This reminded me a lot of Positively Fifth Street which I also enjoyed. While Fifth Street mixes a tale of murder with an unlikely run at the World Series of Poker, Poker Nation mixes a tale of misspent youth (the appendices are priceless!) with underground poker. The chapters on cheating I found especially interesting — probably because cheating is the only way I’ll ever become a good player. This more closely resembles a short collection of essays than a full-length novel, but I’d recommend it to any poker fan.
I am an excellent poker player.