{"product_id":"poker-wars-philip-guitar-9798892426480","title":"Poker Wars: Murder, Mayhem, and the Bloody History That Led to the World Series of Poker","description":"\u003cb\u003eMurder and mayhem, bullets and bombings, carnage and corruption...and a whole lot of outlaws gambling for the highest stakes of all. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003ePoker Wars\u003c\/i\u003e tells the true story of the hitmen, bandits, card sharks, and mobsters who brought about the internationally successful World Series of Poker. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe World Series of Poker, the sport's most popular and lucrative event, had its inaugural event in 1970 and has since grown well beyond anything its founders ever imagined. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eEspecially considering where it came from. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003ePoker Wars\u003c\/i\u003e chronicles the history of the dangerous key players and the violent conflicts that brought the game from the dark Dallas underbelly to the bright lights of Las Vegas and turned it into the billion-dollar industry it is today. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOffering an in-depth exploration of the nearly inconceivable life stories of the sport's pioneers--especially those of \"The Cowboy,\" Benny Binion, an illiterate horse trader turned gambling boss who was as quick tempered as he was business savvy--\u003ci\u003ePoker Wars\u003c\/i\u003e is a thorough breakdown of the remarkable sequence of events that brought the card game into the national spotlight. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith new insights, Guitar and Martyka offer a behind-the-scenes look into some of the most well-known conflicts in poker history, including Binion's feud with Herbert Noble, an ambitious gambler who earned the nickname \"The Cat\" by surviving several assassination attempts. They also present a comprehensive look at poker forefathers like Titanic Thompson and Nick the Greek, as well as the colorful personalities of the Texas Circuit like Johnny Moss and Doyle Brunson, who upped the ante by introducing a brand-new variant of the game. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAt once an exposé of the darker side of the tournament's early legacy and its consequences and a wild, colorful, outlandish tale, \u003ci\u003ePoker Wars\u003c\/i\u003e is a true crime joyride.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Philip Guitar,Jim Martyka\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798892426480\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Crooked Lane Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/11\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 320\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.81lbs","brand":"Philip Guitar","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48520156315903,"sku":"9798892426480","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_45d6f674-af2a-4f00-9714-384fed93c5b4.jpg?v=1778741087","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/poker-wars-philip-guitar-9798892426480","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}