It's a world that has its own lexicon: Bellin reveals what it means to "put" somebody on a hand; what "flop," "kicker," and "river" cards are; and why it's good to have "the nuts." He unveils what goes on in the illegal "poker clubs" found in every major city in the country, as well as in Las Vegas, where the annual World Series of Poker takes place.

Bellin brings to full life the colorful personalities and skewed psyches of the players, the odd rites and traditions of the game, the dreamers, hustlers, eccentrics, and hucksters that are all part of this strange subculture.

Bellin brings to full life the colorful personalities and skewed psyches of the players, the odd rites and traditions of the game, the dreamers, hustlers, eccentrics, and hucksters that are all part of this strange subculture that has never before been revealed in such detail.

On his way to a master's degree in astrophysics, Andy Bellin made the fatal mistake of falling in love with poker. Leaving graduate school at age twenty-two, he has played semipro poker for ten years. His writing has appeared in such publications as Esquire, Details and Maxim, and he is an editor at the Paris Review.Bellin lives in New York City, where there are no fewer than four underground poker clubs within a mile of his apartment. You can find him at one on almost any given night.