Paul Mendelson is a leading author on poker, whose previous books include Texas Hold 'Em Poker: Begin and Win. His expertise comes from a long association with gaming in the UK, South Africa and in Las Vegas. He runs poker classes and also writes as gambling correspondent for the Financial Times. His debut novel, The First Rule of Survival, was nominated for the CWA Gold Dagger in 2014. The follow-up, The Serpentine Road, is due to be published in 2015.