Poker

Al Alvarez's 2001 book, subtitled "Bets, Bluffs, and Bad Beats," is not strictly necessary, repeating as it does many of the stories from his earlier classic, The Biggest Game in Town. But it is worth having for the illustrations alone, including 17 photos of poker players by Ulvis Alberts. Those photos were published in a 1980 volume that sells today for around $1,500, making Poker a good bet.