Book Review: Shut up and Deal by Jesse May
The best thing I can say about Jesse May’s book Shut Up and Deal is that it is only 224 pages long. I can’t say I really liked anything about this book. If you go out to Amazon and read the reviews you would think this is one of the best books ever written, let along one of the best Poker Fiction Books ever written. I can’t agree with either of those sentiments.
I didn’t like it from the outset. I didn’t like Mickey, the narrator, “hero” of the story. I did not like the lack of plot in this book, the lack of any directions that the story was heading towards, and I especially didn’t like the way Mickey played Texas Holdem poker.
The story takes place mostly in the Eastern United States and in the Taj Majal and Foxwoods Casino in particular. A number of reviewers state they don’t know why a non-poker player would ever want to read this book and I second that as the book is only about poker and the people who play it. There were few interesting stories about the players but for the most par the book was depressing. There was way too much drug use and way too many hands of losing poker. In fact, Mickey loses so much that I don’t know how he had the money to keep playing.
I was looking for Mickey to get into the “big” game and win it all with some superb poker playing and, instead, he gets snowed in at Atlantic City and goes on to lose almost his entire bankroll. Maybe that is more reality. Maybe that makes the story more ‘real” and is why people are raving over it. Personally, I’m a feel good guy and the feel good ending would have had Mickey winning the big game, giving him a stake that would last him for a long time.
There is no ‘big” game and really no plot to this story. It is just Mickey talking about playing No Limit Holdem at the different casinos and describing the different players that he continued to meet and play against. He wins a little, loses a lot, and smokes a lot of pot. Maybe this is a book that Change 100 or Dr. Pauly would enjoy with the partaking of some good cannabis but it was not the book for me.
Overall, I say this book is –EV and, if it were a poker hand, it would be a hand worth folding, the likes of 7/2 off suit or 9/3 off suit.
I didn’t like it from the outset. I didn’t like Mickey, the narrator, “hero” of the story. I did not like the lack of plot in this book, the lack of any directions that the story was heading towards, and I especially didn’t like the way Mickey played Texas Holdem poker.
The story takes place mostly in the Eastern United States and in the Taj Majal and Foxwoods Casino in particular. A number of reviewers state they don’t know why a non-poker player would ever want to read this book and I second that as the book is only about poker and the people who play it. There were few interesting stories about the players but for the most par the book was depressing. There was way too much drug use and way too many hands of losing poker. In fact, Mickey loses so much that I don’t know how he had the money to keep playing.
I was looking for Mickey to get into the “big” game and win it all with some superb poker playing and, instead, he gets snowed in at Atlantic City and goes on to lose almost his entire bankroll. Maybe that is more reality. Maybe that makes the story more ‘real” and is why people are raving over it. Personally, I’m a feel good guy and the feel good ending would have had Mickey winning the big game, giving him a stake that would last him for a long time.
There is no ‘big” game and really no plot to this story. It is just Mickey talking about playing No Limit Holdem at the different casinos and describing the different players that he continued to meet and play against. He wins a little, loses a lot, and smokes a lot of pot. Maybe this is a book that Change 100 or Dr. Pauly would enjoy with the partaking of some good cannabis but it was not the book for me.
Overall, I say this book is –EV and, if it were a poker hand, it would be a hand worth folding, the likes of 7/2 off suit or 9/3 off suit.
posted by Wolverine Fan | Monday, September 25, 2006
2 Comments:
What kind of self-respecting poker blogger considers The Hammer (7/2o) -EV?!?!
Kidding. Thanks for dropping by - will get in touch with Mel ASAP.
Thanks for saving me money on this book. It was on the possible buy lists but after seeing what you had to say I think I'll pass. Next book for me after Harrington II is Pressure Poker by DoubleAs.
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