Poker nation - Andy Bellin

Andy Bellin is a pretty good poker player. Over the ten years he's been playing semi-pro, millions of dollars have passed through his hands. He's the kind of guy who can walk away from the table $5000 up. He's also the kind of guy who can drop $9000 - on a single hand.-On his way to a master's in astrophysics, Andy Bellin made the fatal mistake of falling in love with poker. Too many years down the line, he's resurfaced from a life spent in high-rolling casinos and low-rent dives to tell us the tale. Part memoir, part expos-, Poker Nation is a mesmerising journey through the ups and downs of being a gambler, a trip to a world where the only thing 'weirder than a poker player is the guy sitting next to him'. Bellin expertly catalogues the odd rites, peculiar language and shop-worn traditions of the game - from the art of the bluff to the 'tells' of body language - and introduces us to the hustlers, dreamers, eccentrics and hucksters who comprise the poker nation. -At once a witty history of the world's most popular card game, a how-to manual that really will make you a better player, and a story of one man's obsession, Poker Nation will leave you sharper, wiser, and maybe even a little richer.