Many readers consider Rick Bennet's 1995 novel King of a Small World to be the best of its kind — a poker-themed novel that offers an authentic, gritty portrait of "the live grind."
The book follows Joey "Pinocchio" Moore, a young rounder who knows Maryland's underground poker scene and the skills necessary to succeed there. "I never worry about losing money gambling," Joey says. "I always worry about losing it in life. Having it fall out of my pocket. Having it stolen. Something. It's a compulsion. The more I win, the more I feel it.