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.
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—Guitar and Martyka offer a thorough breakdown of the remarkable sequence of events that brought the card game into the national spotlight.
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.
To order you copy: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/826830/poker-wars-by-philip-guitar-and-jim-martyka/paperback or
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poker-wars-philip-guitar/1149021374
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 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.
redacesproductions.com | IG: @philip.guitar
FB: @philip.guitar
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 Book
of 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.
jimmartyka.com | IG: @jim_martyka
FB: @jim.martyka | X: @JimMartyka
