some of the biggest names in poker. Phil Hellmuth new book profiles 20 of the biggest poker players in the world, giving the reader an intimate look at the game’s biggest celebrities.

Deal Me In, a collection of autobiographical accounts from many of poker’s elite, is now available to order online exclusively at www.pokerbrat.com. The book highlights the struggles, obstacles, and tragedies that 20 of the greatest poker pros have overcome in their journeys to the top.

CardPlayer.com is providing exclusive excerpts from the book each Sunday. This week’s passage focuses on Hellmuth himself, as he experiences a moment of clarity while struggling to make a living at the game:

“The bar we ended up in was a dive. It was dark, shabby, and the few patrons inside were already feeling the impact of the cheap beer, whiskey, or whatever other mood-altering chemical they happened to be consuming. My friends ordered beers, reached for cigarettes, and proceeded to a lone pool table in a corner of the bar, where they began to drink, smoke, laugh, tell bullshit stories, and gamble on a game of 8-ball.

“As I stood there, idly watching them, it suddenly occurred to me with great clarity how out of place I felt in that bar. I remember asking myself, “What am I doing here? I don’t smoke and I don’t drink much, yet here I am in a bar, drinking at noon. I don’t enjoy going to bars. This is not for me. This is not my path.” The experience hit me like a cold bucket of water sloshed in my face. I walked to the back door, opened it wide, and was blinded by the bright sunshine reflecting off the ice and melted snow. It reminded me of the cleansing white light people are said to see in near-death experiences, it flooded my senses. I suddenly had this overwhelming desire to get the hell out of there, and fast. I knew that I couldn’t drive my own car, so I made apologies to the guys and took a taxi home.

“When I got home, I went directly to my desk, pulled out my journal, and wrote, “OK, this is it. If you’re going to play poker for a living, then you’re going to be the best.” I then wrote down a list of life goals. Word for word, they were:

1. Win the “Big One” at the WSOP
2. Meet and marry a wonderful woman
3. Write a New York Times bestselling book
4. Buy a beautiful house
5. Buy a nice car
6. Win tons of big poker tournaments

“I was still pretty much a kid, but from that moment on, I was committed to the goals I had set for myself. No matter how many years it took, I was ready to pursue them with steadfast purpose. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would achieve all of these goals before my 25th birthday.”

[www.cardplayer.com]

Thanks. It sounds like an interesting book.

Kathleen

Kathleen

Deal Me In -- Poker Pro Chau Giang
An Exclusive Excerpt from Phil Hellmuth's New Book

by Stephen A. Murphy | Published: Aug 23, 2009 |



In its pages are never-before-revealed details of the lives of some of the biggest names in poker. Phil Hellmuth’s new book profiles 20 of the biggest poker players in the world, giving the reader an intimate look at the game’s biggest celebrities.

Deal Me In, a collection of autobiographical accounts from many of poker’s elite, is now available to order online exclusively at www.pokerbrat.com. The book highlights the struggles, obstacles, and tragedies that 20 of the greatest poker pros have overcome in their journeys to the top.

CardPlayer.com is providing exclusive excerpts from the book each Sunday. This week’s passage focuses on Chau Giang, who describes his tumultuous attempts as a younger man to flee his native Vietnam for the hope of a better life in the United States:

“The war had been over for two years. The communists had attained their goal, defeating the Saigon regime. As I prepared to get into the boat headed for America in 1977, I glanced back at my homeland, Vietnam, believing it to be for the last time. It had taken me a long time to save up the seven ounces of gold for currency to pay for my passage on the boat, but I was now getting ready for the journey, under the cover of darkness. (You were not allowed to leave Vietnam without permission, and permission was never granted, at least not to the United States.)

"A friend in America had told me of the freedoms and privileges that were afforded to people there. I wanted this for myself, even if it meant making the trip alone, with almost no money. I believed if I worked hard, I could live the American dream myself. But just about the time I thought I was home free, I saw the North Vietnamese authorities arrive. There would be no trip to the United States that day. And for the crime of trying to leave my country illegally, I would spend my next five months in a Vietnamese prison. The gold was gone, too, and I knew that when I got out of jail, I’d have to start all over…

“The jail time did nothing to damper my spirit. I was still determined to make it to the west. When I was released from jail I went right back to work, saving everything to earn enough for the trip. Eventually, I earned another seven ounces of gold, and this time I got out of Vietnam, though my journey to the United States was far from easy and far from over.

“The boat did not travel directly to America. Our first stop was to be Thailand, several days away, but our boat met with misfortune before our arrival. We were boarded and robbed five times by people whom Americans would call pirates, although these raiders had guns instead of eye patches and swords. Not enough that we were robbed of all our money, our boat was robbed of all its food and water. I don’t remember how long that voyage took, but it seemed as if we were sailing many days without food or water—a miserable experience.

“When we reached Thailand, my fortunes would not greatly improve. I had no money and no assets of any kind. I also had no family or friends in Thailand and, more important, no sponsor in the United States. Accordingly, I was placed in a refugee camp, where I stayed for four months while the authorities sought a sponsor for me.

“Eventually, I did find someone who was willing to sponsor me in America.”

[www.cardplayer.com]

What a staggering will to succeed. He makes me feel like a lazy bum (which I am). Very great and good guy. He never forgot his people.

Kathleen

Deal Me In -- Allen Cunningham
An Exclusive Excerpt from Phil Hellmuth's New Book

by Stephen A. Murphy | Published: Jun 21, 2009 |



In its pages are never-before-revealed details of the lives of some of the biggest names in poker. Phil Hellmuth’s new book profiles 20 of the biggest poker players in the world, giving the reader an intimate look at the game’s biggest celebrities.

Deal Me In, a collection of autobiographical accounts from many of poker’s elite, is now available to order online exclusively at www.pokerbrat.com. The book highlights the struggles, obstacles, and tragedies that 20 of the greatest poker pros have overcome in their journeys to the top.

CardPlayer.com is providing exclusive excerpts from the book each Sunday. This week’s passage focuses on Allen Cunningham, who talks about his days playing at Indian casinos while attending UCLA:

“My parents were peripherally aware that I was playing, but they really had no idea how focused I had become, and how unfocused in class. I began screwing up in school, but still continued to play each week. There were several times when I seriously questioned myself — what was I doing? Every time I lost, I replayed the whole scenario in my head while driving back to school. I reflected on what I had done wrong and what I would do next. But the following weekend, I’d be off to the casino and, more often than not, losing money again. I felt awful about it, but that didn’t stop me from playing.

“On one of those soul-searching drives, I zoned out behind the wheel of my car. I ended up running a red light and rear-ending a little old lady in the car in front of me. I felt horrible as I watched this poor, elderly woman stumble out of her car. Someone nearby called the police. Although the woman wasn’t physically hurt, it was obvious that she was a little shaken, and she started dramatizing the event to anyone who would listen. Everyone was looking at me as if I were some degenerate, bullying a frail little woman who was probably delivering cookies to the nearby orphanage, for all I knew. And as if the situation wasn’t humiliating enough, when the officer asked me what had happened, I began to describe the accident in an animated fashion, pointing out the position of the cars, the directions we were heading, and that sort of thing. Near the end of my diatribe, I turned to point out some inconsequential fact and ended up stabbing the poor woman in the eye with my finger.

“This was not one of my better days. Fortunately, the woman lived and even kept her eyesight — well, as far as I know, anyway. And I had survived a very embarrassing situation. But that brief lapse of concentration did not deter me from my quest to learn more and more about poker. In fact, it taught me a lot about the important role that concentration plays at the table, and how even a momentary lapse could derail me. I also learned that I should stay away from little old ladies.”

Buy the book today, only at www.pokerbrat.com.

[www.cardplayer.com]

Deal Me In -- Phil Ivey
An Exclusive Excerpt from Phil Hellmuth's New Book

by Stephen A. Murphy | Published: Jul 26, 2009 |



In its pages are never-before-revealed details of the lives of some of the biggest names in poker. Phil Hellmuth’s new book profiles 20 of the biggest poker players in the world, giving the reader an intimate look at the game’s biggest celebrities.

Deal Me In, a collection of autobiographical accounts from many of poker’s elite, is now available to order online exclusively at www.pokerbrat.com. The book highlights the struggles, obstacles, and tragedies that 20 of the greatest poker pros have overcome in their journeys to the top.

CardPlayer.com is providing exclusive excerpts from the book each Sunday. This week’s passage focuses on Phil Ivey, widely regarded as one of the best to ever play the game. Ivey talks about his willingness to gamble and his belief that you need to throw caution to the wind in this passage:

“People frequently ask me what amount of money is at risk before I begin to be nervous: there is no amount of money that makes me sweat. You must remember that I don’t come from money. To me, when I’m gambling, it’s what I do — it’s who I am. I don’t get nervous when I’m betting big money. I just try to make good decisions. I feel that no matter how much I lose, I can always recoup it — without exception. I might have to play a little smaller or a little harder, but I always know that if I lose it, I’ll get it back. That’s how I’ve always felt, my whole life. So if I have it and I’m able to bet it, I will.

“When I first started playing $400-$800 back in the day in Atlantic City, Henry “The Toy Man” Orenstein used to beat me all the time. That man kept me broke for six months. But I would drop down and build it back up in the $75-$150 game for a week in order to get back in the $400-$800 game. I’d play and he’d break me again! This kept on happening. I don’t think I beat him in one hand in six months. But I never gave up. I kept on coming back. I knew I’d get there.

“In order to be one of the best poker players in the world, it’s important to be able to put everything on the line — that’s gambling. To be really good at poker, you can’t be too tight or cautious with your money. No one is saying you should play recklessly, but too much caution can cost you as much as being too reckless. The overly cautious player will lose just as much as a reckless player — just more slowly. Because you’re always gambling for big amounts of money, you have to have a certain disregard for money. You have to believe that you will get it back if you lose.”

[www.cardplayer.com]

Deal Me In -- Devilfish Ulliot
An Exclusive Excerpt from Phil Hellmuth's New Book

by Stephen A. Murphy | Published: Jul 19, 2009



In its pages are never-before-revealed details of the lives of some of the biggest names in poker. Phil Hellmuth’s new book profiles 20 of the biggest poker players in the world, giving the reader an intimate look at the game’s biggest celebrities.

Deal Me In, a collection of autobiographical accounts from many of poker’s elite, is now available to order online exclusively at www.pokerbrat.com. The book highlights the struggles, obstacles, and tragedies that 20 of the greatest poker pros have overcome in their journeys to the top.

CardPlayer.com is providing exclusive excerpts from the book each Sunday. This week’s passage focuses on Dave “Devilfish” Ulliot, the brash English pro who shares with the reader his tumultuous journey from a convict to a professional poker player:

“Prison was no picnic. It was a tough place. I was about 10 stone 6 (that’s 146 lbs to you Americans) in those days, but I had lightning-fast fists to go with my lightning-fast temper. Not many guys messed with me. One day I was lifting weights and got teamed up with a spotter who was an absolute lunatic. Just like one of those crazy guys you see in the movies. He was big, mean, and ugly, and he sported a shaved head. I wasn’t going to back down from anyone, though.

“So when he began running his mouth I decided to sort this guy out. I gave him a shot on the side of his head and he fell flat on his face. I was not finished with him; I jumped on him and popped him on the head with a 10-kilo weight. As if that weren’t enough, I got up and headed for a bigger weight. It was at that time the guard grabbed me around the neck and threw me into the showers. To this day I believe that, had the guard not stopped me, I would have had hit that guy again with the bigger weight, and who knows, I’d probably still be in prison today.

“I’ve always had a bit of a temper. At another time in my life, before I was in prison, I got into it with a guy in an establishment, managed to get hold of his head, moved him over to the door, and slammed the door on his head about twelve times.

“On yet another occasion, a guy took exception to me taking money off him in pool games. He was massive. He punched me and my head slammed backwards into a wall. There were hooks on the wall and one of them sank into my neck. I saw stars and felt sick. I managed to grab him though. Holding onto the guy, I started to bite on his ear until I was able to shake the cobwebs. Once my head was clear, I got on top of the guy and started to punch him. The guy had a head like a block of concrete, though, so I grabbed a tea cup by the bottom and banged the rim of it on his face about twelve times, until I was sure he had got the message. I used to be a bit of a bastard.”

[www.cardplayer.com]

I don't think you were a bastard. You had great survival instincts. When people pick on you, you have to go after them, and do what it takes. The weights might have been a touch too far though. The Marine Corps teaches, kick them when their down, so they don't get up and kill you. Seemed to me to be good advice.

Kathleen

I always thought he looked a little rough around the edges, lol.

Deal Me In -- Doyle Brunson
An Exclusive Excerpt from Phil Hellmuth's New Book

by Stephen A. Murphy | Published: Jul 12, 2009 |



In its pages are never-before-revealed details of the lives of some of the biggest names in poker. Phil Hellmuth’s new book profiles 20 of the biggest poker players in the world, giving the reader an intimate look at the game’s biggest celebrities.

Deal Me In, a collection of autobiographical accounts from many of poker’s elite, is now available to order online exclusively at www.pokerbrat.com. The book highlights the struggles, obstacles, and tragedies that 20 of the greatest poker pros have overcome in their journeys to the top.

CardPlayer.com is providing exclusive excerpts from the book each Sunday. This week’s passage focuses on Doyle Brunson, who relives an underground home game he lived through in his younger days in this excerpt:

“We were at a guy’s house in Austin playing in a big game. There were several tables going. Suddenly I heard this loud sound. It was glass breaking and a bunch of guys wearing ski masks came through the windows carrying shotguns. They lined us all up against the wall and made us drop our pants down to our ankles. One of the gunmen said, “We want all the money you have, and we don’t have time to strip search each of you to find it. So we’re going to pick a few of you out to search, and if we find you’re hiding anything we’re going to blow your leg off.” Right away one guy standing a few feet away from me says, “Hey good buddy, I’ve got $400 in my pocket.” Another player hollered, “Don’t forget this $600 in my shirt.”

“Then one robber with a double-barrel shotgun walked up to me, turned me around, and asked, “Who runs this poker game?” I’m no snitch, so I answered, “I don’t know.” He wasn’t happy with that answer, so he took his shotgun and hit me in the stomach with it. Then he repeated the question: “Who runs this poker game?” My principles prohibited me from saying anything other than, “I don’t know.” That made him even madder and he took his shotgun and hit me right upside the head. “Now do you know who runs this poker game?” he snarled. Stubbornly, I repeated, “I don’t know.” The robber than cocked both barrels of his shotgun and put it right between my eyes and said, “I’m going to ask you one last time—who runs this poker game?” And I said, “That guy right over there!”

“There’s brave, and then there’s stupid.

“Sometimes, when I see young poker players sitting in the comfortable, safe surroundings of a fancy casino, I wonder if they could ever imagine some of the things we had to go through to play poker back in the early days.”

[www.cardplayer.com]

My uncle yippie ran a poker game and bookie operation in the back room of his Italian grocery. It was a friendly neighborhood game. One day, the 2 local beat cops were in the game and a cusromer came in to the grocery store. Yippie went out to wait on them. He was holding up the game, so one of the cops went into the store. It was an armed robbery in progress. The shooting started, the other cop came out, and both robbers were apprehended. The cops were in the paper for getting bravery awards. I was only 12, and it was my first experience with govt stupidity. i was about 16 before I found out gambling was illegal. Any law, that is basically unenforable in its entirety, is a stupid law,

There's so many cases of the cops being paid off to look the other way, that we've made criminals of the cops.

If they wanted to really enforce the DUI laws, they'd have a cop sitting outside every bar. But they don't. Random enforcement of laws makes lawbreakers.

Doyle's point is well taken. Now we can play legit in casinos, but home games are still illegal, and they're trying their best to make the internet illegal.

Arghhh!!!

Kathleen

Deal Me In -- Layne Flack
An Exclusive Excerpt from Phil Hellmuth's New Book

by Stephen A. Murphy | Published: Jul 05, 2009 |



In its pages are never-before-revealed details of the lives of some of the biggest names in poker. Phil Hellmuth’s new book profiles 20 of the biggest poker players in the world, giving the reader an intimate look at the game’s biggest celebrities.

Deal Me In, a collection of autobiographical accounts from many of poker’s elite, is now available to order online exclusively at www.pokerbrat.com. The book highlights the struggles, obstacles, and tragedies that 20 of the greatest poker pros have overcome in their journeys to the top.

CardPlayer.com is providing exclusive excerpts from the book each Sunday. This week’s passage focuses on Layne Flack, who talks about his troubles with drug use in this excerpt:

“I was enjoying good success at the tables in 2002 and 2003, but the lifestyle I was living was rapidly catching up to me. In 2004, things really started to go downhill. I was living in a one-bedroom apartment with my girlfriend, Paulette. I couldn’t pay the rent. I wasn’t eating. The drug use had nearly consumed me. Paulette called my family on several occasions. She’d say, “You need to come here. He’s in serious trouble.” But every time my family called, I would convince them that Paulette was just trying to get attention. It was all an act on my part. I was in horrible shape. I didn’t care if lived or died. Thankfully, Paulette had the presence of mind and the fortitude to call my brother and convince him that I needed help.

“Neither Paulette nor my brother had money, but they knew that I was close with Daniel (Negreanu), and that I had helped Daniel out years before. My brother called him on my behalf and said, “Daniel, Layne is in really bad shape. I love my brother more than anything. He needs real help. I’m afraid we’re going to lose him.” Daniel stopped him on the spot: “I’m here,” he said. “What do you need?”

“That night Paulette came to me and said, “Layne, you’re in a really bad way. If I get you into rehab, will you go?” I was at the end, rock bottom. I knew this might be my last chance, so I said, “Yes, I will. But where will we come up with that kind of money?”

“Your brother has already spoken to Daniel,” she said. “He’s taken care of everything.” I was speechless. Daniel had paid $60,000 out of his own pocket to get me into drug rehabilitation. It was an act of kindness that I’ll never forget. I have no idea what might’ve happened to me if he had not been there.

“The rehabilitation was a huge help, but it did not solve my problem. It only put a bandage on it. Fortunately, I managed to stay off drugs long enough to win my fifth bracelet in 2004, but soon after the dark side of the Vegas lifestyle sucked me back in, and I found myself right back where I started.”

[www.cardplayer.com]

Deal Me In -- Scotty Nguyen
An Exclusive Excerpt from Phil Hellmuth's New Book

by Stephen A. Murphy | Published: Jun 14, 2009 |

In its pages are never-before-revealed details of the lives of some of the biggest names in poker. Phil Hellmuth’s new book profiles 20 of the biggest poker players in the world, giving the reader an intimate look at the game’s biggest celebrities.

Deal Me In, a collection of autobiographical accounts from many of poker’s elite, is now available to order online exclusively at www.pokerbrat.com. The book highlights the struggles, obstacles, and tragedies that 20 of the greatest poker pros have overcome in their journeys to the top.

For the next 10 weeks, CardPlayer.com will be providing exclusive excerpts from the book every Sunday. This week’s passage focuses on Scotty Nguyen and his childhood in war-torn Vietnam:

“I have seen atrocities firsthand that no child should ever have to witness. As a youth I would be exposed to horrible things just walking to school and back. One schoolmate was blown to bits playing soccer in an area that turned out to be a minefield. At night, we would hear bombs going off; the next day, you’d see a pile of rubble sitting where a neighbor’s house used to be. I saw dead bodies piled in semi trucks like garbage. At times, there were people in the trucks who were mortally wounded but not dead. I saw so many atrocities as a youth that I actually grew numb to it.

“I was the oldest of 13 children in my household. Eight of the children were my brothers and sisters. The other five were cousins who had been adopted by my mother and father when my aunt was unable to bear the hardships of the time and committed suicide. My mother was a special woman. She provided a safe, comfortable home for us. We weren’t rich, but she made sure we were all fed and clothed, and went to school. And as it turns out, my mother was actually the one who got me interested in poker.

“I played poker on the streets in town as a seven or eight-year-old. Poker was played on every street corner. We played a form of blackjack and a form of five-card stud with one card down and four cards up. It was a no-limit game. My mother actually played cards for money. I would sit behind her and watch. Occasionally, she’d leave the table and hand me her cards and have me play them for her. My dad, though, hated poker with a passion. If he caught me playing, he’d bring me home and beat me with a rubber hose. He’d beat me so hard that my skin would bleed and bits of my flesh would stick to the house.”

Buy the book today, only at www.pokerbrat.com

[www.cardplayer.com]