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.

Author: Philip Guitar,Jim Martyka
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Published: 08/11/2026
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.91lbs
Size: 8.38h x 5.85w x 1.08d
ISBN: 9798892426473

About the Author
Philip Guitar grew up in Abilene, Texas, and as a youth, spent time working on the family ranches and taking part in various athletics. He was also an avid reader and writer. His go-to genres were mysteries, horror, and true crime mafia books. He is also a former professional poker player and has some quality wins as well as plenty of stories to tell about playing with some renowned players and celebrities. Philip is a prolific screenwriter and the founder and executive producer of Red Aces Productions, home of the "Texas Thriller." He wrote and produced the successful and award-winning short film Crude Massacre as well as the acclaimed documentary Water Wars, which features Dennis Quaid as the film's narrator. He has several others that are being shopped or in development.

Jim Martyka is a multipublished author and editor, having worked on over fifty published books in all genres, most notably Closing the Gap (the autobiography of NFL Hall of Famer Willie Davis), The Eight Characters of Comedy, Towards the Moon with Fellini, Paddle Out, and The Super Bowls. He is an award-winning journalist and a professional coach and consultant, working with various publishers (including sports publisher Triumph Books) and helping writers of all experience levels get their projects written, pitched, and published. He is a native of Milwaukee and currently lives in Los Angeles. He is a true crime fan and a decent poker player... among friends and family. He is also a former Guinness World Records holder, having watched fifty-three and a half hours of movies straight without sleeping. That record has since been beaten. By a lot. He has no plans to try to break that record again.