Customer Reviews

Take Me to the River: A Wayward and Perilous Journey to the World Series of Poker

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First, I have to confess that I have an aversion to betting and gambling of any sort but I could not put down Confessions of an Ivy League Bookie. Peter's new book is a triumph of story telling (and I hate card games of any kind!) His observations are pure genuis, and his candor is admirable. If Peter Alson wrote a book about cars or spaceships or furniture building- other topics of disinterest to me- I would read them, knowing he would engage me... the language is the story, and Peter's perspective carries you away.

Peter comes from a good family. Letters are in the blood. Has a good education. Thankfully, he never lets any of that interfere with his singular pursuit of a rogue's tale. Few authors can capture the simultaneous snob-and-gutter appeal of poker like Alson. It is a fine read.

I love reading poker memoirs. It doesn't matter to me whether the author wins or loses - or even if the memoir is completely true - I just love reading about the gambler's life. And Alson's account is one of the better ones I've read. It doesn't hurt that Alson is coauthor of the Stu Unger biography One of a Kind - and knows his way around a poker book. He doesn't get so caught up in the actual game that the book is nothing but dissection of hand after hand, but includes enough information about what happens away from the table to make you feel that you're really getting to know him.

... and we'll be on the lookout for Peter and his gang of poker misfits whom we became so fond of in his great story.

How do you fit a love story with the wacky and sometimes scary, characters tha you find at the WSOP? Peter did it and made the story so much better. As a player I loved the book. As a reader you will love the story.

At the beginning of this book, Peter Alson says he was hesitant on following in the footsteps of A. Alverez and James McManus. While Alson may have followed their lead, he definitely created his own trail. It is comletely unfair to call this a companion book to either "The Biggest game in Town" or "Positively Fifth Street", as I feel this is a book just about any adult could relate to. The non-poker content is well written and captivating, as Alson has a gift for not only describing personalities, but also his interpersonal relationships with people in his life.
As a poker player, I loved the way Alson captured (and participated in!) the action. His ties to the Mayfair Club give him the strongest of credibility with any serious poker player. In one review, a reader was critical of Alson "being in the red" for his time at the WSOP. Obviously that person didn't read the book very well. Alson's terrorizing of the sit n go's ensured that he was in the black. I'd love to see Alson do a follow up to this book.

As someone who loves watching tournaments on TV and has read all the big books about the world of poker (think Positively Fifth Street not Super System), it's a great read that gives you a real sense of what it's like to be around the WSOP. Because the author has his ego firmly in check, we get a sense of what it's like for the nameless/faceless who still have a pretty good game. The biographical stuff works pretty well, too. Good stuff.

When I like a book I read it fast, I sped though this book at almost record speed. The ending was a bit lackluster, but the ride getting there was alot of fun. The characters in the book carried it, the best part is that they are all real people.

Peter Alson's Take Me to the River is essentially a diary of his weeks in Vegas, playing in and reporting on the WSOP 2005. But we get more; insights into his romantic life, his interactions with his poker friends, and some snippets of history. Well paced, extremely entertaining, I could not put it down !

This book was well written and really held my interest. If you have the dream of someday playing in the Main Event, you must read this book.

I knew absolutely nothing about poker when I started reading this book. Yet Alson's gonzo attempt at detailing the 2005 World Series of Poker was not only a thrilling ride, but an education in the basics (and not-so-basics) of high-level poker. His own experiences, coupled with the manic nature of his friends' adventures, are exhilarating and keep you guessing if any of the characters are going to win the various events they enter. Alson's romance with his fiancee back in New York provides a reality check on the temptations that only Las Vegas can provide. I've read Alson's "Confessions of an Ivy League Bookie", and while that was fun and would make a great movie, this book is far more detailed into the strategy of what is happening at the tables, and makes for a truly interesting read. Highly recommended.