Positively Fifth Street

Murderers, Cheetahs, and Binion's World Series of Poker

By: James McManus

Narrated by: James McManus

Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

In the spring of 2000, Harper's magazine sent James McManus to Las Vegas to cover the World Series of Poker.

But when McManus sets foot in town, the lure of the tables is too strong: he proceeds to risk his entire Harper's advance in a long-shot attempt to play in the tournament himself. Only with actual table experience (he tells his skeptical wife) can he capture the hair-raising subtleties of poker that determines the world champion. The heart of the book is his deliciously suspenseful account of the tournament itself - the players, the hand-to-hand, and his own unlikely progress in it.

©2003 James McManus (P)2003 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC

Critic reviews

"A delicious inside look." (Booklist )
"...like all true Beat writing, Positively Fifth Street is a joy to read." (The Los Angeles Times)
"The drama of high-stakes poker is inherently compelling - here is a rare opportunity to read an account by someone who can really write."(Publishers Weekly)
"Exhilarating chronicle....[as] tension-packed as any thriller." (The New York Times Book Review)

Positively Fifth Street Murderers

I really enjoyed this book and am glad to give it four stars. I would have liked the author to have made the book longer by putting in chapters inbetween the main story's plot of more of the history of gambling and Vegas. Very interesting, informative and entertaining.

Tremendously enjoyable

The author himself reads the story of going to cover Binion's World Poker Championship as a reporter and report on the the grisly murder trial Ted Binion. And ending up at the final table playing for $1.5 million.

If it wasn't true no one would ever believe it.

If you like Texas Hold 'Em buy this audiobook

What a great story. I ended up listening to the entire thing without stopping because it was so exiting. You will be kept in suspense the entire time by the author's crazy ride in the world series of poker while a bloody las vegas murder is uncovered. I think once you start you won't stop.

Great interweaved tale

An odd premise for a book, covering a murder trial and your own entry into the world series of poker while on an assignment about women poker players. But it works wonderfully.

Ted Binion, World Series of Poker, Strippers

While the details of the Binion family lifestyle, Ted in particular, did hook me in, it was the considerable detail that portrayed the chaotic mindset of a poker player that kept me interested throughout the entire book.

As one wears their 'poker face' at the table, it's rather difficult to read what's beyond the mask of your fellow competitors. Are they actually that calm and collected? Or are they scrambling for any available sanity while confronting the decision of calling (or re-raising) a $160,000 bet?

McManus vividly describes the mindset and thought process as a poker player at the tables--something you definitely cannot see by watching the WSOP on television or video. Whether it's the continual switching of Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hide or calculating pot odds, the book does have a lot to offer. A definite recommendation to an amateur/aspiring poker player. There's even some detail about the strip clubs!

Heart of a father soul of a gambler

Good Jim and bad Jim come together to weave a rich tale that paints a vivid picture of Vegas through the eyes and voice of a gambling writer/father. Jim marries the murder story of a prominent Las Vegas son with his own inside thriller at the 2000 World Series of Poker. A great account well read by the author who the listener can't help but feel for. You'll enjoy every minute of this short story.

brilliant.

I loved it! poker, murder, history and a great story. thank you for writing this.

Enjoyable book even if you are not a poker fan

What made the experience of listening to Positively Fifth Street the most enjoyable?

Great history about how the WSOP came about and going to Las Vegas as an outsider

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ted Binion

Which scene was your favorite?

The Stip Clubs

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Excellent book; next time hire an actor!

Having been recently introduced to the intriguing game of poker I was very much interested in this story of sex, murder, greed, and how the author would weave them into the tale and explore the WSOP at the same time. The book is well written however, the author's narration is labored and impassionate. He seems uninterested in the details and the excitement of his own story. This would make a better read than an audio book.

Not a volume for a gentle listener . . .

The behavior of poker players and the inside information about how they play the game with each other seems to me as interesting as magic or wizardry. I looked forward to this book, but did not make it past the first fifteen minutes comprised of a brutal and detailed description of murder in progress. The information was simply more than I wanted to know, and I folded on this recording before the flop.