The Biggest Game in Town

Published by an excellent writer, Al Alvarez, in 1983, The Biggest Game In Town deals with the 1981 World Series of Poker. It introduces Texas Hold ’em to a broad audience for the very first time. This book marks the beginning of the genre of poker literature. The author has covered the life of poker players in the early 80s through various stories.

SUMMARY

Al Alvarez, regarded as the father of contemporary poker literature, delves into the seedy and obsessive world of high-stakes Vegas poker. The Biggest Game is known as the bible of poker literature across the globe. One hundred eighty-eight pages of a precise and lyrical portrait of early Vegas poker scenes deals with insights about human nature, poker, and American Society.
As an intelligent analyst of gamblers’ psychology, the author deals with the peculiar rites of professional poker players. They descend every year for the WSOP. The storyline is based on amateur and dedicated poker players in the town of strangers. This book, set throughout a single tournament, portrays both geniuses and madmen ruling high-stakes games in America.

“I felt like I had walked into a Sam Peckinpah movie, in alligator boots, wildcatters wearing Stetsons and Dior ties, gnarled good old boys with eyes like ferrets, who farmed in West Texas.”

The fantastic city feeds, strips, and seduces its people, thus changing their overall reality perspective. The romanticism of poker players, along with an in-depth knowledge of their strategies, is both a blend of fun and knowledgeable piece to read. The combination of the author’s writing ability and comprehensive understanding of the game makes the book a huge success.

“Sometimes, all it takes is a dime and a dream.”

PRAISE AND CRITIQUE

The reader may enjoy going back to the 1980s casino era through a vibrant description of the author. Although the game of poker has considerably changed over time, The Biggest Game In Town will surprise the readers with its quality. Although you might find the book a bit repetitive at some point.

This magnificent work by Al Alvarez, won’t ever make you doubt its credibility. You won’t find poker strategies in this book, but it’s surely going to be fun.

RECOMMENDATION

Filled with concrete details, it gets into the psychology of old professional poker players and perfectly describes players like Doyle Brunson, Johnny Moss, or Jack Strauss.

The winner of the 1970 WSOP Johnny Moss, tells Alvarez:

“Every time I go into a game, the cheaters are there, the thieves are there, the hijackers are there, the police are after you, the rangers are after you….Then you have to get in an’ beat the cards. You have to win an’ get out with the money.”

The Biggest Game in Town is one of the best entertaining poker books out there. The blend of Al Alvarez’s tremendous writing skills and an understanding of the poker game makes this book one of the readers’ favorite. Instead of preaching poker strategies, the author takes us to an almost-forgotten era of Vegas gamblers and their poker game.

Here is a video of Alvarez reading poetry, which is another of his great hobbies. Not really poker related video, but it can give you the picture image of the author