Pokergeist

Pokergeist by Michael Phillip Cash    266 pages

Pokergeist is the fourth novel by as-yet-to-be-discovered author Michael Phillip Cash that I’ve read, and I think this one is his best yet.

The story opens in Las Vegas. Poker legend Clutch Henderson comes from a poker legend family; his grandfather was a champion player. He taught Clutch how to play the game.

Clutch is good. After all, this is his nineteenth attempt to win the million-dollar gold bracelet in the International Series of Poker. His opponent is an Internet poker sensation, Adam “The Ant” Antonowski. It’s the final hand; Clutch can practically feel the bracelet’s weight on his wrist. Everything he ever dreamed of is just a card away. Suddenly, Clutch can’t breathe. There is a heaviness in his chest. Words fail him. He falls to the floor.

One year later, Telly Martin has lost everything. It started with a layoff and spiraled down from there. Now he and his girlfriend Gretchen are living in a seedy hotel, barely able to eat and make the rent.

Telly also has dreams of winning the International Series of Poker. He’s a pretty good player, but with luck he could go all the way. All he needs now is the ten thousand dollar buy-in fee. Yeah, right, like he has that kind of money lying around.

Then Clutch shows up in ghost form to act as Telly’s mentor.

There are no real surprises in this plot line. Still, it’s well done and interesting reading. It’s a lot of fun too.

I give Pokergiest 5 out of 5 stars.