Prince of Poker

The biggest and most important annual poker event, the World Series of Poker draws more than 500 players vying for a pot worth $1.5-million and up. With a $10,000 buy-in, the stakes are high for any player — but when you’re a down-and-out writer with four kids, making it to the final table could mean a fairy-tale ending. Join us for an exhilarating, nail-biting, roller-coaster ride with amateur player Jim McManus as he battles the odds in the 2000 World Series of Poker. Sent by Harper’s magazine to cover the tournament, McManus uses his writing fee to enter the satellite tournaments for a chance in the big leagues. When McManus makes it into the World Series, the competition gets tougher — to beat the 500-to-1 odds, he must defeat champion T.J. Cloutier. Will McManus snare the $1.5-million pot, or go home empty-handed and devastatingly in debt? Features interviews with McManus, poker legend Cloutier, and surprise challenger Chris “Jesus” Ferguson.