Historian and poker player Des Wilson recently published his book Ghosts at the Table, a story that focuses on the growth of Poker and it’s development in the U.S., from it’s beginnings in the 19th century up to the 2007 WSOP. Wilson remarks that the book is not supposed to be a complete history of the game of Poker, but it does bring to light many of the game’s important figures and stories, as well as adding to our understanding of what he calls “Poker Mythology.”

The meaning of the book’s title varies. Wilson believes that it is Poker’s history that is the “key to its popularity.” He says, “Poker’s history is always there, hovering over every hand.” Thus the word ghost refers to figures such as Wild Bill Hickok, Doc Holiday, Benny Binion, and Stu Ungar who still occupy a place among Poker tables of today.

The title also seems to show Wilson’s unique approach to his material because he characterizes the history of Poker as a type of “ghost story”. He starts with the premise that Poker “is short on records and statistics” and decides to address “some of the game’s unanswered questions and solve some its mysteries.”

The narrative of the story takes on the style of a detective novel, with Wilson himself taking the part of lead investigator. He visits many of the places where poker history was made, as well as relying on written accounts, narrating his adventures and attempts to uncover hidden truths and myths. One example is from the beginning of the book with the shooting of Wild Bill Hickok during a game of draw poker. He apparently died while clutching his hand of aces and eights, which came to be known as the “dead man’s hand”. Wilson tells the story as he visits Deadwood to speak with some locals to find out why Jack McCall shot Wild Bill Hickok that fateful day in August, as well as to find out what that fifth card was in Hickok’s last hand.