ONE OF A KIND: 8 AUDIO CDS

Dalla and Alson have written a solid tribute to The World's Greatest Poker Player in a combination tribute, biography and analysis of him and what he brought to the game and how he affected the people around him. Whether he's remembered as a pure intuitive player, a gifted autistic genius or just a contrarian who loved to swim upstream, against the tide at all times, Ungar will be remembered for his great skills at gin rummy (one of the most feared players in the world) and the three championships at the World Series of Poker. Illustrated and indexed, the book is a sort of roller-coaster ride through Ungar's life--his ups and downs, the highs and lows. The book captures The Kid's early years, the growing up days, those who influenced him, and how gambling became an attraction, sometimes an obsession. He wanted to win at anything he played. This book is for two generations of players--those who heard about him but never faced him at a table and for those who did play against him and never knew the whole story beyond gambling, particularly poker. He could be loudmouthed, spewing with anger, unpredictable, absent-minded, yet often his eccentricities were humorous, child-like. Geniuses are often described that way. Ungar was, in his own way in his own world, recognized as a genius. This is a book all aspiring world-class, big tournament, no-limit players should read. It's about gaining and losing control, about the destructive impact of drug use and it's about how life can cut so short, so quickly, that it's important to remember what life is all about--beyond the tables. Audio book on 8 compact discs.