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Gambling Personalities Book Reviews
(sorted alphabetically)
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“Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People” by Amarillo Slim Preston with Greg Dinkin describes Slim's life and his incredible ability to win money by gambling on so many different games. It’s amazing to think of how a pool hustler that could beat Minnesota Fats could also win the World Series of Poker. Then you read about how Slim could win thousands playing dominoes with Willie Nelson and also beat Bobby Riggs playing Ping Pong. Mr. Slim has had an amazing ability to figure out an edge against an opponent. Once he can find an angle he can beat people at their best game. This is a great story book about one of the most famous gamblers in the world. Who hasn’t heard of Amarillo Slim? Who wouldn’t want to read about his life?
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“The Man With the $100,000 Breasts” by Michael Konik tells the story (among many others) of a daring gambler who got breast implants in order to win a $100,000 bet. This book contains many stories about lots of different aspects of betting and gambling, and is sure to entertain. If you want to read a highly entertaining book about Las Vegas characters, this is the book for you. Casual and fun reading!
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“The Players: The Men Who Made Las Vegas” by Jack Sheehan is a book of short biographies of some of the most important people to have a hand in the shaping and building of the gambling capital of the world. You’ll recognize some of the names, like Howard Hughes, and Bugsy Seigal, and some of them you won’t have ever heard of. But they all have one thing in common. The city and its casinos wouldn’t be what they are today without the input of the people described in this book. A great read if you’re interested in the history of Sin City!
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“The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King” by Michael Craig is the story of the famous Bellagio "big game". This is the famous game where a group of poker professionals pooled their money to play one-on-one against a rich banker from Texas. Andy Beal (the Banker) is a self-made billionaire with the desire to be the biggest and best at what he does. When he decided to become the biggest poker player around, he proposed the big game, and his invitation was accepted by the likes of Doyle Brunson, Chip Reese, Howard Lederer, Ted Forrest, and Jennifer Harman. These pros definitely had the much more experience, but Beal had more money than all of them combined. This is a great story about one of the most famous poker games in history. A fabulous read!
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“The Unsinkable Titanic Thompson” by Carlton Stowers is the story of one of the most famous gamblers that ever lived. He was apparently used as the model for Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls. Titanic Thompson (whose real name is Alvin Clarence Thomas) started life as A poor Southern boy and quickly found that he excelled at playing cards, dice, and golf. His life story is astonishing, to say the least. He was world famous for some of his gambling wins, and would have faded gradually from memory if not for this great collection of stories about him.
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Hi. I hope you like my site, and my reviews help you find the book that's just right for you. If you know of a good gambling book, but you can't find it here, please , and I'll be sure to include a review of it as soon as I've read it through. I'm glad you visited, and I hope you found what you were looking for.
“I love to read, and obviously, so does Mr. Knox! There are so many fascinating things about Las Vegas, and reading about the people that made it the phenomenon it is today, is one of my favorite things to do.”
Clyde Chaney
– Morris, CT
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