Perhaps the least well known book that I have read/reviewed, King of a Small World got on my radar after listening to a recent podcast that called it among the best fictional depictions of poker and real life gambling. This is not the glamor you see in Hollywood, but rather a seemingly non-fictional (it's not) depiction of what gambling looks like at a smaller and local level. In this case, the local is near me as the setting was mostly in Prince George's County Maryland. Overall, happy I picked it up.
While this book was released in 2011, it was a bit difficult to find and only has twelve reviews on Amazon. However, it was an entertaining read. Since I assume most won't be familiar - the book is about a young but talented poker player living outside DC and struggling after the death of one of his colleagues (can "colleague" be used if your job is playing poker and you see the same player multiple days a week at games?). In addition, a couple unexpected life events happen which make him question his own values and trajectory of what he does.
On a positive, the book is told in a very matter of fact way. The language is very simple, Hemingway like; with short, staccato deliveries and a lot of dialogue. The content was fascinating and the overall arc of the story was entertaining. I enjoyed pickup the book each time to read and was truly looking forward to the ending and what would happen last. Also strong, the ending was impactful and brought the story around full circle, which was welcome.
A few things could have improved the book. First, I actually wish there was more detail about the poker playing. There is a ton about what it's like to play poker (lack of sleep, cigarettes, type of games. etc.) but not as much about strategy and how a good player approaches hands. While I like simple style of the storytelling, it can seem plain sometimes and lacking deep thought. However, when the offer does offer something noteworthy, it stands out. It's a short book and a quick read but that also leads to a lack of character depth. When the conflicts escalated in the last third of the book, I actually struggled to remember all the characters fully enough to understand motivations which made the payoffs a bit lighter.
On a whole, super fun read and a great book if you have any interest in poker or gambling. And, not gambling in the everyone is winning sense, but often the opposite. It depicts the horrors of real gambling addiction and what losing money does to people and lives.
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