Poker Wars
Murder, Mayhem, and the Bloody History that Led to the World Series of Poker

Murder and mayhem, bullets and bombings, carnage andcorruption…and a whole lot of outlaws gambling for the highest stakes of all.
Poker Wars tells the true story of the hitmen, bandits, card sharks, andmobsters who brought about the internationally successful World Series ofPoker.
The World Series of Poker, the sport’s most popular and lucrative event, hadits inaugural event in 1970 and has since grown well beyond anything itsfounders ever imagined. 
Especially considering where it came from.
Poker Wars chronicles the history of the dangerous key players and theviolent conflicts that brought the game from the dark Dallas underbelly to thebright lights of Las Vegas and turned it into the billion-dollar industry it istoday. 
Offering an in-depth exploration of the nearly inconceivable life stories ofthe sport’s pioneers—especially those of “The Cowboy,” Benny Binion, anilliterate horse trader turned gambling boss who was as quick tempered as hewas business savvy—Poker Wars is a thorough breakdown of the remarkablesequence of events that brought the card game into the national spotlight.
With new insights, Guitar and Martyka offer a behind-the-scenes look into someof the most well-known conflicts in poker history, including Binion’s feud withHerbert Noble, an ambitious gambler who earned the nickname “The Cat” bysurviving several assassination attempts. They also present a comprehensivelook at poker forefathers like Titanic Thompson and Nick the Greek, as well asthe colorful personalities of the Texas Circuit like Johnny Moss and DoyleBrunson, who upped the ante by introducing a brand-new variant of thegame. 
At once an exposé of the darker side of the tournament’s early legacy and itsconsequences and a wild, colorful, outlandish tale, Poker Wars is atrue crime joyride.