Description

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"You know how they say you can't climb out of a hole till you hit bottom?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm trying to find the bottom."

At seventeen, Denn Doyle isn't old enough to gamble legally, but thanks to his talent for reading tells, he's made a fortune -- and along the way, he's upset some of the most notorious Texas holdem players in Las Vegas, including Artie Kingston, who had already lost his nightclub to Denn. But now Denn's luck has run out and he's just about broke. His only chance is a million-dollar, winner-take-all tournament at Artie's new casino, but Denn can't play unless he comes up with the $10,000 entry fee. Denn's future all comes down to one hand of poker.

National Book Award-winning author Pete Hautman introduced Denn Doyle in No Limit, of which School Library Journal said, "Fast paced and powerfully delivered...as taut and suspenseful as a high-stakes game." Here he deals another hand of love, luck, and greed in the high-stakes world of poker.

About the Author

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Pete Hautman is the author of National Book Award–winning novel Godless, Sweetblood, Hole in the Sky, Stone Cold, The Flinkwater Factor, The Forgetting Machine, and Mr. Was, which was nominated for an Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America, as well as several adult novels. He lives in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Visit him at PeteHautman.com.

 

Praise For…

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"Hautman nails the heady buzz of winning and the gut-shot numbness of losing it all on the last turn, calling the action with all the deftness of a dealer flipping cards: sharp, fast, and effortless....A quick, slick read for wannabe sharks."--Booklist



"Hautman again delivers a deliciously high-anxiety novel...Poker fans and mystery buffs alike will want to buy in."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Skillfully using the multiple-voice approach, Hautman brings to life the intircacies of poker, crafting a thrilling story of loss, good versus evil, and redemption"--VOYA



"The dialogue is snappy and the plot, especially the ending, unfolds expertly and without cliche."--School Library Journal

"The tournament's tension is top-notch."--Kirkus Reviews