Positively Fifth Street is the true story of the author's experience at the World Series of Poker at Binion's Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas, along with the considerably more unpleasant tale of Ted Binion, whose grisly death was blamed on Binion’s former stripper-girlfriend and her ex-linebacker beau. In the hands of McManus, these seemingly disparate storylines are really pretty similar: steeped in adrenaline, mystery, deception, and skating on thrillingly thin ice. Each story underscores the other, a neat little "narrative as metaphor" device, while also painting a vivid picture of Vegas casino life. McManus's hilariously self-aware and at times self-loathing style make this a fun read. But beyond that, his account of nearly winning the biggest poker tournament in the world and subsequently watching as the verdicts are announced for Binion’s accused murderers makes for a great story. The result is just as dazzling, exciting, and disturbing as Vegas itself.
Ppb; 448 pages.
Ppb; 448 pages.