Not since Mario Puzo's cult classic, Fools Die, has there been a truly great novel about the gambling life. Shut Up and Deal is a wild and stormy trip into the booming casino industry of the 1990s, told by Mickey, an obsessed young poker pro. He's the Cincinnati Kid all tricked out for the '90s and his story is poker, pure poker, brought to life by a cast of shrewd, outlandish characters, all of whom give him a run for his money. Here is a world in which the anarchy of chance comes into cold, harsh focus and Mickey navigates his way through it with an unusual combination of guile and virtue.

Wacky, funny and intense, with a breathtaking voice and rhythmic prose that will make you tap your foot to the beat, Shut Up and Deal is not just for gamblers but for anyone who likes a good story about the forces of good and evil and the mysteries of luck.