The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King: Inside the Richest Poker Game of All Time

If you're not a poker fan, this book will probably not appeal to you, since its the knowing of the main characters is one of the strong draws to getting you caught up in this book. This book can teach you plenty about head's up poker while you don't even realize it's doing it. This shows what one slightly above average intelligent man can do if he puts his mind to it. This is a guy that went from being a non player to a pro level player in about 2 years. He used his bank's computers to help simulate play and run hand percentages in heads up. He closely watched the pro's and figured out that pro's do not always make the correct plays mathematically. He figured that if he did, he'd win. So, he charted out all the hand's that were most profitable, he figured out hands that would win over 50% of the time regardless of what the other people had, (listed in the book) on his bank's computers, and he became very adept at eliminating all tells, even to go as far as put a little timed pressure switch on his body just so he could always act at the same speed. It's really quite an amazing book and what made it even more intriguing, is it's all true. A great read and 5 solid stars!

Reads like a good novel,a compelling and fascinating look into the biggest limit holdem game ever played. It provides enormous insights into developing a winning approach to limit holdem. A billionaire banker(Andy Beal) actually devised some amazing strategies to play many of the big name seasoned pros at their own game and beat them at times for many millions. If you love poker and story you will really enjoy this book and you will learn and gain insight into your own game. One of the five best books I've read this year. 9/30/05 POST SCRIPT: I didn't read any of the other reviews prior to writing my review and I was so surprised that several reviews state that there is no strategy to be learned from this book. In my opinion there is plenty to work with. One is that Beal minimized any potential collusion by playing heads up-a very important idea if you are afraid of real world or online collusion of any kind. Also, he wrote his own computer program and then additionally hired a computer programmer and spent hundreds of hours analyzing hand values and came up with brilliant ways to play various hands in numerous situations, how various strength hands played versus random hands etc. Much to think about and certainly insightful in improving your game. The fact that he analyzes heads up play is not the point, the point is that an amatuer with the time and energy to think through the game found ways to beat the best players in the world-no small feat.

What happens when a billionaire decides he wants to play hold 'em poker for millions of dollars against Las Vegas' best pros? That is the subject of this fascinating book. This engrossing account follows the fortunes over four years of billionaire Andy Beal and his quest to beat some of the world's best players at their own game. Driven by who knows what, he challenges himself to better his game against the best while learning some expensive lessons along the way. Millions of dollars change hands back and forth in what was to become the richest poker stakes of all time. But who will prevail overall --- Andy or the professionals??? You'll find yourself rooting for the underdog the whole way. Pick up a copy of this book and you too will be bitten by the poker bug and unable to put it down.

What an enjoyable book! Michael Craig did a great job in describing sessions of incredible high limit heads-up Hold'em played by the billionaire banker Andy Beal against many great professional poker players in heads-up matches. The pros included Doyle Brunson, Chip Reese, Ted Forrest, Howard Lederer, Jennifer Harmon, Barry Greenstein, Todd Brunson and many more. The book is fun to read and the narrative is free flowing. It's a rare glimpse into the lives, thoughts, fears, and nerves of the high limit pros with a snippet of heads-up strategy. Although this is not a strategy book, it is still definitely worthwhile to read about the players' preparation for the heads-up matches as well as the lifestyles of these high limit pros. In particular, it is interesting to see how Andy Beal (the rich amateur) prepares in order to even the playing field between him and the best players in the world. The pros pool their funds together so they can have the bankroll to play games starting with $10,000 / $20,000 all the way up to $100,000 / $200,000. Each side has their share of wins and losses (I won't spoil who wins at the end). While reading the book, I found myself partially rooting for Beal (the intelligent outsider and underdog), while also partially rooting for the pros (the best at their game should win, right?). I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in poker.

Craig's knowledge of the players and the Vegas/LA subculture surrounding them is in-depth and highly researched. I found previous portraits of the scene insipid and boring - full of who had what hands at what big tournaments, etc. I would put this up there with Positively Fifth Street as one of the most interesting poker books in years. Also, really made me love Howard Lederer even more than I already did.