{"product_id":"straight-flush-the-true-story-of-six-college-friends-who-dealt-their-way-to-a-billion-dollar-online-poker-empire-and-how-it-all-came-9780062240101","title":"Straight Flush: The True Story of Six College Friends Who Dealt Their Way to a Billion-Dollar Online Poker Empire--And How It All Came","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eThe Accidental Billionaires \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eBringing Down the House\u003c\/em\u003e--the sources for the film \u003cem\u003eThe Social Network \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003e21\u003c\/em\u003e--comes the larger-than-life rags-to-riches tale of a group of University of Montana frat brothers who turned a weekly poker game in the basement of a local dive bar into AbsolutePoker.com, one of the largest online companies in the world. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBased on extensive insider interviews and participation, Straight Flush tells of the company's initial operations in the exotic jungle paradise of Costa Rica--where its founders embraced an outrageous lifestyle of girls, parties, and money--and of the gray area of U.S. and international law in which they created an industry. Soon, the U.S. Department of Justice was gunning for them... Should they fold--or double down and ride their hot hand? Impossible to put down, \u003cem\u003eStraight Flush\u003c\/em\u003e is an exclusive, never-before-seen look behind the headlines of one of the wildest business stories of the past decade.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMezrich, Ben:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003eBen Mezrich graduated \u003cem\u003emagna cum laude\u003c\/em\u003e from Harvard in 1991. He has published twelve books, including the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestsellers \u003cem\u003eThe Accidental Billionaires\u003c\/em\u003e, which was adapted into the Academy Award-winning film \u003cem\u003eThe Social Network\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eBringing Down the House\u003c\/em\u003e, which has sold more than 1.5 million copies in twelve languages and became the basis for the Kevin Spacey movie \u003cem\u003e21\u003c\/em\u003e. Mezrich has also published the national bestsellers \u003cem\u003eSex on the Moon\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eUgly Americans\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eRigged\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eBusting Vegas\u003c\/em\u003e. He lives in Boston.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50502986006802,"sku":"9780062240101","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_a81860e3-48fa-4c87-bdba-001ea20859a1.jpg?v=1730780179","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/straight-flush-the-true-story-of-six-college-friends-who-dealt-their-way-to-a-billion-dollar-online-poker-empire-and-how-it-all-came-9780062240101","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}