Book Review: Positively Fifth Street

Positively Fifth Street by James McManus.

Author James McManus was a writer from the Chicagoland area. In 2000, he got an assignment from Harper's magazine to cover the World Series of Poker, specifically the Women in the World Series, as well as the ongoing trial for the murder of Ted Binion, a member of the legendary Las Vegas Binion family.

Much to the chagrin of his wife, He decides that the best way cover the Series is to participate, and he uses nearly his entire advance for the article in a satellite just to get into the main event. It wouldn't be much of a story if he didn't do well in tournament, which is lucky for him, because he makes it to the final table and takes you along for the ride.

Overall the book is good, but not great. There are parts where he is covering the trial, or the history of poker, or the Horshoe, or how he grew up playing with his grandfather that I found to be rather dull. This was balanced by the adrenaline rush of the actual poker plays, as McManus recounts some of the more memorable hands and tournament related events. For someone who will probably never experience what its like to survive so long in that tournament, I found those sections of the book to be quite enjoyable and defiantly worth the read.

If you're looking for an entertaining story involving poker, I'd recommend it , but be prepared for some slow sections. If you are looking for poker strategy or advice, you aren't going to find it here. I should probably have some sort of rating system, but I don't really feel like it, so you'll have to judge for yourself.