Buy Lost Vegas!!

By Pauly
Las Vegas, NV

Click here to buy Lost Vegas.


Yes, the time is now. You can officially buy a copy of Lost Vegas: The Redneck Riviera, Existentialist Conversations with Strippers, and the World Series of Poker.

I am selling the book via a third-party seller, Lulu.com. The books are print-on-demand (POD) which means that they are environmentally safe for all of you tree huggers. We will not waste any paper. Lulu prints copies as you order them.

So anyway, you can go here to buy the book.

* * * * *

Anyway, here are some quick Lost Vegas FAQs...

Q. When and where will the book be available for purchase?

A. Lost Vegas is due out June 29, 2010 and exclusively sold at Lulu.com. Click here to buy a copy.


Q. Will there be an e-version of the book?

A. Not yet. However, we will be releasing an e-version in a few months. Soon come.


Q. Can I buy the book on Amazon.com?

A. Not yet. For now, the book is exclusively available at Lulu.com.


Q. What are the best shipping options?

A. Media mail takes 5-15 days for delivery and cost under $6 (for one book). If you want to be a baller and blow a wad on expedited shipping charges, so be it. Rest assured, there is a less expensive shipping alternative. Lulu is currently running a "free summer shipping" promotion, so take advantage of that!


Q. I live in a country outside of America. Can I get a copy?

A. Yes. The shipping might be pricey, but Lost Vegas is available for delivery to most places on Earth.


Q. Can I get an autographed copy?

A. Unfortunately, I am unable to send you an autographed copy. However, if you track me down at the Rio during the WSOP, I'd be happy to sign a copy for you. Or, if you happen to find me in the parking lot of a Phish show, then I'll be even more happy to oblige.


Q. Can I get a free copy?

A. No. I've been writing for free on Tao of Poker (and other sites) for many years and I have never asked for a cent. Here's your chance to make it up. It's taken me five years to write this book, I have to earn a living somehow.


Q. Can I get a review copy?

A. If you have been selected to receive a review copy, chances are you have already heard from me. Otherwise, you will not be getting a review copy. Unfortunately, I do not get any free books. Review copies come out of my pocket which is why I only sent out a limited amount.


Q. Will there be a hardcover version?

A. At the present moment... no. However, if there is a significant amount of interest, I will consider launching a hardcover collector's version in a few months.


Q. When will the French version be available?

A. Most likely in late 2010. Inculte will be publishing Lost Vegas in French. Benjo is writing the translation.


Q. Will there be other translated versions?

A. I'm in the process of negotiating a Spanish version and a German version. At the present moment, Lost Vegas will only be available in English.


Q. How do I contact you to do an interview?

A. Shoot me an email at pauly AT taopoker DOT com. We can arrange something. However, please understand this disclaimer: the World Series of Poker Main Event is the busiest time of the year for me (begins July 5th through July 17th). I am unable to fulfill every request during the first half of July. Rest assured, once the WSOP is over, I will have more free time to chat about Lost Vegas and I can give you my full attention.

If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to contact me.

Oh, don't forget you can click here to buy a copy.

This Week in Poker - Episode 1

By Pauly
Las Vegas, NV

My buddies from Wicked Chops Poker recently launched a new weekly live webcast called This Week In Poker. It will be hosted over at This Week In, which is the brainchild of Jason Calacanis and Kevin Pollack.

The first episode was broadcast this past Tuesday. I was one of the guests on the inaugural episode with Oscar-nominated actress Jen Tilly. Phil Hellmuth was scheduled to be the third guest, but he was a no-show and luckily, the gang let Jen Tilly talk about a ton of funny shit.

I was truly honored to have been part of the first show, and I hope to make another cameo before the summer ends to plug Lost Vegas. When the WSOP is over, the show will move to its home studio in L.A., so there's a very good chance I make a few in-studio cameos.

I was very nervous to start out because I'm used to doing radio and podcasts, but not TV/video. I finished strong which was important. It was kinda cool that I got to "open" for Jen Tilly as the warm up act.

Proof

By Pauly
Las Vegas, NV

Five minutes before Nicky and I were about leave our apartment on Tuesday, she noticed that a Fed Ex truck had pulled up in front of our condo.

"Is that it?" she squealed with excitement.

I had been waiting a couple of days for two proof copies of Lost Vegas. This is literally the last step before I can officially sign off on the project. I noticed a couple if stylistic errors already so we're going to tweak what we can and then we're done. At that point, I flip the switch and we can start selling Lost Vegas to the public.


I slowly opened the box and Nicky was super excited as the anticipation rose. I was mostly terrified because I dreaded the worst -- that the book would look like shit. Alas, when I pulled the shrink-wrapped books out of the box, I finally saw a material product that represented five intense years of work.

I held my breath as I tore open the plastic. I fumbled a bit because my hands were shaking. The inspected the binding first. Have no idea why. Then the back and finally the front. The cover was pristine. My friend Kat was cool enough to create the cover art in her spare time and wow -- I was blown away. It really enhanced the entire product. My friend Maudie snapped a photo of me when we were in Key West a few years ago. Ironically, the photo was taken at Hemingway's house. A bunch of us had gone on a tour and Maudie actually took a decent photo of my ugly mug. A thumbnail of that photo appears on the back cover along with a blurb from my colleague John Caldwell.

I flipped through the book, randomly stopping at different pages. I started to read a few sentences when I'd get a little anxious and flip through a few more pages only to repeat the process.

I handed Nicky one of the copies and her face lit up. That's when the guilt set in. I felt as though I should be happier -- at the least, I felt as though I should have been on a equal level of enthusiasm as Nicky. I dunno what happened to me. I wasn't sad or sullen, but I wasn't bouncin' off the walls. I was definitely excited in my own way, but whenever it seemed as though that emotion will step out in front, it got shoved aside by fear of... failure. For the first time I started the project, I froze up. You would think that fear would have held me back during the writing or editing process... but it wasn't until the final step that I found myself paralyzed.

I stuffed the book into my bag. We were running behind schedule and needed to get a late lunch before we headed to work. Nicky was supposed to work until 5am. I cou;dn't wait that long and left with Benjo around 2am. He gave me a ride home and I went into the condo and read the first five chapters. Surreal is the best word to describe the experience. I read the manuscript from start to finish at least one hundred and fifty times -- in this year alone. But this was the first time I read it as an actually book. As I turned every page, the inklings of fear slowly dissipated.

If you want to insider information on the release of Lost Vegas, then you should follow @LostVegasBook on Twitter, because that's the first place I'll be announcing the official release date.