Issue 31
April 11 - 17, 2001
Volume 1
page 3
 

"Money and the Power" Intense LV History;
Alvarez Poker Work Fascinating

By Howard Schwartz

Sally Denton and Roger Morris have written a controversial history of Las Vegas while English author-poker player A. Alvarez has a beauty of a coffee table book on the game and the players he has revered for decades. Both are new arrivals at Gamblers Book Shop in Las Vegas.

Denton and Morris's work titled The Money and the Power (The Making of Las Vegas and Its Hold on America) (479 pages, hardbound, $26.95) traces the city's history, its "cast of players" from politicians and power brokers to the Mob, from 1947 (the year Bugsy Siegel was assassinated in Los Angeles) to 2000.

The authors, using hundreds of resources, interviews, studies, reports, have produced the equivalent of a modern, updated version of the famous (and to some, infamous) classic, The Green Felt Jungle. That 1960s classic study of Las Vegas by Ed Reid and Ovid Demaris created so much brouhaha from respected media (the late Hank Greenspun, publisher of the Las Vegas Sun) and numerous "protectors" of the Las Vegas image, the public reacted as it usually does when controversy rages--they bought the book like crazy, and continue to do so almost four decades later, even though many of book's "facts" were exposed or challenged for accuracy.

It could be the public is so fascinated with Las Vegas, its up and down history, its characters, wheeler-dealers, and its unorthodox lifestyle, that newcomers, visitors and those in a less-exciting environment remain transfixed initially, but unfazed after all the dust has settled Much like a Woody Allen-type character with his heart pumping at top speed on a date with a Kim Basinger-type date, much of America doesn't philosophize about the long-term consequences, only the evening at hand.

Denton and Morris have the details-the rise of gangster, thinking-man Meyer Lansky; how the city was impacted by men like Howard Hughes, the Kennedy family. The authors include the influence of Mormon bankers; Wall Street bigshots; "front men" for the Mob; money skimming and laundering; a "glib young promoter" named Steve Wynn; billionaire Kirk Kerkorian; the imagination and impact of Benny Binion.

This is a biography of a city and those who made and lost millions, perhaps billions. Who's respectable, who's not and why may not be a question we get answered with a sense of absolute truth. Many lips are sealed-among the living and those no longer with us. There are theories, conspiracies, alliances, payoffs, special deals and decisions where many looked the other way for a variety of reasons.

Is Las Vegas a city any different than others? In some ways, the answer is a resounding yes. Yet with all its problems and seemingly uncontrolled growth, it's no different than others.

Denton and Morris create many questions-some of which may remain unanswered. The book was released in late March 2001. Everyone from City Mayor Oscar Goodman to "people who knew people way back when" were waiting for this book to arrive.

It's not dull reading. Indexed, packed with heavy notes, references and a solid bibliography of resources, it's both a controversial history book (illustrated as well); sociological (and some may think) psychological study of one of the most fascinating places on the planet. Author Nick Pileggi (he wrote Casino) called this book "riveting and provocative�your view of Las Vegas and America will never be the same�" I second the motion.

A. Alvarez, whose great classic of the world of poker The Biggest Game in Town (presently out of print), loves the game and people who comprise this special world of risk-takers.

His newest contribution is aptly titled Poker: Bets, Bluffs and Bad Beats (125 pages, hardbound, $29.95).

It's tough to categorize this labor of love of Alvarez. It's both an illustrated history book from the game's earliest days to modern times where millions can be won in a tournament on a final turn of a card.

This is also a wonderful, colorful light hearted, yet almost poetic trip to poker rooms everywhere, perched on the shoulder of a master at capturing flavor, details, intensity of the game and the players as they bet, bluff, call, raise, rake in the chips.

How did the game originate? What were the first books on the subject? How did Hollywood portray the players? Who are the biggest, bravest, most respectable players-and what made them that way? What is their philosophy of betting big, winning or losing big?

It's all here, captured by a master storyteller but colorfully, in their own words with Alvarez's interpretation and analysis. Doyle Brunson, one of the most respected players of all time; Johnny Chan; Johnny Moss, Jack Straus-all winners of the prestigious World Series of Poker at Binion's Horseshoe Club are all here, chatting, explaining, remembering key hands, ploys, angles from some of the biggest showdowns in history.

Wondering what the chips, the playing cards were 100 years ago? How did the slang expressions originate? What about the controversial hand and ending to the movie The Cincinnati Kid? Was it logical? What were the odds on such a situation (straight flush against a full house, heads up) occurring?

This is a fine reference work, an enjoyable gift for anyone who loves the game and one to have with you to snare for autographs if you happen to be in Las Vegas for the next World Series of Poker in May, 200l.

Both books are available at Gambler's Book Shop, 630 South 11th St., Las Vegas, NV 89101. Call 1-800-522-1777 from 9 to 5 Pacific Time, Mon.-Sat. and order with MasterCard, VISA or Discover card. Or order online at www.gamblersbook.com or via the store's fax number, 1-702-382-7594 anytime. If ordering by mail, add $6.50 for postage for one book, and $1 more for both books. The store's catalog of 1,000 books in 30 categories of gambling; plus software and videos is available online or by requesting a hard copy to be mailed. The catalog is free.

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April 16-18, 2001
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April 21-22, 2001

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May 4-6, 2001

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