Ship It Holla Ballas!: How a Bunch of 19-Year-Old College Dropouts Used the Internet to Become Poker's Loudest, Craziest, and Richest Crew

Amazon Best Books of the Month, January 2013: Don't let the title throw you off: Ship It, Holla Ballas! is not about raising the precocious young poker star to the status of folk hero. Rather, the narrative reads straight out of Greek tragedy (or Scarface): Guys with a natural affinity for probabilities stumble across online poker; hone their skills and fill their bank accounts; call themselves the "Holla Ballas" and sort of successfully reinvent themselves as hard-partying rock stars; and lose it all through a combination of bad decisions and a government crackdown. Although poker brought them together, they get into trouble according to their personalities: Some decide to dive with sharks and (unsuccessfully) try to pick up Playboy playmates; others invest in TempurPedic mattresses and home cooking. This breezy but electrifying read is a tale of greed, hubris, and how the ability to make a lot of money does not always come with the ability to handle it--or yourself--responsibly. --Darryl Campbell