The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King

Inside the Richest Poker Game of All Time

Michael Craig

Recommended By

Book Reviews

One of three books Chamath Palihapitiya tells new graduates to read.

Book Synopsis

"The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King" by Michael Craig is an exhilarating true story that delves into the fascinating world of high-stakes poker. In this gripping tale, Craig takes readers on a thrilling journey through the minds of extraordinary individuals.

The story centers around a legendary weekly poker game known as the Big Game, hosted at the famous Bellagio casino in Las Vegas. A group of elite poker players, including a college professor and a wealthy banker, gather to compete against some of the world's best in the highest-stakes poker games ever played.

At the heart of the tale lies the enigmatic figure known as the Suicide King, a mysterious and reclusive billionaire who joins the Big Game, seeking the ultimate challenge. As the stakes rise to astronomical amounts, tensions soar, and the professional poker players must confront their skills, strategies, and psychological stamina to take on this formidable opponent.

This true story unfolds with captivating detail, showcasing the intense highs and lows experienced by the players, the psychological battles fought at the poker table, and the extraordinary sums of money exchanged in a single hand. With each page, Craig provides readers with a glimpse into the world of high-stakes poker, revealing both the glamour and the dark underbelly of this captivating universe.

"The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King" is a masterfully-written narrative that combines the thrill of a high-stakes poker game with insightful observations on human nature, ambition, and the pursuit of greatness. It is an unputdownable read that will leave readers amazed by the lengths individuals will go to achieve their goals and the intellectual prowess required to succeed in the world of professional poker.

Explore More Books

See All
The Robert Collier Letter Book
The Reluctant Mr. Darwin
Calculus Made Easy
Consciousness
Traction
The Lizard King
Priceless
Globalizing Capital
Feeding the Dragon
The American Challenge
How Companies Win
How to Get Lucky
The Crisis of Global Capitalism
Leadership and Self-Deception
Super Pumped
Markings
The New One Minute Manager
Over the Edge of the World
The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Trillion Dollar Coach
How To Avoid a Climate Disaster
Layered Money
The Fault in Our Stars
Notes From an Apocalypse
Hackers and Painters
Fallen Leaves
If The Universe Is Teeming With Aliens...Where Is Everybody?
The World is Flat
The 4 Hour Work Week
Stories of Your Life and Others
The Great War of Our Time
Impromptu
The Sovereign Individual
Cloud Atlas
The Upside of Stress
Working in Public
The Plus, Self-Help for People Who Hate Self-Help
The Rape of Nanking
Great Short Poems
Principles
COAN
More Human
A Great Leap Forward?
Nonviolent Communication
Asset Management
Rainbows End
The Capitalist Manifesto
Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant
Exhalation
On Wings of Eagles
The Gene
Devouring Freedom
Liberating Learning
Dataclysm
Upheaval
Call of the Reed Warbler
The Art of Computer Programming
Pre-Suasion
Good To Great
The Emperor of All Maladies
Our Final Invention
Bad For You
Plants of the Gods
101 Things I Learned in Engineering School
The Gutsy Girl
1000 Ways to Make $1,000
Foundation
Jack
Lincoln
Storm of Steel
Clear Thinking
The Great Transformation
Success
The Etymologicon
Be Here Now
The Compleat Strategyst
Hug Your Haters
Bet With the Best
When The Heavens Went on Sale
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Chapterhouse: Dune
Seeking Wisdom
The Idealist
A Mind at Home with Itself
Hail Mary
Lonesome Dove
Founding Sales
Simple & Direct
Evicted
The Machine Stops
Maverick
The Goal
The Warrior Ethos
Live Your Truth
Siddhartha
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Thinking Physics
American Lion
Dear Leader