Superb, 13 Oct 2008
This book is a true roller coaster ride through the life of Kevin Lewis. It is fast paced and really does read like a movie (whcich it obviously is now). I found it incredibly difficult to stop reading this book right from the word go and if I hadn't needed to go to work, I wouldn't have stopped.

If you are loking for a book that will keep you entertained and engaged but with a factual twist, this is the book for you. Almost makes you want to hop on the next flight to Vegas, but there is a warning held in this book as well and in a way that makes it even better still.

A true classic.

Excellent book, 09 Sep 2008
I could recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Vegas and the world of gambling in particular. The book reads very well and it's impossible to put it down, it builds up to a nice climax and wants you to know more about the subject. This book made me a Ben Mezrich fan.



Quick read and a good double buy, 28 May 2008
At the time I only bought Bringing Down The House, that was a mistake, I should have got Breaking Vegas at the same time. I will go back and give the book another read (you can speed-read very quickly thanks to Mezrich's writing) since I watched the faction film "21" at the cinema last month. Anyone wanting the true story, this is the closest you'll get.

Superb quick read, 20 May 2008
You will enjoy this one no doubts about it. It's Oceans 11 meet Good Will Hunting and whilst ultimately a bit souless, is an extremely engrossing way to spend a couple of reading sessions.

Great story, nice style of writing, 11 May 2008
Over the years I have become a bit of a fan of Ben Mezrich's style of writing; take a true story, add a few bits from another (parallel) story, and then throw it all together in a style generally reserved for fiction writing.

The story itself is very interesting, and I'm full of admiration for the skills of the people involved in the card counting schemes. Out here in the real world the word used to describe would be "genius". As well telling you about the main characters' back ground, the history of the card counting scheme, and how it was perfected over time, a fair bit of Vegas history is also thrown in throughout the book.

I'm a huge fan of Vegas history books, and this one was the first I read about the card counting scheme. It certainly made me want to read more about the subject; so whilst there may be better books around on the subject this one is certainly a very good place to start.

Superb, 13 Oct 2008
This book is a true roller coaster ride through the life of Kevin Lewis. It is fast paced and really does read like a movie (whcich it obviously is now). I found it incredibly difficult to stop reading this book right from the word go and if I hadn't needed to go to work, I wouldn't have stopped.

If you are loking for a book that will keep you entertained and engaged but with a factual twist, this is the book for you. Almost makes you want to hop on the next flight to Vegas, but there is a warning held in this book as well and in a way that makes it even better still.

A true classic.

Excellent book, 09 Sep 2008
I could recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Vegas and the world of gambling in particular. The book reads very well and it's impossible to put it down, it builds up to a nice climax and wants you to know more about the subject. This book made me a Ben Mezrich fan.



Quick read and a good double buy, 28 May 2008
At the time I only bought Bringing Down The House, that was a mistake, I should have got Breaking Vegas at the same time. I will go back and give the book another read (you can speed-read very quickly thanks to Mezrich's writing) since I watched the faction film "21" at the cinema last month. Anyone wanting the true story, this is the closest you'll get.

Superb quick read, 20 May 2008
You will enjoy this one no doubts about it. It's Oceans 11 meet Good Will Hunting and whilst ultimately a bit souless, is an extremely engrossing way to spend a couple of reading sessions.

Great story, nice style of writing, 11 May 2008
Over the years I have become a bit of a fan of Ben Mezrich's style of writing; take a true story, add a few bits from another (parallel) story, and then throw it all together in a style generally reserved for fiction writing.

The story itself is very interesting, and I'm full of admiration for the skills of the people involved in the card counting schemes. Out here in the real world the word used to describe would be "genius". As well telling you about the main characters' back ground, the history of the card counting scheme, and how it was perfected over time, a fair bit of Vegas history is also thrown in throughout the book.

I'm a huge fan of Vegas history books, and this one was the first I read about the card counting scheme. It certainly made me want to read more about the subject; so whilst there may be better books around on the subject this one is certainly a very good place to start.

Inglorious Certainty?, 13 Oct 2008
The merit of this book for me was that it does make the point that, if you are going to be a fulltime gambler, you are in it for the big bucks, not the small cheeses, unlke (as Nevison points out) some other professional backers, who are content to make something like £20K a year, albeit taxfree. Nevison wants more like £200K+ if not far more! And, if he is to be believed, he gets it! That alone, if so, makes his book worth reading. The downside is the abrasive Yorkshire knowall element, which slightly (more than slightly) put my teeth on edge. And his lifestyle around and off the course, seems to be the polar opposite of mine, but then I am not an ex-City of London trader turned honest gambler!

A good read on the whole, but not a lot of use for tips on betting for those of us for whom the normal punt is £100 or less (and I have never put on more than £3K and that money was the result of a run of three winners, ie profit monies). Nevison is --or more or less says he is-- Big Time, but therein lies a lot of the interest, of course.

A couple of lenghts behind, 01 Jul 2008
For what had the ingredients to become a bloody good book, it doesn't deliver. Dave Nevison really could have made this book a lot better than it is. Reason being is that for such an interesting profession, I am very surprised that for all the race meetings that he has attended, there were not more hilarious stories to be told. It is interesting, but not interesting enough for me. From a gambling perspective, interesting stories & facts, but no secrets. If you do read this book, you won't be able to give up your day job after you've finished it if that's what you are looking for.

A Bloody Good Read, 28 Jan 2008
I read Daves weekly column, its never too serious, and is an entertaining account of his ups and downs as a professional punter. This book offers more of the same, right from his beginnings in the city through his decision to become a professional punter. It gives you an insight into his methodology, although does not go into any great detail, but that isn't what this book is about. Dave holds many strong opinions, and does not shirk expressing them, about racing and some of the individuals in it. I read this book cover to cover in three days, and really really enjoyed it, it also confirmed what I have always known, that I don't have the balls to be pro punter. Buy it be entertained.

Interesting, 05 Dec 2007
An interesting look at the work of a modern day punter .
Who makes a good living from his not the norm methods of multiple betting .
The book made the modern day world of Internet betting , Spread betting etc. an area that is worth consideration for those of the old school .
No road to riches for the novice punter to be found amongst these pages as Dave's actual methods receive scant coverage .However what is more than useful is an indication of the attitude of mind that is required to make your betting pay .That alone may be worth the books cost providing you get it at a value price.

jje

The Perfect Book For The Horse Racing Enthusiast, 05 Dec 2007
If you already have a reasonable knowledge of horse racing, then this book will definitely steer you in the direction needed to become a profitable gambler. For sure Dave doesn't go into the abc's of odds compiling, or exactly how he judges form, but these things are easily learned if your serious about punting on the horses.
This acount of a professional gambler is both funny and extremely close to the bone. Anyone with a good sense of humour and even the vaguest interest in the horses will love this book.

Superb, 13 Oct 2008
This book is a true roller coaster ride through the life of Kevin Lewis. It is fast paced and really does read like a movie (whcich it obviously is now). I found it incredibly difficult to stop reading this book right from the word go and if I hadn't needed to go to work, I wouldn't have stopped.

If you are loking for a book that will keep you entertained and engaged but with a factual twist, this is the book for you. Almost makes you want to hop on the next flight to Vegas, but there is a warning held in this book as well and in a way that makes it even better still.

A true classic.

Excellent book, 09 Sep 2008
I could recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Vegas and the world of gambling in particular. The book reads very well and it's impossible to put it down, it builds up to a nice climax and wants you to know more about the subject. This book made me a Ben Mezrich fan.



Quick read and a good double buy, 28 May 2008
At the time I only bought Bringing Down The House, that was a mistake, I should have got Breaking Vegas at the same time. I will go back and give the book another read (you can speed-read very quickly thanks to Mezrich's writing) since I watched the faction film "21" at the cinema last month. Anyone wanting the true story, this is the closest you'll get.

Superb quick read, 20 May 2008
You will enjoy this one no doubts about it. It's Oceans 11 meet Good Will Hunting and whilst ultimately a bit souless, is an extremely engrossing way to spend a couple of reading sessions.

Great story, nice style of writing, 11 May 2008
Over the years I have become a bit of a fan of Ben Mezrich's style of writing; take a true story, add a few bits from another (parallel) story, and then throw it all together in a style generally reserved for fiction writing.

The story itself is very interesting, and I'm full of admiration for the skills of the people involved in the card counting schemes. Out here in the real world the word used to describe would be "genius". As well telling you about the main characters' back ground, the history of the card counting scheme, and how it was perfected over time, a fair bit of Vegas history is also thrown in throughout the book.

I'm a huge fan of Vegas history books, and this one was the first I read about the card counting scheme. It certainly made me want to read more about the subject; so whilst there may be better books around on the subject this one is certainly a very good place to start.

Inglorious Certainty?, 13 Oct 2008
The merit of this book for me was that it does make the point that, if you are going to be a fulltime gambler, you are in it for the big bucks, not the small cheeses, unlke (as Nevison points out) some other professional backers, who are content to make something like £20K a year, albeit taxfree. Nevison wants more like £200K+ if not far more! And, if he is to be believed, he gets it! That alone, if so, makes his book worth reading. The downside is the abrasive Yorkshire knowall element, which slightly (more than slightly) put my teeth on edge. And his lifestyle around and off the course, seems to be the polar opposite of mine, but then I am not an ex-City of London trader turned honest gambler!

A good read on the whole, but not a lot of use for tips on betting for those of us for whom the normal punt is £100 or less (and I have never put on more than £3K and that money was the result of a run of three winners, ie profit monies). Nevison is --or more or less says he is-- Big Time, but therein lies a lot of the interest, of course.

A couple of lenghts behind, 01 Jul 2008
For what had the ingredients to become a bloody good book, it doesn't deliver. Dave Nevison really could have made this book a lot better than it is. Reason being is that for such an interesting profession, I am very surprised that for all the race meetings that he has attended, there were not more hilarious stories to be told. It is interesting, but not interesting enough for me. From a gambling perspective, interesting stories & facts, but no secrets. If you do read this book, you won't be able to give up your day job after you've finished it if that's what you are looking for.

A Bloody Good Read, 28 Jan 2008
I read Daves weekly column, its never too serious, and is an entertaining account of his ups and downs as a professional punter. This book offers more of the same, right from his beginnings in the city through his decision to become a professional punter. It gives you an insight into his methodology, although does not go into any great detail, but that isn't what this book is about. Dave holds many strong opinions, and does not shirk expressing them, about racing and some of the individuals in it. I read this book cover to cover in three days, and really really enjoyed it, it also confirmed what I have always known, that I don't have the balls to be pro punter. Buy it be entertained.

Interesting, 05 Dec 2007
An interesting look at the work of a modern day punter .
Who makes a good living from his not the norm methods of multiple betting .
The book made the modern day world of Internet betting , Spread betting etc. an area that is worth consideration for those of the old school .
No road to riches for the novice punter to be found amongst these pages as Dave's actual methods receive scant coverage .However what is more than useful is an indication of the attitude of mind that is required to make your betting pay .That alone may be worth the books cost providing you get it at a value price.

jje

The Perfect Book For The Horse Racing Enthusiast, 05 Dec 2007
If you already have a reasonable knowledge of horse racing, then this book will definitely steer you in the direction needed to become a profitable gambler. For sure Dave doesn't go into the abc's of odds compiling, or exactly how he judges form, but these things are easily learned if your serious about punting on the horses.
This acount of a professional gambler is both funny and extremely close to the bone. Anyone with a good sense of humour and even the vaguest interest in the horses will love this book.

An enjoyable and well-written look at this fascinating subculture, 17 Oct 2008
The growing worldwide poker phenomenon... it's weird. People are playing all the time around the world online; for some it's their job. I don't play myself, but I find the whole subculture fascinating.

Bringing us up-to-date since his landmark "Big Deal" of some years ago, poker's chronicler Anthony Holden has written another insightful, great fun, brilliantly-written insider's look at the new poker scene. He comes across as a really decent guy... unsparing in his realistic assessments of his own poker abilities, his sadness at the lack of a Moll by his side, his enjoyment of his sons, cronies and assorted poker buddies. What's most enjoyable is his unbowed optimism and going-for-it attitude in his bid to (one day) become poker world champion. I really hope he makes it.

Even if he never makes it to champ, Holden has - with this book and its forerunner - proved himself to be the champion at one thing though: writing about poker.

Read and enjoy!

Bigger Deal, 20 Sep 2007
Reading Bigger Deal seventeen years after the original was like having sex with your wife after after all those years: at the back of your mind you know you still enjoy it but some how its not quite the same...Bigger Deal suffered from Holden's obvious disillusion with the New Poker and his melancholy at the Moll's now mere cameo appearances. It also suffered from the fact that he was not playing as a pro this time and just dipped in and out of the deep end when the sun came out. Holden comes across as a good cash game player but far too cautious to make it as a tournament player. You never got excited for him in his tournaments because you knew he is not top 10% It would have been nice to see more cash game narrative but somehow it all got skated over. The original Big Deal is probably the best poker narrative written but Bigger Deal comes nowhere near it. Still readable but just don't think it will be The Godfather II to the Godfather...

The 2nd Best Book on Poker, 03 Jun 2007
If you are looking for one of the many technical manuals to improve your poker, this is not the book for you. However, if you are a keen poker player, but want something entertaining to read between games, this might be the one.

You really need to have read 'Big Deal' written nearly 20 years before, when Holden first tried his hand as a poker professional. But even without that, this will still be an absorbing and amusing read.

Holden writes very well, being amusing, informative and philosophical. For a poker player like myself (enthusiastic, but not very good, and seeming never to improve) this book provides a degree of consolation, that even fairly good players will never be that great, and at the end of the day, it is a game and a passtime for most of us.

The best book on poker? Inevitably I think it is Holden's 'Big Deal', although the poker scene has changed beyond all recognition in the intervening years.

Read the book the next time you lose a stack to a fluke river card.

Superb, 13 Oct 2008
This book is a true roller coaster ride through the life of Kevin Lewis. It is fast paced and really does read like a movie (whcich it obviously is now). I found it incredibly difficult to stop reading this book right from the word go and if I hadn't needed to go to work, I wouldn't have stopped.

If you are loking for a book that will keep you entertained and engaged but with a factual twist, this is the book for you. Almost makes you want to hop on the next flight to Vegas, but there is a warning held in this book as well and in a way that makes it even better still.

A true classic.

Excellent book, 09 Sep 2008
I could recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Vegas and the world of gambling in particular. The book reads very well and it's impossible to put it down, it builds up to a nice climax and wants you to know more about the subject. This book made me a Ben Mezrich fan.



Quick read and a good double buy, 28 May 2008
At the time I only bought Bringing Down The House, that was a mistake, I should have got Breaking Vegas at the same time. I will go back and give the book another read (you can speed-read very quickly thanks to Mezrich's writing) since I watched the faction film "21" at the cinema last month. Anyone wanting the true story, this is the closest you'll get.

Superb quick read, 20 May 2008
You will enjoy this one no doubts about it. It's Oceans 11 meet Good Will Hunting and whilst ultimately a bit souless, is an extremely engrossing way to spend a couple of reading sessions.

Great story, nice style of writing, 11 May 2008
Over the years I have become a bit of a fan of Ben Mezrich's style of writing; take a true story, add a few bits from another (parallel) story, and then throw it all together in a style generally reserved for fiction writing.

The story itself is very interesting, and I'm full of admiration for the skills of the people involved in the card counting schemes. Out here in the real world the word used to describe would be "genius". As well telling you about the main characters' back ground, the history of the card counting scheme, and how it was perfected over time, a fair bit of Vegas history is also thrown in throughout the book.

I'm a huge fan of Vegas history books, and this one was the first I read about the card counting scheme. It certainly made me want to read more about the subject; so whilst there may be better books around on the subject this one is certainly a very good place to start.

Inglorious Certainty?, 13 Oct 2008
The merit of this book for me was that it does make the point that, if you are going to be a fulltime gambler, you are in it for the big bucks, not the small cheeses, unlke (as Nevison points out) some other professional backers, who are content to make something like £20K a year, albeit taxfree. Nevison wants more like £200K+ if not far more! And, if he is to be believed, he gets it! That alone, if so, makes his book worth reading. The downside is the abrasive Yorkshire knowall element, which slightly (more than slightly) put my teeth on edge. And his lifestyle around and off the course, seems to be the polar opposite of mine, but then I am not an ex-City of London trader turned honest gambler!

A good read on the whole, but not a lot of use for tips on betting for those of us for whom the normal punt is £100 or less (and I have never put on more than £3K and that money was the result of a run of three winners, ie profit monies). Nevison is --or more or less says he is-- Big Time, but therein lies a lot of the interest, of course.

A couple of lenghts behind, 01 Jul 2008
For what had the ingredients to become a bloody good book, it doesn't deliver. Dave Nevison really could have made this book a lot better than it is. Reason being is that for such an interesting profession, I am very surprised that for all the race meetings that he has attended, there were not more hilarious stories to be told. It is interesting, but not interesting enough for me. From a gambling perspective, interesting stories & facts, but no secrets. If you do read this book, you won't be able to give up your day job after you've finished it if that's what you are looking for.

A Bloody Good Read, 28 Jan 2008
I read Daves weekly column, its never too serious, and is an entertaining account of his ups and downs as a professional punter. This book offers more of the same, right from his beginnings in the city through his decision to become a professional punter. It gives you an insight into his methodology, although does not go into any great detail, but that isn't what this book is about. Dave holds many strong opinions, and does not shirk expressing them, about racing and some of the individuals in it. I read this book cover to cover in three days, and really really enjoyed it, it also confirmed what I have always known, that I don't have the balls to be pro punter. Buy it be entertained.

Interesting, 05 Dec 2007
An interesting look at the work of a modern day punter .
Who makes a good living from his not the norm methods of multiple betting .
The book made the modern day world of Internet betting , Spread betting etc. an area that is worth consideration for those of the old school .
No road to riches for the novice punter to be found amongst these pages as Dave's actual methods receive scant coverage .However what is more than useful is an indication of the attitude of mind that is required to make your betting pay .That alone may be worth the books cost providing you get it at a value price.

jje

The Perfect Book For The Horse Racing Enthusiast, 05 Dec 2007
If you already have a reasonable knowledge of horse racing, then this book will definitely steer you in the direction needed to become a profitable gambler. For sure Dave doesn't go into the abc's of odds compiling, or exactly how he judges form, but these things are easily learned if your serious about punting on the horses.
This acount of a professional gambler is both funny and extremely close to the bone. Anyone with a good sense of humour and even the vaguest interest in the horses will love this book.

An enjoyable and well-written look at this fascinating subculture, 17 Oct 2008
The growing worldwide poker phenomenon... it's weird. People are playing all the time around the world online; for some it's their job. I don't play myself, but I find the whole subculture fascinating.

Bringing us up-to-date since his landmark "Big Deal" of some years ago, poker's chronicler Anthony Holden has written another insightful, great fun, brilliantly-written insider's look at the new poker scene. He comes across as a really decent guy... unsparing in his realistic assessments of his own poker abilities, his sadness at the lack of a Moll by his side, his enjoyment of his sons, cronies and assorted poker buddies. What's most enjoyable is his unbowed optimism and going-for-it attitude in his bid to (one day) become poker world champion. I really hope he makes it.

Even if he never makes it to champ, Holden has - with this book and its forerunner - proved himself to be the champion at one thing though: writing about poker.

Read and enjoy!

Bigger Deal, 20 Sep 2007
Reading Bigger Deal seventeen years after the original was like having sex with your wife after after all those years: at the back of your mind you know you still enjoy it but some how its not quite the same...Bigger Deal suffered from Holden's obvious disillusion with the New Poker and his melancholy at the Moll's now mere cameo appearances. It also suffered from the fact that he was not playing as a pro this time and just dipped in and out of the deep end when the sun came out. Holden comes across as a good cash game player but far too cautious to make it as a tournament player. You never got excited for him in his tournaments because you knew he is not top 10% It would have been nice to see more cash game narrative but somehow it all got skated over. The original Big Deal is probably the best poker narrative written but Bigger Deal comes nowhere near it. Still readable but just don't think it will be The Godfather II to the Godfather...

The 2nd Best Book on Poker, 03 Jun 2007
If you are looking for one of the many technical manuals to improve your poker, this is not the book for you. However, if you are a keen poker player, but want something entertaining to read between games, this might be the one.

You really need to have read 'Big Deal' written nearly 20 years before, when Holden first tried his hand as a poker professional. But even without that, this will still be an absorbing and amusing read.

Holden writes very well, being amusing, informative and philosophical. For a poker player like myself (enthusiastic, but not very good, and seeming never to improve) this book provides a degree of consolation, that even fairly good players will never be that great, and at the end of the day, it is a game and a passtime for most of us.

The best book on poker? Inevitably I think it is Holden's 'Big Deal', although the poker scene has changed beyond all recognition in the intervening years.

Read the book the next time you lose a stack to a fluke river card.

A fabulous book containing some very intersting stories indeed, 17 May 2007
Whether you are a gambler or not, and I am a veteran one, the scam stroies in this book are absolutely excellent, extremely well written, easy to follow, and make a great entertaining read.

If you have ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes when some of these great coups have been pulled off, this book is for you. I particularly enjoyed the story about the trio who pulled off the audacious con against the Ritz Casino for in excess of a million pounds, and also the story about rigged football matches. I always thought that football was immune to corruption - obviously not!

This is a great book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Top marks to the author for putting together such fascinating and entertaining adventures.

Superb, 13 Oct 2008
This book is a true roller coaster ride through the life of Kevin Lewis. It is fast paced and really does read like a movie (whcich it obviously is now). I found it incredibly difficult to stop reading this book right from the word go and if I hadn't needed to go to work, I wouldn't have stopped.

If you are loking for a book that will keep you entertained and engaged but with a factual twist, this is the book for you. Almost makes you want to hop on the next flight to Vegas, but there is a warning held in this book as well and in a way that makes it even better still.

A true classic.

Excellent book, 09 Sep 2008
I could recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Vegas and the world of gambling in particular. The book reads very well and it's impossible to put it down, it builds up to a nice climax and wants you to know more about the subject. This book made me a Ben Mezrich fan.



Quick read and a good double buy, 28 May 2008
At the time I only bought Bringing Down The House, that was a mistake, I should have got Breaking Vegas at the same time. I will go back and give the book another read (you can speed-read very quickly thanks to Mezrich's writing) since I watched the faction film "21" at the cinema last month. Anyone wanting the true story, this is the closest you'll get.

Superb quick read, 20 May 2008
You will enjoy this one no doubts about it. It's Oceans 11 meet Good Will Hunting and whilst ultimately a bit souless, is an extremely engrossing way to spend a couple of reading sessions.

Great story, nice style of writing, 11 May 2008
Over the years I have become a bit of a fan of Ben Mezrich's style of writing; take a true story, add a few bits from another (parallel) story, and then throw it all together in a style generally reserved for fiction writing.

The story itself is very interesting, and I'm full of admiration for the skills of the people involved in the card counting schemes. Out here in the real world the word used to describe would be "genius". As well telling you about the main characters' back ground, the history of the card counting scheme, and how it was perfected over time, a fair bit of Vegas history is also thrown in throughout the book.

I'm a huge fan of Vegas history books, and this one was the first I read about the card counting scheme. It certainly made me want to read more about the subject; so whilst there may be better books around on the subject this one is certainly a very good place to start.

Inglorious Certainty?, 13 Oct 2008
The merit of this book for me was that it does make the point that, if you are going to be a fulltime gambler, you are in it for the big bucks, not the small cheeses, unlke (as Nevison points out) some other professional backers, who are content to make something like £20K a year, albeit taxfree. Nevison wants more like £200K+ if not far more! And, if he is to be believed, he gets it! That alone, if so, makes his book worth reading. The downside is the abrasive Yorkshire knowall element, which slightly (more than slightly) put my teeth on edge. And his lifestyle around and off the course, seems to be the polar opposite of mine, but then I am not an ex-City of London trader turned honest gambler!

A good read on the whole, but not a lot of use for tips on betting for those of us for whom the normal punt is £100 or less (and I have never put on more than £3K and that money was the result of a run of three winners, ie profit monies). Nevison is --or more or less says he is-- Big Time, but therein lies a lot of the interest, of course.

A couple of lenghts behind, 01 Jul 2008
For what had the ingredients to become a bloody good book, it doesn't deliver. Dave Nevison really could have made this book a lot better than it is. Reason being is that for such an interesting profession, I am very surprised that for all the race meetings that he has attended, there were not more hilarious stories to be told. It is interesting, but not interesting enough for me. From a gambling perspective, interesting stories & facts, but no secrets. If you do read this book, you won't be able to give up your day job after you've finished it if that's what you are looking for.

A Bloody Good Read, 28 Jan 2008
I read Daves weekly column, its never too serious, and is an entertaining account of his ups and downs as a professional punter. This book offers more of the same, right from his beginnings in the city through his decision to become a professional punter. It gives you an insight into his methodology, although does not go into any great detail, but that isn't what this book is about. Dave holds many strong opinions, and does not shirk expressing them, about racing and some of the individuals in it. I read this book cover to cover in three days, and really really enjoyed it, it also confirmed what I have always known, that I don't have the balls to be pro punter. Buy it be entertained.

Interesting, 05 Dec 2007
An interesting look at the work of a modern day punter .
Who makes a good living from his not the norm methods of multiple betting .
The book made the modern day world of Internet betting , Spread betting etc. an area that is worth consideration for those of the old school .
No road to riches for the novice punter to be found amongst these pages as Dave's actual methods receive scant coverage .However what is more than useful is an indication of the attitude of mind that is required to make your betting pay .That alone may be worth the books cost providing you get it at a value price.

jje

The Perfect Book For The Horse Racing Enthusiast, 05 Dec 2007
If you already have a reasonable knowledge of horse racing, then this book will definitely steer you in the direction needed to become a profitable gambler. For sure Dave doesn't go into the abc's of odds compiling, or exactly how he judges form, but these things are easily learned if your serious about punting on the horses.
This acount of a professional gambler is both funny and extremely close to the bone. Anyone with a good sense of humour and even the vaguest interest in the horses will love this book.

An enjoyable and well-written look at this fascinating subculture, 17 Oct 2008
The growing worldwide poker phenomenon... it's weird. People are playing all the time around the world online; for some it's their job. I don't play myself, but I find the whole subculture fascinating.

Bringing us up-to-date since his landmark "Big Deal" of some years ago, poker's chronicler Anthony Holden has written another insightful, great fun, brilliantly-written insider's look at the new poker scene. He comes across as a really decent guy... unsparing in his realistic assessments of his own poker abilities, his sadness at the lack of a Moll by his side, his enjoyment of his sons, cronies and assorted poker buddies. What's most enjoyable is his unbowed optimism and going-for-it attitude in his bid to (one day) become poker world champion. I really hope he makes it.

Even if he never makes it to champ, Holden has - with this book and its forerunner - proved himself to be the champion at one thing though: writing about poker.

Read and enjoy!

Bigger Deal, 20 Sep 2007
Reading Bigger Deal seventeen years after the original was like having sex with your wife after after all those years: at the back of your mind you know you still enjoy it but some how its not quite the same...Bigger Deal suffered from Holden's obvious disillusion with the New Poker and his melancholy at the Moll's now mere cameo appearances. It also suffered from the fact that he was not playing as a pro this time and just dipped in and out of the deep end when the sun came out. Holden comes across as a good cash game player but far too cautious to make it as a tournament player. You never got excited for him in his tournaments because you knew he is not top 10% It would have been nice to see more cash game narrative but somehow it all got skated over. The original Big Deal is probably the best poker narrative written but Bigger Deal comes nowhere near it. Still readable but just don't think it will be The Godfather II to the Godfather...

The 2nd Best Book on Poker, 03 Jun 2007
If you are looking for one of the many technical manuals to improve your poker, this is not the book for you. However, if you are a keen poker player, but want something entertaining to read between games, this might be the one.

You really need to have read 'Big Deal' written nearly 20 years before, when Holden first tried his hand as a poker professional. But even without that, this will still be an absorbing and amusing read.

Holden writes very well, being amusing, informative and philosophical. For a poker player like myself (enthusiastic, but not very good, and seeming never to improve) this book provides a degree of consolation, that even fairly good players will never be that great, and at the end of the day, it is a game and a passtime for most of us.

The best book on poker? Inevitably I think it is Holden's 'Big Deal', although the poker scene has changed beyond all recognition in the intervening years.

Read the book the next time you lose a stack to a fluke river card.

A fabulous book containing some very intersting stories indeed, 17 May 2007
Whether you are a gambler or not, and I am a veteran one, the scam stroies in this book are absolutely excellent, extremely well written, easy to follow, and make a great entertaining read.

If you have ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes when some of these great coups have been pulled off, this book is for you. I particularly enjoyed the story about the trio who pulled off the audacious con against the Ritz Casino for in excess of a million pounds, and also the story about rigged football matches. I always thought that football was immune to corruption - obviously not!

This is a great book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Top marks to the author for putting together such fascinating and entertaining adventures.

I didnt like the man, 01 May 2008
I thought the book was quite dull and Anthony Holden came across as a pompous ass.


Shuffle Up & Read, 09 May 2007
Synopsis
The story of a year spent by biographer Anthony Holden in the tough world of the professional poker player. He spent days and nights in the poker paradise of Las Vegas, in Malta and Morocco, even shipboard, mingling with the legendary greats, sharpening his game, perfecting his repartee, and learning a great deal about himself in the process. Poker, Holden would insist, is not gambling. Like chess it is a paradigm of life at its most intense, a gladiatorial contest that brings out the best as well as the worst in people. Its heroes, its eccentrics and is comedians stalk the pages of this book, along with all the hair-raising, nail-biting excitement of the games themselves. The book is reissued with a new introduction by the author.

This is a fantastic read and extremely well written book. It makes you actually feel that you are there and shows that life as a Poker pro is not necessarily exciting but you wouldn't swap it for anything in the world.

It's about a journeyman player who decides to give it all up and turn "pro" for a year just to experience the life and see where the journey takes him.

There are lots of anecdotes about well known players (The ones about Amarillo Slim are hilarious), a brutal honesty and an excellent insight into life on the road and the places they go and people they meet. It could almost be a work of fiction.

You do not have to be a Poker fan to enjoy this book as it's not really a book about Poker but a story of a year in the life of someone living the dream.


Misses the flop, 22 Jul 2006
There is no way that Big Deal should miss the flop but when the cards are flipped at showdown, Anthony Holden is holding rags. He has the anecdotes, he has the hard-earned experience, he even has the dust-jacket endorsements - David Mamet, Salman Rushide and Martin Amis. But he just doesn't have the nuts.

Poker until the late 1970's was a game of hard-ass Texan hustlers, a Runyon-esque romp from coast-to-coast. Poker since the late 1990's has been dotcom boom time, an ever-expanding entertainment industry and a blue-chip business in both its casino and online forms. Big Deal sits somewhere in the middle, harking back to the golden age, but unable to look forward to mass-participation.

The old-time stories, and literary-Londoner-in-Las Vegas observations are lifted straight from Al Alvarez's The Biggest Game in Town. Alvarez, is Holden's real-life mentor, and the pupil never threatens to overreach his master.

The book recounts Holden's experiences on the professional circuit in 1988-9, book-ended by a pair of appearances at the World Series of Poker Main Event, the $10,000 buy-in No Limit Hold 'Em tournament. He comes 90th in 1988, then 111th in 1989. But Holden gets outdrawn on these experiences which should be his book's big draw.

James McManus, another journalist/author and literary type entered the tournament in 2000 - and made the final table, winning a quarter million dollars. Positively Fifth Street, McManus' tale of his exploits, woven into his coverage murder trial following the death of Vegas legend Ted Binion, really tells you what it's like for an amateur to sit with the pro's.

Don't misunderstand. Big Deal is a good book. It is a worthy book. The poker is real, the players are real and the writing is real. But it is not a great book. It is neither as entertaining nor perceptive as Alvarez' original, and it is not as exciting or informative as McManus' update.

Superb! A poker book that disbands technical theories and gets down to the action on the table..., 21 May 2006
This is a book for the player who loves stories of dramatic hands at poker, thrilling victories, unbelievable luck (good aswell as bad), and crushing bad-beats. Holden sublimely recalls his story of a year spent as a poker pro, and is a must-read for every poker fan. You can get away from the plethora of books offering new fang-dangled strategies and theorums, and get indulged in a book that captures a real essence of poker. From his local tuesday night game, to the out-of-his-depth high rollers ables at Vegas, Holden perfectly tells his story on. A fascinating, exciting, and captiviating book. Brilliant.

Brilliant!, 25 Sep 2004
What a top book. I love books about card players and films too as everyone believes they could this, but we couldn't. Who wouldn't love to drop everything and chase their dream for a year? The detail and suspense in the book is amazing and I just didn't want it to end. The characters he meets are amazing, especially as they are real. Altogether, a great read and I'm already saving up to do the same!

Superb, 13 Oct 2008
This book is a true roller coaster ride through the life of Kevin Lewis. It is fast paced and really does read like a movie (whcich it obviously is now). I found it incredibly difficult to stop reading this book right from the word go and if I hadn't needed to go to work, I wouldn't have stopped.

If you are loking for a book that will keep you entertained and engaged but with a factual twist, this is the book for you. Almost makes you want to hop on the next flight to Vegas, but there is a warning held in this book as well and in a way that makes it even better still.

A true classic.

Excellent book, 09 Sep 2008
I could recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Vegas and the world of gambling in particular. The book reads very well and it's impossible to put it down, it builds up to a nice climax and wants you to know more about the subject. This book made me a Ben Mezrich fan.



Quick read and a good double buy, 28 May 2008
At the time I only bought Bringing Down The House, that was a mistake, I should have got Breaking Vegas at the same time. I will go back and give the book another read (you can speed-read very quickly thanks to Mezrich's writing) since I watched the faction film "21" at the cinema last month. Anyone wanting the true story, this is the closest you'll get.

Superb quick read, 20 May 2008
You will enjoy this one no doubts about it. It's Oceans 11 meet Good Will Hunting and whilst ultimately a bit souless, is an extremely engrossing way to spend a couple of reading sessions.

Great story, nice style of writing, 11 May 2008
Over the years I have become a bit of a fan of Ben Mezrich's style of writing; take a true story, add a few bits from another (parallel) story, and then throw it all together in a style generally reserved for fiction writing.

The story itself is very interesting, and I'm full of admiration for the skills of the people involved in the card counting schemes. Out here in the real world the word used to describe would be "genius". As well telling you about the main characters' back ground, the history of the card counting scheme, and how it was perfected over time, a fair bit of Vegas history is also thrown in throughout the book.

I'm a huge fan of Vegas history books, and this one was the first I read about the card counting scheme. It certainly made me want to read more about the subject; so whilst there may be better books around on the subject this one is certainly a very good place to start.

Inglorious Certainty?, 13 Oct 2008
The merit of this book for me was that it does make the point that, if you are going to be a fulltime gambler, you are in it for the big bucks, not the small cheeses, unlke (as Nevison points out) some other professional backers, who are content to make something like £20K a year, albeit taxfree. Nevison wants more like £200K+ if not far more! And, if he is to be believed, he gets it! That alone, if so, makes his book worth reading. The downside is the abrasive Yorkshire knowall element, which slightly (more than slightly) put my teeth on edge. And his lifestyle around and off the course, seems to be the polar opposite of mine, but then I am not an ex-City of London trader turned honest gambler!

A good read on the whole, but not a lot of use for tips on betting for those of us for whom the normal punt is £100 or less (and I have never put on more than £3K and that money was the result of a run of three winners, ie profit monies). Nevison is --or more or less says he is-- Big Time, but therein lies a lot of the interest, of course.

A couple of lenghts behind, 01 Jul 2008
For what had the ingredients to become a bloody good book, it doesn't deliver. Dave Nevison really could have made this book a lot better than it is. Reason being is that for such an interesting profession, I am very surprised that for all the race meetings that he has attended, there were not more hilarious stories to be told. It is interesting, but not interesting enough for me. From a gambling perspective, interesting stories & facts, but no secrets. If you do read this book, you won't be able to give up your day job after you've finished it if that's what you are looking for.

A Bloody Good Read, 28 Jan 2008
I read Daves weekly column, its never too serious, and is an entertaining account of his ups and downs as a professional punter. This book offers more of the same, right from his beginnings in the city through his decision to become a professional punter. It gives you an insight into his methodology, although does not go into any great detail, but that isn't what this book is about. Dave holds many strong opinions, and does not shirk expressing them, about racing and some of the individuals in it. I read this book cover to cover in three days, and really really enjoyed it, it also confirmed what I have always known, that I don't have the balls to be pro punter. Buy it be entertained.

Interesting, 05 Dec 2007
An interesting look at the work of a modern day punter .
Who makes a good living from his not the norm methods of multiple betting .
The book made the modern day world of Internet betting , Spread betting etc. an area that is worth consideration for those of the old school .
No road to riches for the novice punter to be found amongst these pages as Dave's actual methods receive scant coverage .However what is more than useful is an indication of the attitude of mind that is required to make your betting pay .That alone may be worth the books cost providing you get it at a value price.

jje

The Perfect Book For The Horse Racing Enthusiast, 05 Dec 2007
If you already have a reasonable knowledge of horse racing, then this book will definitely steer you in the direction needed to become a profitable gambler. For sure Dave doesn't go into the abc's of odds compiling, or exactly how he judges form, but these things are easily learned if your serious about punting on the horses.
This acount of a professional gambler is both funny and extremely close to the bone. Anyone with a good sense of humour and even the vaguest interest in the horses will love this book.

An enjoyable and well-written look at this fascinating subculture, 17 Oct 2008
The growing worldwide poker phenomenon... it's weird. People are playing all the time around the world online; for some it's their job. I don't play myself, but I find the whole subculture fascinating.

Bringing us up-to-date since his landmark "Big Deal" of some years ago, poker's chronicler Anthony Holden has written another insightful, great fun, brilliantly-written insider's look at the new poker scene. He comes across as a really decent guy... unsparing in his realistic assessments of his own poker abilities, his sadness at the lack of a Moll by his side, his enjoyment of his sons, cronies and assorted poker buddies. What's most enjoyable is his unbowed optimism and going-for-it attitude in his bid to (one day) become poker world champion. I really hope he makes it.

Even if he never makes it to champ, Holden has - with this book and its forerunner - proved himself to be the champion at one thing though: writing about poker.

Read and enjoy!

Bigger Deal, 20 Sep 2007
Reading Bigger Deal seventeen years after the original was like having sex with your wife after after all those years: at the back of your mind you know you still enjoy it but some how its not quite the same...Bigger Deal suffered from Holden's obvious disillusion with the New Poker and his melancholy at the Moll's now mere cameo appearances. It also suffered from the fact that he was not playing as a pro this time and just dipped in and out of the deep end when the sun came out. Holden comes across as a good cash game player but far too cautious to make it as a tournament player. You never got excited for him in his tournaments because you knew he is not top 10% It would have been nice to see more cash game narrative but somehow it all got skated over. The original Big Deal is probably the best poker narrative written but Bigger Deal comes nowhere near it. Still readable but just don't think it will be The Godfather II to the Godfather...

The 2nd Best Book on Poker, 03 Jun 2007
If you are looking for one of the many technical manuals to improve your poker, this is not the book for you. However, if you are a keen poker player, but want something entertaining to read between games, this might be the one.

You really need to have read 'Big Deal' written nearly 20 years before, when Holden first tried his hand as a poker professional. But even without that, this will still be an absorbing and amusing read.

Holden writes very well, being amusing, informative and philosophical. For a poker player like myself (enthusiastic, but not very good, and seeming never to improve) this book provides a degree of consolation, that even fairly good players will never be that great, and at the end of the day, it is a game and a passtime for most of us.

The best book on poker? Inevitably I think it is Holden's 'Big Deal', although the poker scene has changed beyond all recognition in the intervening years.

Read the book the next time you lose a stack to a fluke river card.

A fabulous book containing some very intersting stories indeed, 17 May 2007
Whether you are a gambler or not, and I am a veteran one, the scam stroies in this book are absolutely excellent, extremely well written, easy to follow, and make a great entertaining read.

If you have ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes when some of these great coups have been pulled off, this book is for you. I particularly enjoyed the story about the trio who pulled off the audacious con against the Ritz Casino for in excess of a million pounds, and also the story about rigged football matches. I always thought that football was immune to corruption - obviously not!

This is a great book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Top marks to the author for putting together such fascinating and entertaining adventures.

I didnt like the man, 01 May 2008
I thought the book was quite dull and Anthony Holden came across as a pompous ass.


Shuffle Up & Read, 09 May 2007
Synopsis
The story of a year spent by biographer Anthony Holden in the tough world of the professional poker player. He spent days and nights in the poker paradise of Las Vegas, in Malta and Morocco, even shipboard, mingling with the legendary greats, sharpening his game, perfecting his repartee, and learning a great deal about himself in the process. Poker, Holden would insist, is not gambling. Like chess it is a paradigm of life at its most intense, a gladiatorial contest that brings out the best as well as the worst in people. Its heroes, its eccentrics and is comedians stalk the pages of this book, along with all the hair-raising, nail-biting excitement of the games themselves. The book is reissued with a new introduction by the author.

This is a fantastic read and extremely well written book. It makes you actually feel that you are there and shows that life as a Poker pro is not necessarily exciting but you wouldn't swap it for anything in the world.

It's about a journeyman player who decides to give it all up and turn "pro" for a year just to experience the life and see where the journey takes him.

There are lots of anecdotes about well known players (The ones about Amarillo Slim are hilarious), a brutal honesty and an excellent insight into life on the road and the places they go and people they meet. It could almost be a work of fiction.

You do not have to be a Poker fan to enjoy this book as it's not really a book about Poker but a story of a year in the life of someone living the dream.


Misses the flop, 22 Jul 2006
There is no way that Big Deal should miss the flop but when the cards are flipped at showdown, Anthony Holden is holding rags. He has the anecdotes, he has the hard-earned experience, he even has the dust-jacket endorsements - David Mamet, Salman Rushide and Martin Amis. But he just doesn't have the nuts.

Poker until the late 1970's was a game of hard-ass Texan hustlers, a Runyon-esque romp from coast-to-coast. Poker since the late 1990's has been dotcom boom time, an ever-expanding entertainment industry and a blue-chip business in both its casino and online forms. Big Deal sits somewhere in the middle, harking back to the golden age, but unable to look forward to mass-participation.

The old-time stories, and literary-Londoner-in-Las Vegas observations are lifted straight from Al Alvarez's The Biggest Game in Town. Alvarez, is Holden's real-life mentor, and the pupil never threatens to overreach his master.

The book recounts Holden's experiences on the professional circuit in 1988-9, book-ended by a pair of appearances at the World Series of Poker Main Event, the $10,000 buy-in No Limit Hold 'Em tournament. He comes 90th in 1988, then 111th in 1989. But Holden gets outdrawn on these experiences which should be his book's big draw.

James McManus, another journalist/author and literary type entered the tournament in 2000 - and made the final table, winning a quarter million dollars. Positively Fifth Street, McManus' tale of his exploits, woven into his coverage murder trial following the death of Vegas legend Ted Binion, really tells you what it's like for an amateur to sit with the pro's.

Don't misunderstand. Big Deal is a good book. It is a worthy book. The poker is real, the players are real and the writing is real. But it is not a great book. It is neither as entertaining nor perceptive as Alvarez' original, and it is not as exciting or informative as McManus' update.

Superb! A poker book that disbands technical theories and gets down to the action on the table..., 21 May 2006
This is a book for the player who loves stories of dramatic hands at poker, thrilling victories, unbelievable luck (good aswell as bad), and crushing bad-beats. Holden sublimely recalls his story of a year spent as a poker pro, and is a must-read for every poker fan. You can get away from the plethora of books offering new fang-dangled strategies and theorums, and get indulged in a book that captures a real essence of poker. From his local tuesday night game, to the out-of-his-depth high rollers ables at Vegas, Holden perfectly tells his story on. A fascinating, exciting, and captiviating book. Brilliant.

Brilliant!, 25 Sep 2004
What a top book. I love books about card players and films too as everyone believes they could this, but we couldn't. Who wouldn't love to drop everything and chase their dream for a year? The detail and suspense in the book is amazing and I just didn't want it to end. The characters he meets are amazing, especially as they are real. Altogether, a great read and I'm already saving up to do the same!

Fascinating!!!!!, 21 Jan 2007
This is one of the best gambling books I have ever read and is a true story. The story behind it is that in 2001, a stranger from Texas entered the high-stakes poker room in the Bellagio casino in Las Vegas and challenged the world's top poker pros to a series of heads up, high stakes cash games which in the end resulted in millions of dollars on the table. All the names are familiar from all the various poker shows on TV (except the stranger!)

The writer has obtained access to all the characters involved and gotten everyone's side of the story and re-constructed what happened over a period of challenges covering three years.

It is fascinating how the challenger, a very wealthy banker, won and lost millions of dollars and played, beat and also lost to many of the worlds top players. How he constantly tried to improve his game and pit his bankroll against the wits of the top pros. How he proved that even pros can be made to feel twitchy when they are re-raised into a multi million dollar pot

He certainly didn't do it for the money and appears he wanted to prove to himself that the pros could be broken.

The question is - what was the outcome?

For anyone interested in gambling stories, again, this is highly recommended.

Superb, 13 Oct 2008
This book is a true roller coaster ride through the life of Kevin Lewis. It is fast paced and really does read like a movie (whcich it obviously is now). I found it incredibly difficult to stop reading this book right from the word go and if I hadn't needed to go to work, I wouldn't have stopped.

If you are loking for a book that will keep you entertained and engaged but with a factual twist, this is the book for you. Almost makes you want to hop on the next flight to Vegas, but there is a warning held in this book as well and in a way that makes it even better still.

A true classic.

Excellent book, 09 Sep 2008
I could recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Vegas and the world of gambling in particular. The book reads very well and it's impossible to put it down, it builds up to a nice climax and wants you to know more about the subject. This book made me a Ben Mezrich fan.



Quick read and a good double buy, 28 May 2008
At the time I only bought Bringing Down The House, that was a mistake, I should have got Breaking Vegas at the same time. I will go back and give the book another read (you can speed-read very quickly thanks to Mezrich's writing) since I watched the faction film "21" at the cinema last month. Anyone wanting the true story, this is the closest you'll get.

Superb quick read, 20 May 2008
You will enjoy this one no doubts about it. It's Oceans 11 meet Good Will Hunting and whilst ultimately a bit souless, is an extremely engrossing way to spend a couple of reading sessions.

Great story, nice style of writing, 11 May 2008
Over the years I have become a bit of a fan of Ben Mezrich's style of writing; take a true story, add a few bits from another (parallel) story, and then throw it all together in a style generally reserved for fiction writing.

The story itself is very interesting, and I'm full of admiration for the skills of the people involved in the card counting schemes. Out here in the real world the word used to describe would be "genius". As well telling you about the main characters' back ground, the history of the card counting scheme, and how it was perfected over time, a fair bit of Vegas history is also thrown in throughout the book.

I'm a huge fan of Vegas history books, and this one was the first I read about the card counting scheme. It certainly made me want to read more about the subject; so whilst there may be better books around on the subject this one is certainly a very good place to start.

Inglorious Certainty?, 13 Oct 2008
The merit of this book for me was that it does make the point that, if you are going to be a fulltime gambler, you are in it for the big bucks, not the small cheeses, unlke (as Nevison points out) some other professional backers, who are content to make something like £20K a year, albeit taxfree. Nevison wants more like £200K+ if not far more! And, if he is to be believed, he gets it! That alone, if so, makes his book worth reading. The downside is the abrasive Yorkshire knowall element, which slightly (more than slightly) put my teeth on edge. And his lifestyle around and off the course, seems to be the polar opposite of mine, but then I am not an ex-City of London trader turned honest gambler!

A good read on the whole, but not a lot of use for tips on betting for those of us for whom the normal punt is £100 or less (and I have never put on more than £3K and that money was the result of a run of three winners, ie profit monies). Nevison is --or more or less says he is-- Big Time, but therein lies a lot of the interest, of course.

A couple of lenghts behind, 01 Jul 2008
For what had the ingredients to become a bloody good book, it doesn't deliver. Dave Nevison really could have made this book a lot better than it is. Reason being is that for such an interesting profession, I am very surprised that for all the race meetings that he has attended, there were not more hilarious stories to be told. It is interesting, but not interesting enough for me. From a gambling perspective, interesting stories & facts, but no secrets. If you do read this book, you won't be able to give up your day job after you've finished it if that's what you are looking for.

A Bloody Good Read, 28 Jan 2008
I read Daves weekly column, its never too serious, and is an entertaining account of his ups and downs as a professional punter. This book offers more of the same, right from his beginnings in the city through his decision to become a professional punter. It gives you an insight into his methodology, although does not go into any great detail, but that isn't what this book is about. Dave holds many strong opinions, and does not shirk expressing them, about racing and some of the individuals in it. I read this book cover to cover in three days, and really really enjoyed it, it also confirmed what I have always known, that I don't have the balls to be pro punter. Buy it be entertained.

Interesting, 05 Dec 2007
An interesting look at the work of a modern day punter .
Who makes a good living from his not the norm methods of multiple betting .
The book made the modern day world of Internet betting , Spread betting etc. an area that is worth consideration for those of the old school .
No road to riches for the novice punter to be found amongst these pages as Dave's actual methods receive scant coverage .However what is more than useful is an indication of the attitude of mind that is required to make your betting pay .That alone may be worth the books cost providing you get it at a value price.

jje

The Perfect Book For The Horse Racing Enthusiast, 05 Dec 2007
If you already have a reasonable knowledge of horse racing, then this book will definitely steer you in the direction needed to become a profitable gambler. For sure Dave doesn't go into the abc's of odds compiling, or exactly how he judges form, but these things are easily learned if your serious about punting on the horses.
This acount of a professional gambler is both funny and extremely close to the bone. Anyone with a good sense of humour and even the vaguest interest in the horses will love this book.

An enjoyable and well-written look at this fascinating subculture, 17 Oct 2008
The growing worldwide poker phenomenon... it's weird. People are playing all the time around the world online; for some it's their job. I don't play myself, but I find the whole subculture fascinating.

Bringing us up-to-date since his landmark "Big Deal" of some years ago, poker's chronicler Anthony Holden has written another insightful, great fun, brilliantly-written insider's look at the new poker scene. He comes across as a really decent guy... unsparing in his realistic assessments of his own poker abilities, his sadness at the lack of a Moll by his side, his enjoyment of his sons, cronies and assorted poker buddies. What's most enjoyable is his unbowed optimism and going-for-it attitude in his bid to (one day) become poker world champion. I really hope he makes it.

Even if he never makes it to champ, Holden has - with this book and its forerunner - proved himself to be the champion at one thing though: writing about poker.

Read and enjoy!

Bigger Deal, 20 Sep 2007
Reading Bigger Deal seventeen years after the original was like having sex with your wife after after all those years: at the back of your mind you know you still enjoy it but some how its not quite the same...Bigger Deal suffered from Holden's obvious disillusion with the New Poker and his melancholy at the Moll's now mere cameo appearances. It also suffered from the fact that he was not playing as a pro this time and just dipped in and out of the deep end when the sun came out. Holden comes across as a good cash game player but far too cautious to make it as a tournament player. You never got excited for him in his tournaments because you knew he is not top 10% It would have been nice to see more cash game narrative but somehow it all got skated over. The original Big Deal is probably the best poker narrative written but Bigger Deal comes nowhere near it. Still readable but just don't think it will be The Godfather II to the Godfather...

The 2nd Best Book on Poker, 03 Jun 2007
If you are looking for one of the many technical manuals to improve your poker, this is not the book for you. However, if you are a keen poker player, but want something entertaining to read between games, this might be the one.

You really need to have read 'Big Deal' written nearly 20 years before, when Holden first tried his hand as a poker professional. But even without that, this will still be an absorbing and amusing read.

Holden writes very well, being amusing, informative and philosophical. For a poker player like myself (enthusiastic, but not very good, and seeming never to improve) this book provides a degree of consolation, that even fairly good players will never be that great, and at the end of the day, it is a game and a passtime for most of us.

The best book on poker? Inevitably I think it is Holden's 'Big Deal', although the poker scene has changed beyond all recognition in the intervening years.

Read the book the next time you lose a stack to a fluke river card.

A fabulous book containing some very intersting stories indeed, 17 May 2007
Whether you are a gambler or not, and I am a veteran one, the scam stroies in this book are absolutely excellent, extremely well written, easy to follow, and make a great entertaining read.

If you have ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes when some of these great coups have been pulled off, this book is for you. I particularly enjoyed the story about the trio who pulled off the audacious con against the Ritz Casino for in excess of a million pounds, and also the story about rigged football matches. I always thought that football was immune to corruption - obviously not!

This is a great book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Top marks to the author for putting together such fascinating and entertaining adventures.

I didnt like the man, 01 May 2008
I thought the book was quite dull and Anthony Holden came across as a pompous ass.


Shuffle Up & Read, 09 May 2007
Synopsis
The story of a year spent by biographer Anthony Holden in the tough world of the professional poker player. He spent days and nights in the poker paradise of Las Vegas, in Malta and Morocco, even shipboard, mingling with the legendary greats, sharpening his game, perfecting his repartee, and learning a great deal about himself in the process. Poker, Holden would insist, is not gambling. Like chess it is a paradigm of life at its most intense, a gladiatorial contest that brings out the best as well as the worst in people. Its heroes, its eccentrics and is comedians stalk the pages of this book, along with all the hair-raising, nail-biting excitement of the games themselves. The book is reissued with a new introduction by the author.

This is a fantastic read and extremely well written book. It makes you actually feel that you are there and shows that life as a Poker pro is not necessarily exciting but you wouldn't swap it for anything in the world.

It's about a journeyman player who decides to give it all up and turn "pro" for a year just to experience the life and see where the journey takes him.

There are lots of anecdotes about well known players (The ones about Amarillo Slim are hilarious), a brutal honesty and an excellent insight into life on the road and the places they go and people they meet. It could almost be a work of fiction.

You do not have to be a Poker fan to enjoy this book as it's not really a book about Poker but a story of a year in the life of someone living the dream.


Misses the flop, 22 Jul 2006
There is no way that Big Deal should miss the flop but when the cards are flipped at showdown, Anthony Holden is holding rags. He has the anecdotes, he has the hard-earned experience, he even has the dust-jacket endorsements - David Mamet, Salman Rushide and Martin Amis. But he just doesn't have the nuts.

Poker until the late 1970's was a game of hard-ass Texan hustlers, a Runyon-esque romp from coast-to-coast. Poker since the late 1990's has been dotcom boom time, an ever-expanding entertainment industry and a blue-chip business in both its casino and online forms. Big Deal sits somewhere in the middle, harking back to the golden age, but unable to look forward to mass-participation.

The old-time stories, and literary-Londoner-in-Las Vegas observations are lifted straight from Al Alvarez's The Biggest Game in Town. Alvarez, is Holden's real-life mentor, and the pupil never threatens to overreach his master.

The book recounts Holden's experiences on the professional circuit in 1988-9, book-ended by a pair of appearances at the World Series of Poker Main Event, the $10,000 buy-in No Limit Hold 'Em tournament. He comes 90th in 1988, then 111th in 1989. But Holden gets outdrawn on these experiences which should be his book's big draw.

James McManus, another journalist/author and literary type entered the tournament in 2000 - and made the final table, winning a quarter million dollars. Positively Fifth Street, McManus' tale of his exploits, woven into his coverage murder trial following the death of Vegas legend Ted Binion, really tells you what it's like for an amateur to sit with the pro's.

Don't misunderstand. Big Deal is a good book. It is a worthy book. The poker is real, the players are real and the writing is real. But it is not a great book. It is neither as entertaining nor perceptive as Alvarez' original, and it is not as exciting or informative as McManus' update.

Superb! A poker book that disbands technical theories and gets down to the action on the table..., 21 May 2006
This is a book for the player who loves stories of dramatic hands at poker, thrilling victories, unbelievable luck (good aswell as bad), and crushing bad-beats. Holden sublimely recalls his story of a year spent as a poker pro, and is a must-read for every poker fan. You can get away from the plethora of books offering new fang-dangled strategies and theorums, and get indulged in a book that captures a real essence of poker. From his local tuesday night game, to the out-of-his-depth high rollers ables at Vegas, Holden perfectly tells his story on. A fascinating, exciting, and captiviating book. Brilliant.

Brilliant!, 25 Sep 2004
What a top book. I love books about card players and films too as everyone believes they could this, but we couldn't. Who wouldn't love to drop everything and chase their dream for a year? The detail and suspense in the book is amazing and I just didn't want it to end. The characters he meets are amazing, especially as they are real. Altogether, a great read and I'm already saving up to do the same!

Fascinating!!!!!, 21 Jan 2007
This is one of the best gambling books I have ever read and is a true story. The story behind it is that in 2001, a stranger from Texas entered the high-stakes poker room in the Bellagio casino in Las Vegas and challenged the world's top poker pros to a series of heads up, high stakes cash games which in the end resulted in millions of dollars on the table. All the names are familiar from all the various poker shows on TV (except the stranger!)

The writer has obtained access to all the characters involved and gotten everyone's side of the story and re-constructed what happened over a period of challenges covering three years.

It is fascinating how the challenger, a very wealthy banker, won and lost millions of dollars and played, beat and also lost to many of the worlds top players. How he constantly tried to improve his game and pit his bankroll against the wits of the top pros. How he proved that even pros can be made to feel twitchy when they are re-raised into a multi million dollar pot

He certainly didn't do it for the money and appears he wanted to prove to himself that the pros could be broken.

The question is - what was the outcome?

For anyone interested in gambling stories, again, this is highly recommended.


What about the Venetian, 06 Oct 2008
Great book about the building of The Bellagio and the subsequent implosion of Steve Wynns dream and recovery to the Wynn, meeting the Harrahs and MGM teams along the way but the book skips over The Venetian story which is truly bizarre.

Superb, 13 Oct 2008
This book is a true roller coaster ride through the life of Kevin Lewis. It is fast paced and really does read like a movie (whcich it obviously is now). I found it incredibly difficult to stop reading this book right from the word go and if I hadn't needed to go to work, I wouldn't have stopped.

If you are loking for a book that will keep you entertained and engaged but with a factual twist, this is the book for you. Almost makes you want to hop on the next flight to Vegas, but there is a warning held in this book as well and in a way that makes it even better still.

A true classic.

Excellent book, 09 Sep 2008
I could recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Vegas and the world of gambling in particular. The book reads very well and it's impossible to put it down, it builds up to a nice climax and wants you to know more about the subject. This book made me a Ben Mezrich fan.



Quick read and a good double buy, 28 May 2008
At the time I only bought Bringing Down The House, that was a mistake, I should have got Breaking Vegas at the same time. I will go back and give the book another read (you can speed-read very quickly thanks to Mezrich's writing) since I watched the faction film "21" at the cinema last month. Anyone wanting the true story, this is the closest you'll get.

Superb quick read, 20 May 2008
You will enjoy this one no doubts about it. It's Oceans 11 meet Good Will Hunting and whilst ultimately a bit souless, is an extremely engrossing way to spend a couple of reading sessions.

Great story, nice style of writing, 11 May 2008
Over the years I have become a bit of a fan of Ben Mezrich's style of writing; take a true story, add a few bits from another (parallel) story, and then throw it all together in a style generally reserved for fiction writing.

The story itself is very interesting, and I'm full of admiration for the skills of the people involved in the card counting schemes. Out here in the real world the word used to describe would be "genius". As well telling you about the main characters' back ground, the history of the card counting scheme, and how it was perfected over time, a fair bit of Vegas history is also thrown in throughout the book.

I'm a huge fan of Vegas history books, and this one was the first I read about the card counting scheme. It certainly made me want to read more about the subject; so whilst there may be better books around on the subject this one is certainly a very good place to start.

Inglorious Certainty?, 13 Oct 2008
The merit of this book for me was that it does make the point that, if you are going to be a fulltime gambler, you are in it for the big bucks, not the small cheeses, unlke (as Nevison points out) some other professional backers, who are content to make something like £20K a year, albeit taxfree. Nevison wants more like £200K+ if not far more! And, if he is to be believed, he gets it! That alone, if so, makes his book worth reading. The downside is the abrasive Yorkshire knowall element, which slightly (more than slightly) put my teeth on edge. And his lifestyle around and off the course, seems to be the polar opposite of mine, but then I am not an ex-City of London trader turned honest gambler!

A good read on the whole, but not a lot of use for tips on betting for those of us for whom the normal punt is £100 or less (and I have never put on more than £3K and that money was the result of a run of three winners, ie profit monies). Nevison is --or more or less says he is-- Big Time, but therein lies a lot of the interest, of course.

A couple of lenghts behind, 01 Jul 2008
For what had the ingredients to become a bloody good book, it doesn't deliver. Dave Nevison really could have made this book a lot better than it is. Reason being is that for such an interesting profession, I am very surprised that for all the race meetings that he has attended, there were not more hilarious stories to be told. It is interesting, but not interesting enough for me. From a gambling perspective, interesting stories & facts, but no sec