Last night saw the launch of Anthony Holden's new poker book, 'Bigger Deal' the cover print describing this as, 'A year on the new poker circuit.'

When Holden penned his original poker novel 'Big Deal' in the 90's his description of his year trying to make his way as a professional poker player felt like a brave quest, few of his readers would imagine playing a big game in Vegas without taking a week off work, and persuading the wife to let them get away.

These days becoming a 'big time pro' feels as easy as logging on to an online site, staying up all night playing in your pyjamas, calling in sick when you can't face work next day, and thus just-one-more-hand-ing your way to a new life as an online poker hero.

'Bigger Deal' describes the 'Moneymaker effect'. The dream that a cheap online game can turn you into a multi-millionaire over night, based on the turn of a few cards. Hey, you could even play with a laptop on your knee... No need to even get out of bed!

Chris Moneymaker in 2003 turned a $40 satellite win into $2.5 million World Series heroics. Greg Raymer followed the very next year, and although Greg's studious approach to the game made him less a pyjama-player and more a thoughtful 'old schooler', the poker dreamers had the bug by now. Poker was big. And so were those World Champions. Maybe someone should try playing online poker with a laptop beside their running machine..?

Holden's book points out the changes in the modern poker world, 'A teenager anywhere in the world, unable to play (legally) in an American casino until he or she is twenty-one, can play more hands in six months than septuagenarian Doyle Brunson, the world's most respected player, has in his lifetime. And all too many are doing so.'

Anthony Holden's first novel described the 1988 World Series of Poker where just 167 players competed for a prize of $270,000. In his latest work he contrasts this with the 2006 WSOP in which nearly 9,000 players played for a first prize of $12 million.

So how does Anthony fit into this brave new poker world? A win in a PokerStars media tournament sent him to WSOP 2006, and this gave him plenty to write about. He also describes the part he played for the England team in the PokerStars World Cup of Poker, and the very different pressures of playing for a team.

Many make the claim that 'poker is like life' but few writers will make you feel it as Anthony Holden does. His story is both touching and involving, words describing much more than mere cards. Of course there's the poker pain and joy we all recognise, but he also explains the part the game played when his private life became troubled by his split from 'the moll' his wife.

Anthony says, 'I hope, the book will explain why poker has become a mass-audience game as respectable, even chic now as it was seedy and disreputable when I wrote Big Deal. Bigger won’t improve your play – but it’ll give you a chance to cackle at mine, while meeting today’s leading players and learning the behind-the-scenes story of the game’s amazing growth.'

If you'd like a copy of, 'Bigger Deal', copies will no doubt be available in PokerStars Frequent Player Point Store soon, but I have three signed copies of the book to give away to PokerStars.net blog readers. Just answer the following question. Anyone who writes in with the correct answer before Friday May 11th will be entered in a draw for a copy of the book.

Anthony on his new, 'Bigger Deal' website, talks of his regular Tuesday night home game that saw the creation of three poker books. So, my question is... Which two other notable poker writers regularly played in Anthony's London game?

Send your answers to Jo@PSblog.net.


Anthony Holden playing WSOP 2006, courtesy of a PokerStars tournament win.