Positively Fifth Street: A Book Review

Let me start by saying that I'm nowhere near qualified to do a proper book review. I did just fine in 11th-grade English, but that's about the extent of my experience doing book reviews. In fact, I got an A++ on a book report I wrote in the ninth grade on the book Gandhi. Of course, I never really read the book; it was a video book report, and I did a pretty good job of entertaining the class, so that minor detail (never actually reading the book) didn't stop Mrs. Perkins from showing it to her ninth-grade classes for years thereafter.

I'm no "real" writer, nor do I pretend to be. I relate to you as best I can various situations and scenarios that I've encountered during my days of playing poker. My vocabulary is nowhere near what it needs to be to be considered a real writer, and that I would be the first to admit. Straight out of high school, I attended one class, "Poker 101," which was held in my basement with friends, and then later in private clubs around town.

Having said all that, I ran into a real writer named Jim McManus, who also happens to play a little poker. Not too long ago, Jim gave my ego a boost by telling me, "You write some good material. Ever thought about writing a book?"

At that point, I wasn't sure if he was just being kind or actually meant what he said, so I replied, "Well, now that you mention it, I've considered it, but I'm not sure I'd be capable of handling such a big project. I don't really know much about writing, and wouldn't even know where to start."

"Oh, that part is easy, my boy. You can tell a story, and that's all that matters. Being a good writer is all about getting down on paper what you really feel inside. Small grammatical errors or structural issues can be taken care of by an editor or even a ghostwriter. I'm telling you, people would be very interested to hear what you have to say."

This brought a giant grin to my face, as I was totally soaking up the compliments I'd just received from a real writer. Not too long thereafter, Jim sent me an advance copy of his new book, Positively Fifth Street. It took about two days before Fed Ex arrived at my door with the copy, and I couldn't wait to read it.

Of course, I've never been a speed-reader, so I figured the book would sit on the shelf for a while and I'd eventually get to it when I had a chance.

However, curiosity got the best of me, and I started reading it immediately. The first chapter grabbed me like a whirlwind, and I just couldn't stop reading. I had to know what happened next. Jim covers a variety of topics in the book. Now, I don't want to spoil it for you, but I'll give you a brief synopsis of the key topics:

• The Binion Murder Trial

• Women in the 2000 World Series of Poker

• Jim's Adventure in the 2000 World Series of Poker

I was reading the book already knowing the outcome of the Binion case, women's performances in 2000, and Jim's performance in 2000, yet it all seemed fresh to me, thanks to Jim's detailed Picasso-like painting of the events. I say Picasso-like because very few writers could capture with such realism what unfolded in that tumultuous year. Written in the spirit of The Biggest Game in Town, Jim takes us on an unbelievable adventure: A writer sent out to follow women's role in the 2000 WSOP, Jim found himself entrenched in the action, and actually playing in the big one himself! What I found amazing was that despite knowing the outcome of an event, I eagerly read on to find out what happened next.

There is actually a ton of poker content in the book, but not so much to make those who don't understand the nuances of no-limit hold'em feel left out.

Now, I've read what I think I need to have read about strategy and so on, so a book like this was a welcome change for me. I mean, it really doesn't get much better than a story about a "long shot" with absolutely no experience at the WSOP risking his whole bankroll on a pipe dream and realizing it.

Obviously, the book was especially exciting to me, since I know most of the main characters. Jim takes you through the play of a one-table satellite and the actual tournament, and provides some amusing anecdotes about livin' the "Vegas Life." If you've ever been to Vegas, you'll totally identify with Jim's experience there in 2000 - it's a fun story.

If you are looking for some good nonfiction poker reading, you won't find anything better than Positively Fifth Street. The poker world is lucky to have an established writer give us all a detailed account of the grueling four-day world championship tournament, coming just a hair away from capturing the title of "World Champion." Of course, I'm pretty sure Jim felt pretty lucky about the whole ordeal - or did he? You'll have to read the book to find out!

So, now that I've completed reading the book, I quite honestly feel a little depressed - not because of Jim's finish or anything related to the content of the book, but because of the following: Despite Jim's encouraging words about how "I gots the writing skills," I learned and understood what separates a real writer from a poker player who writes for kicks. I could never paint a picture like Jim did in Positively Fifth Street. As soon as I finally closed the book and put it down, I realized that I'd better leave the real writing to the real writers! Congratulations, Jim, for writing a poker masterpiece that should be displayed on all poker fans' bookshelves for years to come.

Author's note, and correction: I am not paid to endorse any online site, poker room, book, and so on. Any endorsement I make is based totally upon my belief in the quality of the product. I can be reached through my website, which is currently undergoing redevelopment: www.fullcontactpoker.com.

In my recent Travel With Me ... series of columns, I incorrectly stated that Bay 101's Shooting Star tournament buy-in was $1,000; it is, of course, $1,560. This year's tournament will be run by new Bay 101 Tournament Director Matt Savage.