More than that, though, Jimmy wants to be back on the Vegas tables playing for the kind of stakes he’s used to. When the authors write about this, even though they play it low-key, you can feel it. It’s kind of like a Rocky movie, only at a poker table instead inside a boxing ring. The challenge won me over in a heartbeat.

Reluctantly, Jimmy agrees to the assignment. In Vegas, though, the heat turns up quickly. Jimmy’s fight to stay alive at the tables is complicated by trying to keep Kat under control and alive in the game. Although the book starts off a little slow, the pace quickly increases as Jimmy has to put out fires all around him. I got wound up in just watching Jimmy try to sort out and get a handle on his life while he tried to take care of the various responsibilities he’d set up for himself.

Then the first murder occurs. One of the high-rolling poker players ends up murdered in his hotel room. Not only that, but the killer obviously left calling cards: a jack, a queen, and a king. All three of them are face-cards (bearing pictures of individuals instead of numbers) and are known collectively in Texas Hold’Em as a Picasso Flop, a group of three portrait cards.

It doesn’t take long before the Las Vegas police find out about Jimmy’s past as a convict. As soon as they do, they immediately focus on him. To make matters worse, Kat and another female poker player both claim they spent the night in question with Jimmy, using him as their alibi. Jimmy wasn’t with either of them, and he doesn’t know why they would lie. Wanting to protect Kat, Jimmy lies for her, but he can’t help wondering where she was that she had to lie about it. Or what he’s getting himself into.

Before he can figure that out, the second body falls. Literally. Into the hotel swimming pool. When the body is fished out, another Picasso Flop is found. Someone is definitely sending a message, but no one knows what it is.

The Picasso Flop is a great read. The prose sails along so smoothly you forget you’re reading and start seeing the “movie” in your head. Randisi never intrudes as a writer, and strives to simply spin the tale he and Vince Van Patten have concocted.

For the WPT aficionados, there’s a ton of name-dropping. Mike Sexton and actor James Woods both put in signature appearances. The backdrop of Vegas comes across well. And during the poker play, you can almost hear the cards hitting the felt in the final hands.

I hope that The Picasso Flop just marks the start of a series. Jimmy Spain is a great character to kick back and watch.