The poker world lost a celebrated author with the death of British journalist Anthony Holden on October 7 at the age of 76. The author and poker player has pursued many interests as a writer on subjects ranging from opera to biographies of the royal family, Tchaikovsky and Laurence Olivier. , and Shakespeare.
His life included work as a reporter, columnist and editor for several British newspapers including times, observer, today, and others. Holden was also a regular card player, and poker fans may be most familiar with his 1990 book Big deal for a year as a professional poker player.
“A sad day in the poker world, especially for people who appreciate great poker journalism,” said James McManus, author of the book Positively 5th Streethe noted on Twitter.
As told to McManus Card player: “with Big deal And Bigger dealTony and dozens of other poker journalists have inspired me. One of the kindest and smartest human beings I have ever met.”
Life in letters and poker
Holden was born in Southport, Lancashire, England, on May 22, 1947, and attended Merton College, Oxford, where he studied English literature. After graduating, he began his career in newspapers before publishing his first non-fiction book in 1974 about an English serial killer who poisoned his victims. He has won numerous awards for his articles and news coverage including his work on Northern Ireland in the 1970s.
Aside from pen and paper, Holden probably felt most comfortable at the poker table. He has spent much of his life at the table and Big deal It follows his journey as he tries to become a poker pro and plays in events at World Series of Poker From 1988-89.
The book was well received by many of his fellow players including playwright David Mamet, author Salman Rushdie, and actor Walter Matthau. This work was his most successful book, a fact he apparently enjoyed.
“Although the nearly ten volumes Holden wrote about the royal family were meticulously researched, he admitted to grinding them just for the money, and was proud that his most successful books were about his true passion: poker.” Telegraph Reports. “_The_big_deal_ was Holden’s account of a year spent playing in poker tournaments around the world; His final earnings of $12,300 were dwarfed by the proceeds from a book that sold nearly a million copies.
More business about poker
behind Big dealHolden became part of the game’s first efforts at televised poker where viewers could see the hole cards of players. He appeared on the UK’s Celebrity Edition Late night poker In 2000, she headlined a game that included fellow poker author Al Alvarez, comedian Ricky Gervais, novelist Martin Amis, and TV presenter turned poker pro Victoria Corrin.
The success of his first book on poker and the boom of the 2000s also inspired some of Holden’s other works. Release A Bigger Deal: A Year Inside the Poker Boom In 2007, it once again saw the author experience life as a poker pro.
In 2017, Holden served as editor and also contributed to He Played for His Life and Other Stories: Short Stories of Long Nights at the Poker Table. The book features authors ranging from McManus and Michael Craig to Barney Putman and Jennifer Tilly.
After years of playing other forms of gambling, Holden left them behind when he finally discovered poker. This had a huge impact on his life when he started covering and playing in WSOP Starting in the seventies and eighties.
“The difference between a gambler and a poker player is very subtle,” he wrote in Big Deal about heading to a casino. WSOP In 1978. “A gambler, whether someone who bets on horses or sporting events, on casino games or raindrops falling on a window pane, is someone who bets at unfavorable odds. A poker player, if he knows what he is doing, is someone who bets with favorable odds. One is romantic and the other is realistic. It is a distinction, a fact worthy of an inscription on a Greek urn. That was certainly all I knew at that moment, and all I needed to know, as I slipped $1,000 into a secret pocket deep inside my favorite pair of blue jeans.
*Image credits: PokerStars and Anthony Holden
