Massive poker book collection goes up for sale in London

Massive poker book collection goes up for sale in London

Thursday, 10 June 2010

The game of poker has prompted a rich and varied literature from tomes on strategy to tall tales on the more colourful characters who populate the game. Now one of the finest collections of poker books ever assembled has gone up for sale in London.

The collection, entitled All In, has been compiled by Natalie Galustian and includes some incredibly rare first editions from the very earliest days of poker as well as classics like The Complete Poker Player by John Blackbridge (published in 1880), The Odds Against Me by John Scarne (1966) and The Education of a Poker Player by Herbert Yardley (1957).


"The collection traces the development of the game through the 19th century and 20th centuries, and shows how the wealth, quality and scholarly nature of the writing on poker proves it is a game of skill, not chance," says Galustian, who has spent years building up the collection.


"For me the collection endorses what professional poker players do for a living. I would like to get poker players to become more interested in the history of their game, and convince them that collecting the books that conspired to shape the modern games of poker is a great thing to do."


Big Deal author Tony Holden has provided a foreword for the catalogue and has his eye on one special book himself, namely General Robert Cumming Schenck's 1880 book Rule for Playing Poker. "Schenck's is a book I have always coveted; so I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse me, I must now go online at once to see if I can win enough to put in a pre-emptive bid." said the International Poker Federation chief.


The collection is on display at Natalie Galustian's shop at 22 Cecil Court, between St Martin's Lane and Charing Cross Road, until the end of July 2010.



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