Until this last year, it's been rare for a Poker narrative to attempt to cross the gulf that separates the gambling world and mainstream America. Last year Andy Bellin attempted this feat with his book, Poker Nation, which is now available in paperback. In this book, Bellin tries to capture the spirit of the great game of poker within its pages.
Bellin's narrative is a tapestry consisting of a great many threads. It is part personal narrative, part character study, part history lesson, and part poker lesson. The author weaves each of these elements in and out of the arc of the book. He may discuss his own formative poker playing years, then jump to a description of famous high-stakes games and tournaments. In other places he describes the denizens of his favorite New York poker "clubs" and dispenses bits and pieces of poker advice. I found some of these threads to be much more interesting than others.
I enjoyed the information provided about Bellin's own experiences, both at and away from the green felt, finding these stories to be both interesting and well written. The author has a gift for clear exposition, and these sections feel authentic. Just as important from my standpoint, they certainly contain material that wasn't familiar to me. This also holds true for his recollections of the characters frequenting the New York poker scene. I've never played in these clubs, and I generally find well-written accounts of poker in new places to be entertaining.
The history is also interesting, although much of it is more familiar. A great deal of what is told here has been recounted in other books, although there is a fair number of historical facts that I read here for the first time. Of course, Bellin is writing entertainment, not historical scholarship, so I believe it would be best to not assign research journal-like accuracy to his information. It sounds reasonable, but the reader isn't provided with enough about the primary sources of this material to allow me to trust it implicitly. On the topic of poker advice, this is by no means the thrust of the book, but some advice is good, if extremely general and widely disseminated in other sources.
At the same time, I found some of the gambling information to be overly speculative and more than a little disturbing. For example, it is my opinion that while I don't dispute the technical basis for Bellin's assertions regarding cheating at poker, I believe the reader is left with an impression that the problem is a much bigger one than my experience tells me that it actually is. Also, the author perpetuates a few widely held myths, such as the story that casinos habitually increase their oxygen content to encourage more gambling, and that blackjack card counting requires "Rainman-like abilities".
Overall, I found the book to be entertaining, but less so that other recently published narratives on this great game. I believe that most serious poker aficionados will not be overly disappointed by this book, and that the poker novice may have their interest piqued, but both categories of people would enjoy even more recent publications such as Jim McManus' excellent Positively Fifth Street. So, for those avid poker readers casting around for something light and fun, Poker Nation fits the bill.
While Poker Nation is by no means an instant classic addition to the poker literature, it is fun and well-written enough to be worth reading. The avid gambling reader will find enough of interest in its pages to make it worthwhile, and the non-gambler may be entertained enough by Bellin's story to make it enjoyable as well. However, much better poker narratives are available on bookstore shelves, and I'd recommend seeking out those titles first. I give this book a marginal recommendation.
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