Deal Me In by Stephen John & Marvin Karlins

Deal Me In is a new book available to buy from Phil Hellmuths Poker Brat Publishing Company. It outlines the poker life stories of poker players from a variety of different backgrounds. The players featured in this book are twenty of the best players in the world including legends such as Scotty Nguyen, Doyle Brunson and Phil Ivey as well as newcomers to the poker scene in the last few years Tom Dwan, Peter Eastgate and Annette Obrestad.

The books look at each player’s poker story in their own words and discuss the various ups and downs they encountered along their poker journey. Everyone has a “how I got into poker story” and this book charts those stories of the best known and most talked about players with incredible honesty and candour.

One of the inevitable downsides to a compilation of stories is that they do not go into massive detail for each player. You get certain sweeping statements like “I met my wife, fell in love, had three kids and moved to Vegas”. Life events are definitely covered second to the poker which is discussed in detail for each player. Players are very candid about their poker playing, especially when discussing going broke and how they respond to losing sessions. You will find out that not one of the players had an easy ride to the top often having strong objections from family and friends along the way.

The reader can learn about mistakes they made whilst ‘living the dream’ and how some players were seduced by the various temptations available in Las Vegas. The players also discuss their bankroll management ideas and how they applied them in their youth. You will be particularly surprised at how Phil Ivey managed his bankroll when he was starting out as a poker player. He is often discussed as a wild gambler who wins and loses millions rather than thousands but Ivey discusses in detail his approach to moving up and down the limits which any would be poker player could do well to adopt in their bankroll strategies.

Most of these players did not come from the almost stereotypical “I started in college, played online, quit college and played live” route to poker. They began playing in an era where poker was not mainstream as it is today. Playing poker for a living was about winning at cards rather than having some good results then profiting from outside business interests. The book is a testament to their dedication to succeed and their tenacity to overcome the inevitable challenges that lay in their way and it shows young players that this game certainly is a hard way to make an easy living.

The positive thing I took from reading the book was that it does not paint a glorified picture of poker. Most of the players made big mistakes and their lives could have turned out very differently. You will be fascinated by just how close to oblivion a number of the featured players became. This book teaches you to be cautious in your life and remember at all times the game we play is gambling and this can be dangerous. Hearing that from a top professional reminds us that whilst we have fun and can even win lots of money once you have spent or lost it then it has gone!

This book has some excellent stories from the professionals we all watch and learn from on T.V. Reading their stories shows they got to where they are by taking life’s setbacks and beating them. It is an inspiring book that is a welcome relief from the strategy books that flood the poker literary market. It is written in an easy to read style and its format allows you to read the players stories in any order you wish.

I would give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

By Malcolm Clarke