As reported by: Boston Herald
With online poker sites raking in big money, the publishing world wants a piece of the action. Already poker strategy guides and get-rich books have flooded the market as television series, like the World Poker Tour and Celebrity Poker Showdown, have catapulted the game into the mainstream.

Now, many publishers are hedging their bets on the increasing popularity of Internet poker to generate a new crop of titles. "There's a new culture of online stars being born," said John Caldwell, editor-in-chief of PokerNews.com. "Those people could write a book and sell a few copies."

Indeed, with the Internet gambling industry pulling in billions of dollars, publishers are upping the ante with strategy books dedicated to mastering the online table. ESPN Books -- which already released "The Best Hand I Ever Played" by poker columnist Steve Rosenbloom -- is planning to add "Online Ace," by professional player Scott Fischman later this year.

Meanwhile, Doyle "Texas Dolly" Brunson -- author of the original poker bible, "Super System: A Course In Power Poker," which has sold over 278,000 copies -- released "Online Poker" last year.

The surge of poker titles is creating a glut on store shelves. The secret to holding a winning hand among increased competition is celebrity marketing, said Michael Solomon, senior editor of ESPN Books. "Most of the books that really break out have a (recognizable) name behind it," he said.
Article By: Boston Herald