Journalist and poker fanatic Andy Bellin takes readers on a raucous journey into the shut-up-and-deal world of professional poker. From basement games to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, you'll look over his shoulder as he learns to count cards, read a legendary player's body language, hang in there when the chips are down, and take his beatings like a man. Even if you don't know the difference between a flop and a river card, Bellin keeps you in the game with his portraits of the colorful players, dreamers, hustlers, and eccentrics who populate this strange subculture. Along with learning what goes on behind the scenes in illegal poker clubs, you'll get great advice on how to play Texas Hold'em, today's game of choice for big-money players.

Since its first publication twenty years ago, The Biggest Game in Town has become a cult classic. Al Alvarez delves into the murky and compelling world of high-stakes Vegas poker, where ‘the next best thing to playing and winning is playing and losing’. Deftly capturing the skewed psyches and peculiar rites of professional poker players who descend every year for the World Series of Poker, an exotic world is uncovered, a world that seems too eccentric, too amazing, too extravagant to be true.

Al Alvarez is a poet, critic, journalist and adrenalin junkie. To find out more, visit www.bloomsbury.com/alalvarez

'A cool, precise, sharply witty, vivid evocation of a place and people, their appearances, behaviour and speech ... Mr Alvarez is a shrewd analyst of the psychology of gamblers and a cleverly selective recorder of their bizarre talk with which, directly and indirectly, they reveal their secure grasp of unreality and their insane courage' Sunday Telegraph

'Twenty years on, it remains a fascinating study of extreme gamesmanship, and of the perverted logic of the American dream as it's lived in the 'despiritualised, depersonalised, one-dimensional Disneyland' that is Las Vegas' —Independent on Sunday



'Alvarez's book is a hymn to the insane dreamland that is Las Vegas, as well as a stylish anthropological investigation into the minds of high-stakes players, for whom even the World Series itself is a relatively cheap side-game. Tales abound of huge wins and losses, of games that last for days with no breaks for sleep, of tipping a waitress $10,000 for a bottle of mineral water, of insane bets on golf and temporary setbacks such as imprisonment. To the author, it becomes clear, poker players are romantic frontiersmen, countercultural heroes: they must, after all, have absolute contempt for money in order to risk so much of it on the turn of a card' —Guardian

The pen is mightier than the sword, but whose pen is the mightiest of them all? Who was more prolific, Charlotte Brontë or Fyodor Dostoyevsky? Who created more memorable characters, Jane Austen or William Shakespeare? Whose life was more eventful, Cervantes or Byron? Pit 32 of the greatest writers of all time against each other with these illustrated cards.

Will you survive the game of Mafia? Two teams compete in this delightfully deadly party game. Based on the classic role-playing strategy game, it's kill or be killed as innocent city folk pit their wits against a mob of ruthless international gangsters. Engage in a tangled web of intrigue, subterfuge, wild accusations, protestations of innocence and bluffing. Includes 24 street character cards, crime-scene notepad and definitive game guide with rules, case files, tactical tips and ideas for advanced play.

Joe Navarro is a former counterintelligence officer specializing in nonverbal communications and behavioral analysis with nine-time World Series of Poker Champion. Phil Hellmuth presents the next evolution in poker strategy - becoming a human lie detector at the tables. Success in poker is part luck, part maths, and part subterfuge. While the maths of poker has been refined over the past twenty years, the ability to read other players and keep your own "tells" in check has until now been mostly learned by instinct and practice. However by using Navarro's techniques illustrated with Hellmuth's examples, you will be able to decode and interpret other players nonverbal communication while concealing your own. You will essentially become a human lie detector and a feared player.

Instant Guides are packed with essential information and useful facts covering a wide variety of subjects from survival skills to stargazing. Portable, easy to use and durable they contain all the basics whether you're studying the subject or just interested. For practical topics such as Bicycle maintenance they offer expert advice, to-the-point instructions and tips from insiders. Booklets on more educational topics such as The Human Body provide colourful diagrams and straightforward information.

Play Cards and Learn to Identify Mammals in the Northwestern United States! Anyone who enjoys nature, wildlife, and the great outdoors will love these cards for playing your favorite games or to use as flash cards. Inspired by Stan Tekiela's popular Mammal Identification Guides, this gorgeous deck of playing cards features professional photographs of 54 of the most notable mammal species in the Northwestern states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and also Northern California. Each card depicts full-color photographs of such animals as the Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Lion, Pronghorn, and more--so you can begin to learn what 54 different species look like. Card Features 54 of the most notable mammal species Beautiful photograph on every card Ideal for card games or as flash cards Play games like blackjack, poker, rummy, and solitaire while learning more about wildlife. Get Mammals of the Northwest Playing Cards for yourself, and you can also give this deck of cards as a fun and thoughtful gift.

Play Cards and Learn to Identify Birds in the Northeastern United States! Anyone who enjoys nature, wildlife, and the great outdoors will love these cards for playing your favorite games or to use as flash cards. Inspired by Stan Tekiela's popular Bird Identification Guides, this gorgeous deck of playing cards features stylized photographs of 54 of the most fascinating bird species in the Northeastern states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont, as well as Washington, DC. Each card depicts stylized photographs of such birds as the Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Bald Eagle, and more--so you can begin to learn what 54 different species look like. Card Features 54 of the most notable bird species Stylized photograph on every card Ideal for card games or as flash cards Play games like blackjack, poker, rummy, and solitaire while learning more about birding. Get Birds of the Northeast Playing Cards for yourself, and you can also give this deck of cards as a fun and thoughtful gift.

teNeues NYC Stationery is proud to share our newest offering, classic Playing Cards with our signature style curated from museum art and illustrations from our favourite artists around the world printed on embossed, premium blue-core card stock in a gift box with flip-top magnetic closure. Cactus Party by the French artist who goes by Hello Marine is bold and fun with geometric shapes with on trend bold blue, aqua and neon yellow details. An update to the eighties party aesthetic we all love. Our little portable box is giftable and great for travel, fits in any bag and the magnetic closure keeps the cards together between games. Standard deck of 54 playing cards including 2x joker cards Full-colour, richly -printed artwork on embossed, blue-core card stock Giftable flip-top box with magnetic closure Box measures: 69 x 95 x 25 mm Hello Marine is a French illustrator and printmaker living in the UK. She was raised in Paris and the southwest of France. Hello Marine's style is bold, colourful, and joyful. Her illustrations appeal to adults and children alike.

Improve your memory - challenge your gameplay skills! Thought to have been invented in the 17th century, cribbage remains one of the oldest and most popular card games for two or more players. The book is in two parts, the first introducing the game to those who have never played it before, and the second, much larger, part explaining the intricacies of the game to more experienced players and giving guidance to improve the chances of winning. Both the original five-card game and the more modern six-card variety are described in detail, and the authors demonstrate how to gain the maximum advantage from any of the countless card combinations possible during play. Numerous examples are included to illustrate the subtleties of each stage of the game, written in easily understood tabular form and checked by computer programs.

The tarot is used for divination and as a source of symbolic wisdom, and the author combines the two traditions in this book. Drawing from his own "Gareth Knight Tarot" and the "Grimaud Deck of Marseilles", he offers a history and interpretation of each card and provides specific exercises to help readers become familiar with them. The exercises include the Celtic Cross layout as well as the author's own spiral 21-card spread, alongside magical divination techniques, and answers to student's questions from his highly acclaimed tarot courses.

You've played other trump games, but none quite like this. Wizard is exciting, easy to learn and fun for the entire family. This award-winning game is great for parties or a night of family fun.

Instructions in French and English. Blister Pack.

Canvas crunch time! Whose impasto impresses the most? Was Monet the greatest painter, or does Manet's brushwork beat them all? Who was the greatest Renaissance wonder? Pit thirty-two Old Masters against each other in a trump card battle encompassing hundreds of years of amazing art history and learn about the greatest artists ever to have lived!

Modern Poker Theory is a comprehensive, rigorous guide to the most important aspects of No-Limit Hold'em. It is based around an in-depth examination of what is meant by game theory optimal play (GTO) and how it can be applied at the table. Understanding GTO is fundamental to being able to make accurate poker decisions and being able to exploit players who don't. Modern Poker Theory uses modern poker tools to develop a systematic approach to the analysis of GTO. It organizes the ideas and concepts in an intuitive manner that is totally focused to practical applications. Next time you are at a table some of the players will have studied Modern Poker Theory and some won't. The players who have studied Modern Poker Theory will, without doubt, have a better theoretical and practical understanding of No-Limit Hold'em. They will be the favourites in the game. Make sure you are one of them. Michael Acevedo, one of the world's leading poker theorists, is a game theory expert who is renowned for creating cutting-edge content for the world's leading players. The production of Modern Poker Theory is the culmination of many thousands of hours of his research work with the most advanced poker software tools available. It is poker theory for the 21st century.

Considered by pros the BEST POKER BOOK EVER WRITTEN. This is the classic book on every major no-limit game played today and is considered by the pros to be one of the best books ever written on poker! Jam-packed with advanced strategies, theories, tactics and money-making techniques - no serious poker player can afford to be without this essential book! For the first time ever in paperback edition, Super System is packed with 608 pages of hard-hitting information and including fifty pages of the most precise poker statistics ever published, this is truly a must-buy for aspiring pros. Super System features chapters written by game's superstars, the best theorists and the best poker players in the world, such as Dave Sklansky, Mike Caro, Chip Reese, Bobby Baldwin and Doyle Brunson. Three world champions and two master theorists cover the essential strategies and advanced play in their specialties and provide no-nonsense winning advice on making money at the tables. These poker superstars cover the important money games in depth: You'll learn 7-card stud, draw poker, lowball, 7-card low stud (razz), high-low split (cards speak), high-low declare, and the most popular game today, hold'em (limit and no-limit). The important winning concepts and strategies are clearly outlined and explained so that you'll become a big money winner. Serious poker players must have this book. This is mandatory reading for aspiring poker pros, tournament players or those ready to play no-limit and is ideal for players moving to higher stakes games. This is the best poker book every written - period - acknowledged by pros and knowledgeable players alike as the classic book on every major no-limit game played today. Absolutely indispensable reading for any player.

The absurdly adorable art from the New York Times bestselling picture book Stuck turns a game of Go Fish into irresistible fun for kids and parents alike!

Do you have any kites? Do you have any Floyds? Any curious whales?

This deck of oversized, kid-friendly cards is a surefire way to induce family fun, especially for fans of award-winning children's book author and illustrator Oliver Jeffers. A hefty cardstock box holds this deck of 52 playing cards (plus two instruction cards)--each of which is sized perfectly for little hands at 3-1/2" x 5" apiece. With a flip-top lid and Velcro closure, the package is easily portable and tear-openable for any and every game-playing moment. In addition to playing Go Fish, players will also get the instructions for two bonus games: Concentration (a memory game) and Snap (a kid-friendly card game that's similar to Slapjack).

Play Cards and Begin to Identify Popular Wild Edibles in North America! Anyone who enjoys nature and the great outdoors will love these cards for playing your favorite games or to use as flash cards. Inspired by Adventure Publications' popular guide Foraging in North America, this gorgeous deck of playing cards features detailed photographs of 52 of the most popular wild edibles (plus 2 toxic jokers) in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Each card depicts a foraging target such as hawthorn, lambsquarter, nettle, and wild violet-as well as common wild berries like blueberry and raspberry. So, while the playing cards are not intended as a replacement for expert foraging advice, you can begin to learn what each type of wild edible looks like. Play card games like blackjack, poker, rummy, and solitaire while learning more about foraging. Get the Foraging Playing Cards for yourself, and you can give this deck of cards as a fun and thoughtful gift too.

The Numbers Game is a new game concept that resembles the memory game play but with some interesting differences, which makes the game more exciting and flexible. The Numbers Game consists of four sets of 20 cards. Each set has a set of numbers running from 1 to 20. The goal of the game is to collect one set of 20 cards. However, the cards may only be added to your collection in ascending order, if you first pick a number-1 card, or in descending order, if you first pick a number-20 card. The player who first completes a full 1-20 row wins the game. The numbers on the cards have been photographed on the streets of cities around the world, from house numbers to traffic signs and commercial signage. Paul Baarss sharp eye for graphic candor resulted in a collection of thousands of street graphics depicting numbers. For this game, he selected 80 striking numbers in surprising settings from his large collection.

Play Card Games and Learn About Owls! Anyone who enjoys birds and nature will love these cards for playing your favorite games or to use as flash cards. Inspired by Stan Tekiela’s famous Intriguing Owls photography book, this gorgeous deck features full-color photographs of 15 of North America’s most common and fascinating owl species. Play card games while learning to identify owls. The deck is a fun and thoughtful gift.

"What's that in the sky?" This facsimile of a deck issued during World War II shows three silhouette views of Allied and Axis aircraft for quick identification from ground or air.