Poker Face 2

Poker Face 2 is not only the most amazing book in my (rather large) poker library, it is also among the most impressive art books I own. Ulvis treats his subject with dignity and even-handedness, something that is seldom true in media portrayals of poker and poker players. The quotes that accompany the photos are also quite apt. The quality of the book itself is amazing. Every serious poker player should want to have one of these limited edition books on their shelf of on their coffee table.

I had never bought a poker book before purchasing this book. It was well worth the money and my wife (a non-poker player) even enjoyed the layout of pictures. The quotes provide an interesting peak into the minds of poker's elite players. It's a perfect holiday/birthday gift for a poker player or just someone interested in poker.

This is one of those very rare books that you have to pick up and look at time and time again. The photos in this award winning book range from the 1970s to 2005.

The photos from the 70s are one of a kind. When the World Series of Poker was in its infancy, Jack Binion wanted to publicize the event so he invited all of the Hollywood Photographers to shoot the event and be comped rooms and food. Only Ulvis Alberts took Jack up on his offer. Pretty much 95% of the photos you see of the World Series from the 70s were taken by Mr. Alberts.

The photographs throughout the book tell many stories. The most beautiful aspect of the photos is that they are not trying to catalog famous faces; they capture special moments in time from the famous and non famous. Shot largely in black and white film, the photos have a stunning brilliance and texture that cannot be captured by digital color. One of the most telling photographs is a pullout that captures in a series of shots, the moment someone wins their first bracelet.

This book is the sequel to the first Poker Face which if you can find a copy today; it's worth its weight in gold. Over the course of a year this book was produced in Latvia with the highest level of craftsmanship. The artistry on the hard box cover and book cover was all hand done. The commemorative metal plaque inserted on the cover was worked on by 2 people. For the last 2 years, many professional poker players have marveled over this book when it was displayed at the World Series of Poker.

I personally own 2 copies, one for display and one to keep in mint condition. My friends always flip through it when they come over. This is a definite keepsake, like a coin collection, stamp collection, or art collection. It will gain value in time, especially since there were only 2000 copies produced. There won't be Poker Face 3 because in 25 years Ulvis will not be around. He has said on many occasions that this is his last poker book. If you wanted one more reason to buy this book, if you wanted to just have one print of a photo from Ulvis, it will run somewhere between $300-500. Here you get over 300 pages of photos for $300.

In a world inundated with poker-related books and other paraphernalia, this book stands apart. Ulvis Alberts' photography captures the soul of the game in an incomparable way, and the whole package is an art book that anyone even mildly interested in the world of poker would enjoy. Famous and unknown players from the last 35 years are portrayed, and the spirit of the game emerges in every photograph.

Poker Face 2 is a must own for any poker player or fan of the game. Packaged in a beautiful hard cover, it's filled with photographic images that capture the emotions of players in the throes of one of the worlds most popular games. Shot from the years 1977 - 2005 it's a journey through the poker time machine and speaks to the unstoppable momentum that keeps this games popularity growing by leaps and bounds day by day.