Playing Off the Rail: A Pool Hustler's Journey

This is without a doubt the most fun I've had reading a book about pool. I couldn't put it down, and I finished it in about two days. About a true life story, this book just makes you want to play. There are some really funny momments in the books with some of the characters. Eventhough I'll probably never play that good, it just made me want to play. If you're looking for a really fun read that will revitalize your interest in the game this is the one.

I just read it again--for the third time and I still found myself laughing out loud at McCumbers dead on the money descriptions of high level pool hustling. The players he describes are authentic, anyone who has met Keith McCready or Bucktooth can vouch for that, and that is what makes this book so entertaining, that it is an authentic glimpse of big time pool gambling. If you would like to see this in real life, just go to Louisville Kentucky during the first few weeks of January every year and check out the Derby City Classic tournament.

Tony Annigoni - house pro and part owner of the Q-Club in San Francisco. David McCumber - pool devotee and writer with some money to spare. These two go on the road across North America hustling games and looking for action. Annigoni plays and generally wins. McCumber bankrolls his bets and sweats on the sidelines taking the notes that turned into this book. McCumber's writing is strong, sometimes a bit too Hunter Thompsonish, but he loves the game and has a visceral sense of humor about the odyssey that could cost him a bundle. Annigoni is a great player, but the opponents are world class and life on the road in cheap hotels, late trains, and all night pool halls is a tiring exercise. This is a good book. Those who play a little pool will enjoy the tense action and will be able to follow the games closely. Those who just enjoy a book about a little-known facet of America's underbelly will be swept along. Those who liked "The Color of Money" will appreciate the reality check.

I read this book because I play a lot of billiards. Play in tournaments and this is a great read for all billiards players. He tells it like it is! But unforunately, I don't play for money!

Read while flying to San Francisco, and truly enjoyed the long flight. The writing flows and makes this a great read. The Q Club is still there, although the name has changed, but the description of it and the neighborhood were dead on. A great book for anyone interested in the many games to be played on the billiards table, and for learning about life on the road.