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Poker Wars: Murder, Mayhem, and the Bloody History that Led to the World Series of Poker
Murder and mayhem, bullets and bombings, carnage and corruption…and a whole lot of outlaws gambling for the highest stakes of all.
Poker Wars tells the true story of the hitmen, bandits, card sharks, and mobsters who brought about the internationally successful World Series of Poker.
The World Series of Poker, the sport’s most popular and lucrative event, had its inaugural event in 1970 and has since grown well beyond anything its founders ever imagined.
Especially considering where it came from.
Poker Wars chronicles the history of the dangerous key players and the violent conflicts that brought the game from the dark Dallas underbelly to the bright lights of Las Vegas and turned it into the billion-dollar industry it is today.
Offering an in-depth exploration of the nearly inconceivable life stories of the sport’s pioneers—especially those of “The Cowboy,” Benny Binion, an illiterate horse trader turned gambling boss who was as quick tempered as he was business savvy—Poker Wars is a thorough breakdown of the remarkable sequence of events that brought the card game into the national spotlight.
With new insights, Guitar and Martyka offer a behind-the-scenes look into some of the most well-known conflicts in poker history, including Binion’s feud with Herbert Noble, an ambitious gambler who earned the nickname “The Cat” by surviving several assassination attempts. They also present a comprehensive look at poker forefathers like Titanic Thompson and Nick the Greek, as well as the colorful personalities of the Texas Circuit like Johnny Moss and Doyle Brunson, who upped the ante by introducing a brand-new variant of the game.
At once an exposé of the darker side of the tournament’s early legacy and its consequences and a wild, colorful, outlandish tale, Poker Wars is a true crime joyride.
Poker Wars tells the true story of the hitmen, bandits, card sharks, and mobsters who brought about the internationally successful World Series of Poker.
The World Series of Poker, the sport’s most popular and lucrative event, had its inaugural event in 1970 and has since grown well beyond anything its founders ever imagined.
Especially considering where it came from.
Poker Wars chronicles the history of the dangerous key players and the violent conflicts that brought the game from the dark Dallas underbelly to the bright lights of Las Vegas and turned it into the billion-dollar industry it is today.
Offering an in-depth exploration of the nearly inconceivable life stories of the sport’s pioneers—especially those of “The Cowboy,” Benny Binion, an illiterate horse trader turned gambling boss who was as quick tempered as he was business savvy—Poker Wars is a thorough breakdown of the remarkable sequence of events that brought the card game into the national spotlight.
With new insights, Guitar and Martyka offer a behind-the-scenes look into some of the most well-known conflicts in poker history, including Binion’s feud with Herbert Noble, an ambitious gambler who earned the nickname “The Cat” by surviving several assassination attempts. They also present a comprehensive look at poker forefathers like Titanic Thompson and Nick the Greek, as well as the colorful personalities of the Texas Circuit like Johnny Moss and Doyle Brunson, who upped the ante by introducing a brand-new variant of the game.
At once an exposé of the darker side of the tournament’s early legacy and its consequences and a wild, colorful, outlandish tale, Poker Wars is a true crime joyride.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 11, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 12, 2026
Thank you Crooked Lane books for the chance to read this ARC!
I found this book at my work's ARC shelf and couldn't help but intrigued. After all, who couldn't resist to learn about a man that was almost killed eight times?
It actually starts out with a few other poker players one known as the Titanic who made bets against Al Capone, before getting into the rivalry of Benny Binion "The Cowboy" and Herbert Noble "The Catman" as they both ran illegal gambling dens. It felt really gripping hearing how they both came from impoverished backgrounds to rise up and fought to be the big guy. I actually remember thinking when Noble does get killed on the ninth attempt, "Wait, there's more book? But Noble's dead-what else is there to talk about?!" Then I remembered that this book started out as poker history-not completely about gang war history...
Yeah, there were times when poker moves and plays are brought up but not really explained-at least not to me. My knowledge mainly comes from M*A*S*H episodes, so that's essentially next to nothing. Like you'd hear "This guy won with just an ace high!" and that's it. No idea what that is, no glossary inside the book, and not interested in googling the answer. I feel like the focus was more on crime surrounding illegal poker during Texas history, roughly 1930s-1960s, before Binion started to put his money into Vegas and start a competition for Texas Hold 'Em there. There's also several phrases that made me feel like this was meant for an older audience like, "hollowed-out eyes that resembled two p*** holes in the snow", "It was similar to the money who was f***ing the skunk-the monkey hadn't had all he wanted but he had all he could stand" Yeah, perhaps these are terms you'd find in a western genre book?
Overall, it's a good glimpse of history, but I feel like more for those who are really interested in gang wars and gambling-rather than an in-depth look at poker history itself. Also curious if the published version has any pictures, since I feel like nowadays most nonfiction books only have a few in the middle of the book rather than having them along with text. I'm curious since it would seem like if you were gambler in this book, you probably looked western.
Not sure about a favorite quote this time around-still trying to get the image of monkey and skunk out of me head.
Overall 3.5 rounded up.
I found this book at my work's ARC shelf and couldn't help but intrigued. After all, who couldn't resist to learn about a man that was almost killed eight times?
It actually starts out with a few other poker players one known as the Titanic who made bets against Al Capone, before getting into the rivalry of Benny Binion "The Cowboy" and Herbert Noble "The Catman" as they both ran illegal gambling dens. It felt really gripping hearing how they both came from impoverished backgrounds to rise up and fought to be the big guy. I actually remember thinking when Noble does get killed on the ninth attempt, "Wait, there's more book? But Noble's dead-what else is there to talk about?!" Then I remembered that this book started out as poker history-not completely about gang war history...
Yeah, there were times when poker moves and plays are brought up but not really explained-at least not to me. My knowledge mainly comes from M*A*S*H episodes, so that's essentially next to nothing. Like you'd hear "This guy won with just an ace high!" and that's it. No idea what that is, no glossary inside the book, and not interested in googling the answer. I feel like the focus was more on crime surrounding illegal poker during Texas history, roughly 1930s-1960s, before Binion started to put his money into Vegas and start a competition for Texas Hold 'Em there. There's also several phrases that made me feel like this was meant for an older audience like, "hollowed-out eyes that resembled two p*** holes in the snow", "It was similar to the money who was f***ing the skunk-the monkey hadn't had all he wanted but he had all he could stand" Yeah, perhaps these are terms you'd find in a western genre book?
Overall, it's a good glimpse of history, but I feel like more for those who are really interested in gang wars and gambling-rather than an in-depth look at poker history itself. Also curious if the published version has any pictures, since I feel like nowadays most nonfiction books only have a few in the middle of the book rather than having them along with text. I'm curious since it would seem like if you were gambler in this book, you probably looked western.
Not sure about a favorite quote this time around-still trying to get the image of monkey and skunk out of me head.
Overall 3.5 rounded up.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was initially confused by how this book is classified. It is listed as general fiction, and the legal disclaimer at the end says the characters and events are products of the author's imagination. However, the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, describes it as the "true story" of the mobsters and card sharks who started the World Series of Poker (WSOP). In reality, the book uses real-world names and feels like a true-crime biography, even if some of it is fictionalized for dramatic effect.
The book is split into two distinct halves. The first half focuses on the history of Benny Binion (the founder of the WSOP) and his competitor, Herbert Noble, during their early days running illegal gambling schemes in Dallas. This section is full of violence. The authors describe four or five killings that Binion was directly involved in, though he escaped prosecution by claiming self-defense or thanks to a bribed lawman. Meanwhile, Noble earns his nickname, "The Catman," by surviving at least nine attempts on his life—several allegedly ordered by Binion.
If you get through those early chapters of crime, the second half of the book delivers exactly what I bought it for: the history of poker, the early players, and the birth of the WSOP.
As a fan of the game, I found this section interesting. I learned that during the very first tournament in 1970, the winner wasn't decided by a final hand; instead, the players simply voted to declare Johnny Moss the champion. However, by the second year, the format changed to a freeze-out tournament, and Moss won that one outright at the table. The book also details the contributions of players like "Texas Dolly" Doyle Brunson and Amarillo Slim.
Overall, Poker Wars is a good read for anyone who enjoys the game of poker and wants to know how its biggest event came to be. If you are a poker enthusiast, you will enjoy this book—just be prepared to wade through a lot of historical grit and crime before you get to the cards.
The book is split into two distinct halves. The first half focuses on the history of Benny Binion (the founder of the WSOP) and his competitor, Herbert Noble, during their early days running illegal gambling schemes in Dallas. This section is full of violence. The authors describe four or five killings that Binion was directly involved in, though he escaped prosecution by claiming self-defense or thanks to a bribed lawman. Meanwhile, Noble earns his nickname, "The Catman," by surviving at least nine attempts on his life—several allegedly ordered by Binion.
If you get through those early chapters of crime, the second half of the book delivers exactly what I bought it for: the history of poker, the early players, and the birth of the WSOP.
As a fan of the game, I found this section interesting. I learned that during the very first tournament in 1970, the winner wasn't decided by a final hand; instead, the players simply voted to declare Johnny Moss the champion. However, by the second year, the format changed to a freeze-out tournament, and Moss won that one outright at the table. The book also details the contributions of players like "Texas Dolly" Doyle Brunson and Amarillo Slim.
Overall, Poker Wars is a good read for anyone who enjoys the game of poker and wants to know how its biggest event came to be. If you are a poker enthusiast, you will enjoy this book—just be prepared to wade through a lot of historical grit and crime before you get to the cards.
Did Not Finish
October 5, 2026I received a digital copy of this book courtesy of LibraryThing Early Reviewers and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I am a curious reader. I regularly scour my local library's nonfiction shelves for anything that sounds interesting, whether I know much about the subject or not. This book's blurb sounded very interesting, and though I don't know much about poker, I was definitely up for a ride through the history of the World Series of Poker tournament. The authors spend a good deal of time hyping the story up, calling it wild and crazy and unbelievable.
I made it to page 132 and decided I'd had enough. This was nothing wild and crazy; it was basically Mob Stories: Depression-Era Dallas. The authors set up a cast of characters at the very beginning of the book, labeling two as anti-heroes, while the narrative makes it clear that at least one of them *is* a hero and a guy we should be rooting for. (Pass.) Every single metaphor that is used in this history is homoerotic - maybe men do think about sex 100% of the time, but somehow I doubt that includes thinking about their enemy's genitalia with such regularity.
This book is another example of how long-form journalism doesn't really translate into narrative nonfiction without a bit of work. I'm 8 chapters in and we've spent most of that time either hyping up what a badass story this is, or jumping around from character to character in 1930s Texas. Thus far all these dudes do indeed play poker, as one of many sidelines, but there's not really a singluar focus on the game or its variants. This is failing to live up to the hype and I'm not willing spend more time to find out if it ultimately will.
I am a curious reader. I regularly scour my local library's nonfiction shelves for anything that sounds interesting, whether I know much about the subject or not. This book's blurb sounded very interesting, and though I don't know much about poker, I was definitely up for a ride through the history of the World Series of Poker tournament. The authors spend a good deal of time hyping the story up, calling it wild and crazy and unbelievable.
I made it to page 132 and decided I'd had enough. This was nothing wild and crazy; it was basically Mob Stories: Depression-Era Dallas. The authors set up a cast of characters at the very beginning of the book, labeling two as anti-heroes, while the narrative makes it clear that at least one of them *is* a hero and a guy we should be rooting for. (Pass.) Every single metaphor that is used in this history is homoerotic - maybe men do think about sex 100% of the time, but somehow I doubt that includes thinking about their enemy's genitalia with such regularity.
This book is another example of how long-form journalism doesn't really translate into narrative nonfiction without a bit of work. I'm 8 chapters in and we've spent most of that time either hyping up what a badass story this is, or jumping around from character to character in 1930s Texas. Thus far all these dudes do indeed play poker, as one of many sidelines, but there's not really a singluar focus on the game or its variants. This is failing to live up to the hype and I'm not willing spend more time to find out if it ultimately will.
September 3, 2026
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Poker Wars is an engaging and well written true crime history about organized crime in Texas & Las Vegas and the nascence of the world series of poker, written by Philip Guitar and Jim Martyka. Released 11th Aug 2026 by Crooked Lane, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
The first half of the book is a more or less directly factual historical recounting (and some of the mythology) surrounding Benny Binion and his deadly feud with Herbert Noble, and a motley cast of thugs, gamblers, grifters, and con men doing the gambling circuits in Texas and Las Vegas. The second half is a lightly fictionalized account of the origins of the World Series of Poker.
It's especially interesting for gambling fans, but even for fans of true-crime, there's enough to make an engaging read. The author/publisher have added a disclaimer firmly stating that it's fiction, but there's at least a distinct framework of real history included, and the names used in the book are the actual names of the actual players.
Four stars. Interesting (and scary in places - those guys weren't nice).
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Poker Wars is an engaging and well written true crime history about organized crime in Texas & Las Vegas and the nascence of the world series of poker, written by Philip Guitar and Jim Martyka. Released 11th Aug 2026 by Crooked Lane, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
The first half of the book is a more or less directly factual historical recounting (and some of the mythology) surrounding Benny Binion and his deadly feud with Herbert Noble, and a motley cast of thugs, gamblers, grifters, and con men doing the gambling circuits in Texas and Las Vegas. The second half is a lightly fictionalized account of the origins of the World Series of Poker.
It's especially interesting for gambling fans, but even for fans of true-crime, there's enough to make an engaging read. The author/publisher have added a disclaimer firmly stating that it's fiction, but there's at least a distinct framework of real history included, and the names used in the book are the actual names of the actual players.
Four stars. Interesting (and scary in places - those guys weren't nice).
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
*Thank you to Crooked Lane for a complimentary arc of Poker Wars. All opinions expressed are my own.*
I wasn’t sure what I expected from this book, but after about twenty mornings of reading a chapter with my morning coffee, I’m kinda bummed I ran out of chapters.
Poker Wars is more than a non-fiction book retelling the history of poker. It brings you the true crime history behind it, and all the mayhem that came with it. As a true crime aficionado and a former poker hobbyist, I couldn’t have had more fun with this. The only part of the tale I struggled with, is trying to grasp how I never had heard of any of it previously.
The authors managed to compile the story in a compelling and rich way, which was both easy to follow and hook your interest, and write it in a prose that felt fitting for the time and the theme. The way the book got split into parts with their own poker-related theme to fit the events unfurling in the next chapters made me smile in appreciation, and it all was just compiled in a perfect smooth way - you don’t feel like any of the chapters are holding unnecessary information, and it doesn’t feel too heavy.
If you want a true crime story detailing a dark part of American cultural history, and/or enjoy any gambling vices - pick this one up as soon as it’s been released. You won’t regret it.
I wasn’t sure what I expected from this book, but after about twenty mornings of reading a chapter with my morning coffee, I’m kinda bummed I ran out of chapters.
Poker Wars is more than a non-fiction book retelling the history of poker. It brings you the true crime history behind it, and all the mayhem that came with it. As a true crime aficionado and a former poker hobbyist, I couldn’t have had more fun with this. The only part of the tale I struggled with, is trying to grasp how I never had heard of any of it previously.
The authors managed to compile the story in a compelling and rich way, which was both easy to follow and hook your interest, and write it in a prose that felt fitting for the time and the theme. The way the book got split into parts with their own poker-related theme to fit the events unfurling in the next chapters made me smile in appreciation, and it all was just compiled in a perfect smooth way - you don’t feel like any of the chapters are holding unnecessary information, and it doesn’t feel too heavy.
If you want a true crime story detailing a dark part of American cultural history, and/or enjoy any gambling vices - pick this one up as soon as it’s been released. You won’t regret it.
August 15, 2026
When I bought this book, I was a little skeptical having read many other books with these characters in them. But I was pleasantly surprised that the author provides a lot of good history of these men from Texas or at least most of them from Texas. This details the story of the world series of poker and American poker and a cast of characters that you may be familiar with if you have followed poker for a while. People like Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, Nick the Greek and Titanic Thompson and of course the founder of the WSOP Benny Binion. Alot of the history covers the gambling environment around the Dallas Fort Worth area and violent lawless environment and the various competing groups a majority of the book centers around Benny Binion and his feud with Herbert Noble a man that picked up the nick name of "The Cat" after surviving the numerous attempts on his life. These men had many individual talents and institute prop bets. One who would never turn down a bet. The ability to play golf left or right-handed. Can you imagine challenging the king of Egypt to a high card cut for five hundred thousand dollars? Or so focused on the poker game that even having a death at the table and the game goes on. One problem I did have with this book was the author used to many metaphors. If you like gambling history pick this book up and give it a read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a free copy of, Poker Wars, by Phillip Guitar; Jim Martyka, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Im not a big gambler at all. This book is about The World Series of Poker, the history of it and some big players. It was a fairly interesting read, for someone who does not play poker.
June 10, 2026
3.5 rounded to 4. Great history of World Series of Poker and related events
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews