POKER INFO - PROILE - James McManus

Dear Mr. McManus,You probably cringe everytime someone reads PFS and tells you the book inspired him or her to take up poker or gambling. While I am not entering tournaments or casinos, the book has more eye-opening in understanding people in general, their motivations and various philosophies. As a spine physician, understanding people as it relates to their joys and pains are critical to caring for symptoms. Thanks for the insights. I would like to thank the person that first mentioned your book to me with an autographed hardcopy. I am in the Chicago area. Please email me with instructions. Thanks. Good Luck with more books and tournaments. Mark

i don't like your book. it's pretty boring and has nothing with the "meat and potatoes" of poker. I guess I am use to reading poker books of higher caliber and not books about the binions, etc. I think before someone creates a book they should really know what the **** they are talking about. I mean I could have written a similar book when I cracked my first home game at the age of 19. Seriously, if someone is going to write a book on poker, please don't go on a jack high tilt. If you truly cardplayer (not just play cards), please analyze that hand over and over again before you even touch a pen.

Hello Mr. Mcmanus,i Understand You Have Connections With The Wpt Or Any Other World Poker Association.i Ellix Powers Say To You Or Them That Talk Is Cheap.i Think Your Like Jerry Quarry.any Black Man That Can Walk The Walk And Make The Walk,you Want To See Fail,but In This Day And Age You Have To Cover Yourself By Apologizing To Me By Patronizing Me.i Wish You Would Contact Me With Any Association That You Have In Poker And If They Will Put Up A Purse I Will Play You Any Time Anywhere,and I Will Give The World A Show Better Than "the Thrilla In Manilla".now Go Ahead And Call That Bluff !!

A few words to James:We'll begin with the good. I received "Positively Fifth Street" as a Xmas gift from my sister. The portions of the book about your experiences at the table were riveting. You did your job as author, perfectly--you bled on the page. Thank you for allowing me to feel every emotion within you. Now we move on to the bad. Normally, I never would have read enough of your book to reach the "good." The only reason I did is because I knew my sister would grill me on the gift, so I kept reading. It wasn't the writing that put me off--you know you can write. It was characters. I know that Binion, Murphy, and Tabish were real, but to the serious readers of the world, they weren't. How could anyone identify with such oddities? Without an anchor to the heart, the staid reader closes the book. They aren't interested in freak shows. Finally, it's time for the ugly. I came upon this site on a search to find out if Good Jim had written anything of substance lately. I decided to write this micro-tome after I found out that you were the gonzo numbskull who talked on the sanctity of the game. I'm sorry James, but when I heard you in that infamous TV episode, I laughed until my bladder let go. What you were you thinking? "Sanctity" and "Poker" in the same sentence? How many people have in history have lied, cheated, and died over a poker game. How many children have gone hungry because some parent decided to plunge their paycheck into the sanctity of the game. So, I guess there's Good Jim, Bad Jim, and Pluto Jim. Please James, come back to earth. We both are comfortably into our fifties, and our genes aren't that good. Make that u-turn and come back to earth and find your dreams again. What happened to that need to reach the pinnacle--the one that ends with a Pulitizer or a Nobel? Especially at this time in your life, don't be seduced by that game. Do you really want to be rich, famous, and alone?Thanks for the opportunity to speak to you. There's no need to reply. I won't be back. All the best. R.

To jack high. I cannot believe you would insult Jim McManus' playing ability and question that he knows what he's talking about. Have you made it to the final table of the Main Event. Also, don't tell me it was a fluke, he made at least one other WSOP final table that i know of. Possibly more. Besides, finishing 5th in a field of hundreds of the best players alive requires a lot more then luck. So go back to playing your 10 buy in games and talk trash when you finish high in the money in the WSOP. Jim is a great writer and a great player. That's all.

Great book, looking forward to your next look into the world of poker.

Mr. McManus--Loved Positively 5th Street and the article that preceeded it. I made sure to give it to all of my poker buddies. Would you be so kind as to post the reading list from your literature of poker class?