Hautman, Pete. No Limit.HAUTMAN, Pete. No limit. (Formerly titled Stone Cold.) Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster U.S. publishing company. It was founded in 1924 by Richard L. Simon (1899–1960) and M. Lincoln Schuster (1897–1970), whose initial project, the original crossword-puzzle book, was a best-seller. , Pulse. 207p. c1998. 1-4169-0504-9. JS To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, January 1999: Denn Doyle has a sweet girlfriend and a thriving lawn care business, and he's saving up to buy a car when he turns 16. Despite his father's desertion of the family, things are going well for Denn. When he narrowly avoids being crushed by a bus, he feels lucky, and when an older acquaintance invites him to play poker poker, card game, believed to have originated in Asia and first played in the United States in the 19th cent. A traditional cutthroat gambling game at first, it is now also an internationally popular social pastime. , he's flattered and decides to sit in. And then he discovers he's got a gift for poker. He wins hundreds of dollars, and he's soon hooked. Even getting robbed and beaten doesn't discourage him. Soon he's acquired a false ID and he's playing high-stakes poker nightly at the casino. His work, his friends, his girlfriend, and his family are brushed off as Denn becomes further and further immersed im·merse tr.v. im·mersed, im·mers·ing, im·mers·es 1. To cover completely in a liquid; submerge. 2. To baptize by submerging in water. 3. in the cards, learning to read the subtle "tells" or clues that reveal what kind of hands the other players are holding. Finally he's sitting at a poker table A poker table is a table specifically designed for playing card games, usually poker. It is often covered with baize which is a type of felt, or speed cloth, a teflon-coated fabric that helps the cards slide easily across the surface. with the powerful and emotionless e·mo·tion·less adj. Devoid of emotion; impassive. e·mo  tion·less·ness n.Adj. 1. Mr. Kingston, playing for the highest stakes ever, and learning that the price of winning is to become stone cold too. Told by Denn, this spare, fast-moving tale quickly draws readers in, and its ending isn't what you'd expect: Denn has all the material possessions he could want, but he's alienated al·ien·ate tr.v. al·ien·at·ed, al·ien·at·ing, al·ien·ates 1. To cause to become unfriendly or hostile; estrange: alienate a friend; alienate potential supporters by taking extreme positions. everyone he cared for. Hautman knows the world of cards and the world of adolescence; this is a compelling read. Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers. S--Recommended for senior high school students. |
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