In 2024, Poker Corridor of Famer and 1983 World Collection of Poker (WSOP) Important Occasion champ Tom McEvoy launched the fifteenth e book of his profession. Nonetheless, what was totally different this time was that it was his first non-strategy e book.
Poker Pioneer, written with the assistance of Brad Smith (PR Director for the On line casino Collectibles Affiliation), is McEvoy’s autobiography, and it delivers on a number of fronts. In actual fact, it deserves a spot in your poker bookshelf proper there with Phil Hellmuth‘s Poker Brat and Mike Sexton’s Life’s a Gamble, particularly if you happen to’re a lover of poker historical past.
Few individuals have been across the poker world as lengthy and as intimately as McEvoy, who rubbed elbows with poker legends Benny Binion and Stu Ungar but in addition benefitted as PokerStars’ first sponsored pro-post-Poker Increase. In between, he helped spearhead the “Poker Smoking Petition,” hosted a number of high-profile poker occasions, and lived an up-and-personal life that’s typically exhausting to consider.
So, to say McEvoy has tales can be an understatement, however the perfect a part of it, he doesn’t draw back from telling them “warts and all.” In Poker Pioneer, McEvoy made it some extent to be as genuine as doable and ensure to not sugarcoat issues. As such, issues will not be all the time fairly and McEvoy readily admits that a number of the issues he shares would possibly rile up sure people. To place it one other means, if you happen to get pleasure from poker drama and gossip, you’ll get your fair proportion, and McEvoy brings receipts.
You’ll not solely study all about McEvoy, however you’ll additionally hear tales about Hellmuth, Doyle Brunson, “Treetop” Jack Strauss, Amarillo Slim, Phil Ivey, Erik Seidel, and dozens extra.
The Smoking Petition: How Tom McEvoy Helped the WSOP Turn into Smoke Free
The self-published e book is hefty at 512 pages, however it’s spruced up properly with loads of pictures, many from McEvoy’s private assortment. It’s additionally high-quality, particularly the hardcover model with an iconic photograph of 1983 Tom McEvoy on the duvet and a modern-day picture on the again. McEvoy additionally obtained a figurative stamp of approval when Hellmuth offered the e book’s foreword wherein he referred to as McEvoy some of the honorable males he’s ever met.
Likewise, another heavy hitters within the trade provided endorsements.
Jack Binion: “Tom has excellent honor, ethics, and morals. And that is vital. Not each champion in our world is pure. Tom has earned my respect.”
T. J. Cloutier: “Tom has all the time been a gentleman, on the poker desk and out of doors, win or lose. His status within the poker world is unquestionably impeccable.”
As somebody who has learn most poker books on the market, and has a keenness for poker biographies, I can’t advocate Poker Pioneer sufficient. It’s merely among the best poker historical past books ever written and precisely shares the lifetime of one of many sport’s legends. You’ll be entertained whereas studying greater than you knew existed concerning the rise of the poker trade and lots of the individuals in it.
For extra on the e book and a style of the tales McEvoy provides, try this interview I carried out with the person himself at his residence in Las Vegas:
The Hand I will By no means Neglect: McEvoy Takes Massive Pot From Amarillo Slim
Chad Holloway
PR & Media Supervisor
