Poker Face

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Katy Lederer’s memoir offers a unique glimpse into her upbringing on the serene campus of an elite East Coast boarding school, where her father taught English, her mother immersed herself in crosswords and scotch, and her older siblings engaged in sophisticated games like gin rummy and chess. However, Katy's childhood was marked by more than typical challenges; within her family, a transformation was unfolding that would lead them to become professional gamblers. In her perceptive account, Lederer recounts her family’s vibrant history, from her mother’s endless solitaire games at the kitchen table to her brother’s poker initiation in gritty New York bars, culminating in her siblings wagering vast sums at the glamorous Bellagio casino in Las Vegas. This tragicomic narrative explores a world where intelligence and deceit function as currency. With a sharp and witty lens reminiscent of Mary McCarthy’s work, Lederer delves into themes of trust, betrayal, competition, and unconventional love. Her story stands as a testament to the human spirit's ingenuity when confronted with extraordinary challenges, capturing the complexities of familial bonds and the games they play.