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“Scrolling the pages of a Hughes narrative is like lighting a lantern into the darkest recess of poker’s subculture. [Hughes] brings the legends of the past and present to life and often provides the very best portrait of these unique, real-life characters of anyone on record.”
—Nolan Dalla, media director, World Series of Poker, best-selling author and columnist for Card Player
“Johnny Hughes’s poker stories are a national treasure … hilarious stories and colorful characters … timeless classics … the stuff of history … one of my all-time favorite poker writers.”
—Iggy, a.k.a. Ignatius J. Reilly, the Blogfather of Poker, GuinnessandPoker.com
“Told with authenticity and the knowledge that only a true road gambler could possess … a book that you will love … a highly enjoyable read.”
—Anthony Kelly, editor-in-chief, Player Europe magazine. Dublin.
“Cryptic, dark. Irrefutably unique. Elliptical euphemism and metaphor are (Hughes’s) tools. Gambling folklore and parables abound. All told with a twinkle in the eye and one finger on the trigger ... Johnny writes evasively, challenging us to refute, compelling us to believe.”
—James Dodd, a.k.a. Tetuso, Bet-the-Pot.com. London.
Authentic Texas and PokerReviewed by P. Pope, 2010-01-03
Texas Poker Wisdom is an amusing tale in which Dr. Hughes artfully
weaves together poker culture with West Texas culture. Initially,
the introduction of a handful of characters interrupts the flow,
but they eventually become ingrained parts of the overall story.
One thing not lacking is authenticity: Hughes intimately knows the
past and present of both poker and West Texas, and he astutely
shares both through his unique lens.
Hughes' novel should appeal to those with an interest in Texas, as
well as poker players of all levels.
Really, really bad.Reviewed by PubDragon, 2009-06-24
A previous reviewer said this book sucked. I thought he was too kind. The writing is aweful, so bad that sometimes its hard to follow the action or even the conversations. The dialogue is unrealistic, just crammed with cliches. I have never met anyone who actually talks like ANY of the characters in this book. The people above who said this book was a real reflection of the life of a pro poker player, were either paid well or didn't read this. I bought this hoping to gain some insight into the "poker scene", but there is nothing here but some references to the "good old days" of poker, when everyone cheated and being a poker player was slightly better than being a drug dealer. No thanks. Save your money. This is very disappointing.
ohnny Hughes Book Review: Texas Poker WisdomReviewed by Paul McGuire, 2009-04-25
Writing a poker novel is an even more difficult task. Not only does
it have to be compelling, but also the poker scenes have to be
accurate, believable, and exciting. I have thumbed through dozens
of new poker novels over the last few years, but none of them stood
out or held my attention long enough to read them.
That is until Texas Poker Wisdom came my way.
The book is a novel. I guess you can say it's a crime novel or a
poker novel. There's a murder within the story and lots of poker.
The protagonist, Matt, is a older gentleman from Lubbock, TX. He's
a man of routine who has been living in and around the Lubbock for
most of his life. He spends his mornings as a frequent caller into
the local political themed talk radio show. Then he spends his
afternoons looking for a good poker game at the various rooms and
games around town.
One afternoon during a poker game, Matt comes across Dylan, a young
hotshot and realizes that he's his long lost nephew. The first act
of the book focuses on the reluctant relationship between Matt and
Dylan. Matt's brother (aka Dylan's father) was murdered twenty
years earlier, which remained unsolved. In a poignant scene, Matt
takes Dylan to the location where he was shot and left for
dead.
The second act is located in Las Vegas. The two embark on a trip to
Sin City. While Matt prefers the seedier downtown, Dylan can't wait
to play at the Bellagio. Dylan eventually gets backed by Matt and
goes on a rush.
I won't go into specific details of the third act, because I don't
want to ruin the ending, however Matt and Dylan get caught up into
some big trouble and have to trust each other if the want to get
out of a jam.
My only criticism was the last part of the book felt rushed since
the first two thirds seemed to move at a much slower pace.
Aside from that, Texas Poker Wisdom is a fast read at 208
pages.
Johnny Hughes delivered a fascinating and entertaining novel with
Texas Poker Wisdom. He accurately portrayed the underbelly and the
shady side of the poker culture with his vivid characters and
flavorful dialogue.
A Real Page TurnerReviewed by J. Hughes, 2008-08-19
Since the author and I share the same name I was sure the book would be entertaining and inmformative. It did not disapoint. The action is fast paced with a great mix of old wisdom and new perspectives. Great fun for all.
It sucked :-(Reviewed by William J. Nicholas, 2008-03-17
This is a poorly written, boring poker novel. Sadly I have to disrecommend it highly. Even "Broke" is better, and it's not even a novel.
