Online Bookstore: Farrar Straus & Giroux Positively Fifth Street: Murderers, Cheetahs, and Binion's World Series of Poker Book

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Customer Reviews
Average Rating: Rating: - Great story, not great writing First, let me say that the story McManus tells is fascinating; a no-name in the world of poker making it big on the game's biggest stage is compelling for even the non-card player. You become addicted to his progress in the tournament and the words don't come quickly enough at times. It is when McManus wanders from this story that I began to dislike the book; needless and sometimes annoying time is spent on his wife and their fantastic lovelife; awkward attempts to tie in the Binion trial; it all seems like forced filler that nevers gels smoothly with the main story. I would have stopped reading had I not been so intrigued by his Word Series of Poker run... I congratulate the author on his incredible run in the WSOP but can only recommend this book to those readers with more than a passing interest in gambling. Rating: - This is a good book (I'm bluffing) WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT. I heard about this book and thought it would be really great. As it is marketed, it's an intriguing story. At first glance. Unfortunately, it takes forever to get to the story. First, Mr McManus engages in a lengthy and melodramatic rundown of the murder of a casino heir, Ted Binion, then tries to transition into his own story. While it's relevant background info since the World Series of Poker takes place at Binion's Horseshoe, JUST TELL ONE STORY, MAN! Even worse, McManus takes great liberties with some of the actual events related to the murder of Binion. He admits this. And then he cannot resist referring to himself and his dark side throughout the book as Good Jim and Bad Jim. A flourish I could have done without. Perhaps McManus or his editor or publisher lost their nerve in regards to publishing a book JUST about his experiences in The World Series of Poker. Perhaps that was never their intention. HOWEVER, that's the only interesting stuff in the book. The stuff about the death of Binion is, for the most part, [annoying]. Particularly annoying is the clunky manner in which it is bolted on. And it's nowhere near as enchanting as the thought of a writer for Harper's going to Vegas, exchanging his expense money for chips, and then somehow making it all the way to fifth place. Plus, there is some really interesting information about professional poker players. I thought this book had a lot of potential. A real bummer to not exercise more restraint, and focus on one story. Rating: - A terrific look at the world of poker, and I don't even play Not knowing a straight from a royal flush, I can't really say what drew me to this book. But I picked it up, flipped through a few pages in the middle and again at the end, bought it, and never regretted it. McManus initially planned to write an article for Harper's when he went to Las Vegas to cover the World Series of Poker - and somehow it expanded into this utterly engaging nonfiction book that includes strippers, murder, sex, gambling (duh), drugs...well, why not? It's Las Vegas, after all. In 'researching' material about the world of gambling for his article, McManus enters the competition - and damn near wins! A delicious inside look into a world that 99% of us will never see and can barely imagine - and then there's that cheetah...

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