Legacy of ‘One Year as a Professional Poker Player’ Lives On

Wednesday, 12 April 2006

Feted by fancy literary types including Salman Rushdie and praised for its use of Dostoyevsky and Freud, Big Deal: One Year As A Professional Poker Player by Anthony Holden is arguably the most lauded poker book of all time.

Feted by fancy literary types including Salman Rushdie and praised for its use of Dostoyevsky and Freud, Big Deal: One Year As A Professional Poker Player by Anthony Holden is arguably the most lauded poker book of all time.
Written by a former speech writer for Prince Charles, the book’s action followed Holden as he played during the WSOP series in 1988 and 1989 and exposed the culture as it was then. So rather than letting the book lie as it has done for over 15 years, producers are starting to work up a head of steam behind the film version which is due to start this year, with the script being written by his son Joe.
Rumours are doing the rounds of all-round English stereotype Hugh Grant playing the lead role, showing the producers haven’t exactly used their imaginations when it comes to casting. The film will be doubtless helped along by the release of Bigger Deal, the book’s sequel, due out next year. It will follow Holden from his games in the WSOP last year (in which he complained that Binion’s “wasn’t like it used to be”) to him hopefully taking the WSOP title this year. Wishful thinking, but gratefully received publicity for poker nonetheless.



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