Review of Garrett Adelstein's Book: Is "Beneath the Cards" Worth Reading?

Garrett Adelstein has released his autobiography "Beneath the Cards," in which he shares revelations about the world of poker. Find out if this book is worth reading.

At the beginning of 2024, Garrett Adelstein announced the release of his autobiography titled Beneath the Cards: A High-Stakes, High-Anxiety Poker Journey . This news immediately attracted the attention of both poker fans and a wider audience: pre-orders for the book surged after several videos were released in which Garrett teased future readers with the memoir’s content. Book Release and Format The official release of Beneath the Cards took place on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. The publisher was Permuted Press, a company that has been on the market since 2004 and is known for releasing books for a broad audience. The book is available in three formats: Paperback — $20.49 Kindle eBook — $15.99 Audiobook, narrated by Garrett Adelstein himself — $15.39 The audiobook runs for 11 hours and 15 minutes, allowing the author to explore the topics in depth. Immediately after its release, the book took the top spot in Amazon’s new releases rankings in the “Poker” and “Sports Biographies” categories, indicating strong audience interest. Content: More Than Just the Jack-Four Scandal Although many expected the book to focus mainly on the Jack-Four hand scandal, in reality, this episode takes up only about 10% of the memoir, as Garrett himself notes. Nevertheless, this incident became the main topic of discussion and debate in the poker community. To recap, the controversial hand took place in 2022 on the Hustler Casino Live (HCL) stream, where Robbi Jade Lew made an unexpected call against Garrett with J-4. Afterward, Adelstein accused her of cheating, which sparked a media frenzy and split poker fans into two camps. In the book, Garrett lays out his position in detail, presenting new arguments and circumstantial evidence in the appendices. If you lean toward Garrett’s version of events regarding cheating, you’ll likely enjoy the book, especially its analytical sections. At the same time, if you believe Robbi Jade Lew was unfairly accused, the author’s perspective may evoke negative emotions. The book does not claim to resolve the dispute once and for all, but it does offer a chance to see the situation through the eyes of one of its main participants. Diving Into the World of High Stakes The title Beneath the Cards reflects the main idea of the book: to reveal the behind-the-scenes world of high-stakes poker, which is usually hidden from the public and even professional journalists. Garrett acts as a guide to this closed universe, where huge sums are at stake and the atmosphere is filled with tension and excitement. Special attention is given to cash games, live streams, and the backstage life of professional players. The author shares stories about how private games are organized, how player pools are formed, and the psychological and financial challenges participants face in such battles. For readers interested in this aspect of poker, the book will be a real find: it lets you feel as if you’re sitting at the table with Garrett and his opponents, see how million-dollar decisions are made, and experience the emotions players go through in the most intense moments. The Personal Story of Garrett Adelstein Garrett’s memoir is not just a chronicle of poker achievements and scandals, but also an honest account of his life away from the poker table. The book describes in detail his complicated family relationships, struggles with depression, pursuit of perfectionism, and even issues with body dysmorphia. Garrett is not afraid to talk about difficult and painful topics, which is rare in autobiographies of famous players. He explains that if he decided to write a memoir, he had to be as honest and open as possible with readers. This approach allows for a deeper understanding of the author’s motivation, inner struggles, and path to success. The book includes a separate chapter dedicated to Garrett’s participation in the popular American reality show Survivor. In 2014, he was a contestant on the 28th season, Survivor: Cagayan. For fans of the show, this section will be especially interesting, and Garrett himself recommends rewatching the season on Paramount Plus to better understand the context of the events. Poker Community Reaction and Criticism Beneath the Cards has become one of the few poker books in recent years to be published by a major publisher and immediately receive widespread attention. Many in the poker industry, including leading podcast hosts and PokerNews journalists, note that expectations for the book were high, but Garrett managed to meet them. The positives include the author’s sincerity, honest discussion of personal issues, and unique perspective on the high-stakes world. However, there has also been criticism: some readers feel the book is too focused on Garrett’s side of the Robbi Jade Lew scandal and is not objective enough on this issue. Nevertheless, even critics admit that for poker fans—especially those interested in cash games and live streams—the book will be a valuable source of information and emotion. Full Book Information Author: Garrett Adelstein Title: Beneath the Cards: A High-Stakes, High-Anxiety Poker Journey Publisher: Permuted Press Publication Date: September 1, 2026 Formats: Paperback ($20.49), Kindle ($15.99), Audiobook ($15.39, 11 hours 15 minutes, narrated by the author) Main Topics: behind the scenes of high-stakes poker, cash games, streams, Jack-Four scandal, personal story, participation in Survivor What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For members of PPPoker clubs, the release of Garrett Adelstein’s autobiography is not just another poker novelty, but an opportunity to gain a unique perspective on the psychology and strategy of high-stakes play. By reading a professional’s revelations, players can better understand how decisions are made at the table, how to handle emotional pressure, and what mistakes can cost dearly—not only in money, but also in reputation. The chapters devoted to inner struggles, overcoming setbacks, and self-improvement will be especially useful. For many club members, these aspects are just as important as technical poker knowledge: after all, success in poker is built not only on skill, but also on the ability to control emotions and make balanced decisions under stress. Moreover, Garrett’s story is a reminder that even the loudest scandals and disputes in poker should not overshadow what’s most important: respect for opponents, fair play, and a constant drive for self-improvement. For PPPoker players who want to grow and succeed, Beneath the Cards can be an excellent source of inspiration and new ideas for their own game.