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Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People
Product
Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People by Amarillo Slim Preston and Greg Dinkin
Hits
- Friendly, easy-to-read tone
- Insightful look into the life of a gambler
- Not just his life story, but a history of poker, Las Vegas and several other legends
Misses
- Not for someone looking for a poker strategy guide
- Teaches more about the life of a road gambler than actual poker
- Stories sometimes seem disjointed and random
Review
At one time, Amarillo Slim Preston was the most famous poker player in the world. It's not hard to see why when you read his autobiography. There may not be a lot of poker knowledge between the covers of Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People, but there is certainly a lot of personality and experience packed into these pages.
In this autobiography, Amarillo Slim walks the reader through his life, starting at birth in Arkansas in 1928 up to the book's publication in 2005. Those years include every kind of gambling you could imagine: hustling pool and snooker, prop bets, sports booking, poker playing and more.
Amarillo Slim was known for it all and in his own friendly style, he relates his tales as if he were sitting right there with you in person.
The stories are entertaining, as they reveal a slice of gambling and poker history in the U.S., as well as a different perspective on other gambling legends as they pass in and out of Slim's own life history. There are tales of trips and sports betting with Doyle Brunson and Sailor Roberts and of his run-ins with several other poker legends in the early days of the World Series of Poker.
Though there isn't much strategy and advice for poker or for gambling in general in the book, perhaps the best advice Slim provides through his own life story is that you don't bet on something unless you know you're going to win. Unlike some people, he didn't gamble just because he craved that gambling high; gambling was a job for him - just about the money.
Knowing Amarillo Slim was a hustler and a prop bettor, you have to take his stories with a grain of salt. He's definitely a good storyteller, but who knows how much of it is the real truth and how much is the truth stretched just enough to ensure his book will be a winning bet.
It's definitely a sure thing if you're looking for some light reading that will give you a look into America's gambling history and a little cowboy hustler fun. If you're looking for some poker hints and strategy from one of the greatest gamblers that ever lived, you'll want to look elsewhere.
Details:
- Paperback $13.95
Harper Entertainment
