Beneath the Cards by Garrett Adelstein

Beneath the Cards

A High-stakes, High-anxiety Poker Journey

Garrett Adelstein

Permuted Press · Print & ebook · September 1, 2026

USA TODAY BESTSELLER One of poker’s most feared competitors reveals the triumph, scandal, and hidden cost of obsession.

Buy on Amazon

We earn from qualifying purchases.

Who it’s for
Poker fans interested in a high-stakes career memoir
Themes
The cost of obsession, Identity and connection, Winning beyond the table
Genres
Personal Memoirs, Poker, Gambling

Nearest books

Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved. Most of these share its genre: Poker.

  1. Phil Hellmuth Presents Read 'em and ReapJoe Navarro, Marvin Karlins62% match
  2. The Noble HustleColson Whitehead69% matchAlso shares Personal Memoirs
  3. Hunting FishJay Greenspan66% matchAlso shares Personal Memoirs and Gambling
  4. Bad Beats and Lucky DrawsPhil Hellmuth, Jr.65% matchAlso shares Personal Memoirs
  5. Positively Fifth StreetJames McManus65% matchAlso shares Gambling
  6. Busting VegasBen Mezrich63% matchAlso shares Gambling

For younger readers: Check & Mate, Playing the Cards You're Dealt (scholastic Gold), Hoops

Start with three books, and this one can be the first.

Members get a new edition every morning: a route out from their books to essays, research and talks, with the reason for each.

Join the waitlist

About this book

USA TODAY BESTSELLER One of poker’s most feared competitors reveals the triumph, scandal, and hidden cost of obsession. Garrett Adelstein, widely recognized as the best high-stakes cash game player on earth—and the alleged mark in “Jack-Four,” the most controversial hand in poker history—flips the deck in Beneath the Cards.

Continue reading

This gripping memoir charts Garrett’s up-and-down journey to the pinnacle of poker—from online poker prodigy to livestream superstar—until one hand threatened to destroy everything he’d built. He pulls no punches, taking readers through his turbulent career and offering a riveting insider account of underground games where compulsive gamblers, seasoned grifters, and millions of dollars collide in minutes. Garrett comes clean on drunken binges, death threats, financial ruin, and public backlash. Along the way, he shares accessible poker insights and delves into the mindset required to navigate this cutthroat, unforgiving arena. Garrett also candidly discusses his life beyond the table. He exposes his deeply personal battles with perfectionism, depression, body dysmorphia, and even his demoralizing appearance on Survivor. Through these experiences, the book examines connection, identity, and what happens when winning is no longer enough—universal themes that resonate even with those who’ve never played a hand. Powered by the perceptiveness and humor that endear Garrett to poker enthusiasts worldwide, Beneath the Cards is an unforgettable ride appealing to poker fans, business professionals, sports and true crime readers, and anyone intrigued by the price of extreme competition.

Who it’s for

  • Poker fans interested in a high-stakes career memoir
  • Sports, true crime, and business readers drawn to extreme competition

Where it sits

Poker79%
Personal Memoirs52%
Gambling29%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Sports Lives
  • Personal Memoirs
  • Poker
Authors
Garrett Adelstein
Publisher
Permuted Press
Published
September 1, 2026
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
The cost of obsession · Identity and connection · Winning beyond the table
Reading lane
Sports Lives