Garrett finally reveals all the details and evidence regarding the most controversial hand in poker history. Releases late 2026.
Garrett Adelstein, the Best High-Stakes Live Cash Game Player on Earth, delivers a raw, uninhibited memoir revealing his exhilarating triumphs at the table and crippling battles away from it.
For nearly 25 years, Garrett’s dominated the highest stakes, earning a reputation as one of the world’s most feared poker players and winning millions of dollars along the way. Then came “Jack-Four,” the most debated hand in poker history. Thereafter, he stepped away from the spotlight to write his deeply personal book, Beneath the Cards. Garrett lives in Manhattan Beach, California, with his wife Jennifer, their two children, and two AmStaff Terriers.
This gripping memoir charts Garrett’s up-and-down journey to the pinnacle of poker—from online poker prodigy to livestream superstar—until one hand threatened to destroy everything he’d built. He pulls no punches, taking readers through his turbulent career and offering a riveting insider account of underground games where compulsive gamblers, seasoned grifters, and millions of dollars collide in minutes. Garrett comes clean on drunken binges, death threats, financial ruin, and public backlash. Along the way, he shares accessible poker insights and delves into the mindset required to navigate this cutthroat, unforgiving arena.
Garrett also candidly discusses his life beyond the table. He exposes his deeply personal battles with perfectionism, depression, body dysmorphia, and even his demoralizing appearance on Survivor. Through these experiences, the book examines connection, identity, and what happens when winning is no longer enough—universal themes that resonate even with those who’ve never played a hand.
Powered by the perceptiveness and humor that endear Garrett to poker enthusiasts worldwide, Beneath the Cards is an unforgettable ride appealing to poker fans, business professionals, sports and true crime readers, and anyone intrigued by the price of extreme competition.
Ready to take your game to the next level? Garrett works one-on-one with a select group, ranging from elite pros to ambitious business leaders, helping students to eliminate costly leaks, develop precise exploits, and implement easy-to-execute GTO-based heuristics. Far from mass-market training, this is advanced fine-tuning from one of the most accomplished live cash game players in the world.
Garrett’s story resonates far beyond poker. As a speaker, he shares insights on performing at your best, managing mental health, and achieving balance in life.
