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A WPT Texas Hold'em Mystery
Product
The Picasso Flop by Vince Van Patten and Robert J. Randisi
Hits
- Entertaining read
- Interesting look at the drama of the tournament poker world
- Nicely handled plot twists
Misses
- Based around a poker tournament, but no strategy
- Middle-school writing quality
- A lot of industry name-dropping
Review
Low expectations helped elevate The Picasso Flop to "enjoyable" status. While not a brilliant piece of prize-winning literature, Vince Van Patten's stab at a mystery novel actually is entertaining. It helps that it's a quick read, making it a good book to pick up on a lazy Sunday afternoon when you don't really want to think too much.
The plot revolves around a poker pro who was recently released from several years in prison. Looking to return to the poker tournament circuit, he takes on a protégé as a favor to a former cellmate and the two of them head to Las Vegas for a World Poker Tour event.
During the tournament, some players who were a part of the same "gang" end up murdered and the World Poker Tour asks for the ex-con's help in figuring out what's going on and trying to solve the murders.
Van Patten works in some interesting plot points and twists that take the reader deep into the poker tournament as, naturally, the ex-con makes it to the final table of the event even though in what little spare time he has away from the tables, he's busy trying to solve a crime.
The police investigating the murders and some of the poker players whom the ex-con encounters are portrayed in stereotypical fashion.
There's also some obvious name-dropping in the book: Hollywood Poker, where Vince Van Patten is a major spokesman, gets mentioned a couple times (the first time on page 6), as does James Woods, who is a linchpin of the HP site. Lots of pros are mentioned as well, along with Mike Sexton.
Despite that, Van Patten, with the help of mystery writer Robert J. Randisi, has created a diverting read that won't teach you much about the actual game of poker, but gives you an interesting look at how he sees the poker tournament world.
Details:
- $24.99
Hardcover
Mysterious Press
304 pages
