The King of Video Poker

by Paolo Iacovelli

Arnold Palmer has just died and The King of Video Poker is about to lose everything he loves.

In Paolo Iacovelli’s debut novel, we follow a nameless narrator. He is a normative, upper-middle-class American who commutes to Las Vegas to play high-stakes video poker. He seems to have a son, a loving wife, a beautiful home in Mesquite, Nevada.

But aimless and depressed, he must face emptiness in both spirit and body. His relationships deteriorate and our narrator is left attempting the deplorable to fill the void. He latches onto an excessive road trip as he fixates on Arnold Palmer’s death, trying to chase a high that will never come. Falling deep into the throes of darkness, he finds himself planning one of the greatest atrocities the U.S. has ever seen.

Genres: Fiction

144 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 9, 2024

Reviews

[Benoit Lelièvre · Rating 5 out of 5]

A novel inspired by Stephen Paddock is not an easy sell by any means, but Paolo Iacovelli pulls it off. Brilliantly so if I might add. You should think of this as Todd Phillips' 2019 Joker as if it were written by Don DeLillo. It's a vicious and oddly relatable (but not quite empathetic) sensory overload where the setting is as much of a character than the protagonist. It's also as obnoxious and unsympathetic.

It's a book that puts you in an interesting place morally. Not somewhere you're used to be or even comfortable. There are the books I want to read. More on Dead End Follies soon.

[pk · Rating 4 out of 5]

unreasonably happy to be the first reviewer: thanks to CLASH & almightly edelweiss for an eARC.

on many levels this book was written for me; i love reading about a pathetic middle aged loser committing atrocities. nothing i love more in fact. naturally i could see where it was headed, but didn't pick up on the model it was following until around halfway through. i do think i enjoyed the beginning slightly more than the latter half, but i can't say why, since the tone felt the same throughout (in a positive way). loved in particular the long, run-on sentences and stream of consciousness element of the writing, the surreality. was a bit surprised to see how little, realistically, arnold palmer had to do with anything, but, you know. inspiration. loved it.

[Paige | Booked Not Bothered · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly, I went into this book truly blind, when I reached the point of familiarity I was unsure if it was based on true events or loosely inspired; now that I've done my Googling I've found that it is both! There was a point ⅘ of the way through the book that my stomach sank when I realized what this story was depicting. I had concerns about the handling of the remaining plot and if this was just a blatant rip-off however, I can report all was treated with care and wrapped up appropriately. If you are also unaware of this book's origins I would lean more towards going in blind.

I enjoyed this book overall. The stream-of-consciousness writing style lent itself to the mental spiral and deterioration we see from the MC. I especially loved the dark humor and over-the-top ridiculousness of this sad lil man. The first ⅗ of the book was the strongest written as it snapped along in such a quick hard hitting pace with hot take after hot take. Again the ⅘ mark was somehow both clunky and drawn out but the last 5th rounded out the plot very nicely.


Thank you to Clash x Edelweiss for the ARC, my appreciation abounds.

[Christie Pardee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this on a whim based on recommendations from someone online who said to read it without looking up anything about it. That's definitely the best way to experience this. The slow burn realization of what's happening just can't be beat! I read this in one sitting. Highly recommend!

[Chuck T · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first page, the story grips you by creating an immersive world where you watch a man's descent into despair unravel before your eyes. The book's unique blend of darkness and wit makes it a standout commentary on the human condition and the extremes people go to when searching for meaning. One of the many aspects I loved were the long, detailed descriptions of places, people, or even things that have an American Psycho air to them, painting such an incredibly high def picture of the world the story is being told in. As others have said, the less you know about the book when going in the better, but if you like interesting, thought provoking, dark, witty books - this one is definitely worth picking up!

[Carter Montgomery · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe if he was the ace of video poker he’d have done better

Book is interesting, cool flow of consciousness style. Main character has a pretty aggressive feel the whole time. Its interesting, but the payoff isn’t really there and while I get what they’re going for at the end, I didn’t personally enjoy how it ended.

[Harim Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tragic, harrowing spiral that leaves you feeling hollowed out. Going into this book I knew what it was going to lead up to, but that didn’t detract from the viscous and desperate momentum of Iacovelli’s writing, a true student of Ellis who’s well-schooled in the bizarre intimacy of cold reptilian distance. I feel like I read this book at the perfect time in my life, where I too felt lost and abandoned and it gave me an odd sense of comfort. One of the best books of 2024. Paolo Iacovelli is an author that should be on everyone’s radar.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up after seeing it online with a warning that it would be best read without any context or information, which I think I agree with.

The moment when the pieces clicked and I realized where the story was going evoked a satisfying dread, though I thought the last act dragged on a bit (I ended up skimming through some of the more detailed detailed, paragraph-long descriptions of guns, for example).

“Enjoyed” is probably the wrong word, but it’s a solid debut novel with an (intentionally) incredibly unlikable protagonist. The stream-of-consciousness narration is a little off-putting at times due to how awful the narrator is, but it works in the context of the story and makes for a great character study.

[William Windham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful, dark, and absurd. I don’t want to spoil but definitely worth picking up. It’s pretty quick and goes off the rails smoothly. Found this on a shelf at a bookstore and found out it was written by the cafe manager there.. was surprised to the upside!

[angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

american psycho meets david foster wallace

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about so much more than one might expect! Yes, the ending somehow feels shocking but also completely inevitable, but the world building and character development is impressive to say the least for this debut novelist

[Abbie]

Oh.

[Reese Bobo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evil is hollow and the more evil is explored, the more clear that becomes. It is tough to grapple with such dark tragedies, but the book is manageable to read in the same way the main character manages their own thoughts.

I was told it’s best to go in blind and did so. The title got me to the first line and the first line to the rest. The hollowness of evil is shown in the hilarious set up that this is all a reaction to Arnold Palmer’s death.

The book does a great job at making you feel like a piece of shit. Good book to read if you’re feeling like a piece of shit, because you’re not as bad of a piece of shit as this guy.

The book lets you know pretty early that something bad is going to happen. A glorious brief moment where the main character nonchalantly thinks about how he got such a great deal on the house because the family before was murdered. The book never lingers on any of these dark moments, the same way the main character doesn’t really think about them; Not deeply anyway.

These dark moments sprinkle more and more, and get darker and darker. I wasn’t expecting the shoe to drop at 3/4 through the book. I had seriously wondered why people said to go in blind. I had let my guard down and threw the book when the reveal hit.

Meritocracy is a lie and certain white American men never have to deal with this reality. The main character never has to deal with reality. He has no economic hardships, yet we see him spend money constantly. He is able to buy his greatness, his “king” status, by buying enough spins at video poker until he hit a royal flush, once. He is hurt no one recognizes his greatness, but never excepts perhaps he’s not great. He often has the most obvious realizations pushed into his face for him to comically double down in the grossest way possible.

Meritocracy has a hidden promise. The great people will rise, and you are great! How else would you describe suffering, except for a lack of greatness?

Americans love power, and despite what any Arnold Palmer vision quest might say, we need violence to be great. Violence is our psychological justification for superiority. The main character often fantasies about exercising his violence to people normally interacting with him.

The main characters father robbed banks. The ideal picture of a cowboy. Able to heroically take money and pay no consequences. No mind to who the cowboys ever took from, money or land. It’s implied his father did something to him, but the truest dark secrets remain unknown and hollow. American was founded on violence and so this violence is inevitable.

[Nick Padula · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kind of mind that Paolo Iacovelli captures in his debut novel feels about as authentically (white) American as you can get. It’s a mindset I unfortunately find becoming more common especially after Trump’s first presidency. A mind that, unable to find purpose or the kind of happiness they felt in their youth that they nostalgically pine for, turns to nihilistic violence either externally or internally.

Despite being a fictionalized version of the days leading up to Stephen Paddock’s Las Vegas massacre, the novel is very funny at times. The nameless protagonist’s obsession with Arnold Palmer’s death and his frustration that no one else seems to care about this sports legend’s passing is just one example of his amusing eccentricities. As he bumbles about through the majority of the story, the reader gets hints at how quickly he’s spiraling. During these absurd scenes of an obnoxious and pitiful man unable to find meaningful connections with his family, a sex worker, and a casino manager…there is a sinister cloud of violence hanging over him. Any potential lifeline thrown his way is quickly dismissed with various nonsensical justifications. The narrator seems to unconsciously self-sabotage every step of the way as he descends further into the abyss. Only by the end does he lock in and fully commit to something. Unfortunately, that commitment isn’t towards anything good.

The tonal balance between powerful anxiety and amusement in this is an impressive achievement. One moment I’d chuckle at a silly interaction the main character had with his son who loathed him, the next I’d be panicking at an impulsive violent act he contemplated. Even though I had a feeling where the story would end up, I was still riveted throughout the entire journey. In a way, The King of Video Poker reminded me at times of Don DeLillo’s Libra, one of my favorite books. That was also a fictionalized account focusing on the days preceding an event that would psychically traumatize many Americans for years to come. I mostly mention it because it’s interesting to compare the mysterious aspects of both Lee Harvey Oswald and Paddock’s lives. This is definitely doing its own thing compared to DeLillo’s novel, but it’s an interesting connection to make at least in my mind.

An incredible debut from Iacovelli that definitely shows that he’s a literary voice to look out for in the future!

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book version of watching Requeum for a Dream. Mesmerizing but please don't make it do it again.

That's not quite right, but I think I'm still in a funk this morning for having stayed up late to finish this. It starts off light enough, we're in Vegas inside the head of a loser/high-roller and the lights are blinking and he's getting comped and then he just keeps getting worse with his family and he says a few unredeemable things and just when you think you've had enough, you see it's only 160ish pages and the momentum picks up because the prose really starts to gallop and so you just finish it and you both want it to end but also don't.

Another thought: what a bold move from a young author on his first novel. To get inside the head of someone like this, I can't decide if it's brave or irresponsible. I have to say the marketing pictures he posted on his Instagram with the poker hands and Vegas theme feel kind of gross. I'm about to read the new Emmitt Till book, The Barn, and I don't think anyone would appreciate seeing the author in a cotton-picking party. I don't know, I'm probably wrong about that, but jeez, 60 people died and over 800 were injured. Let's make art, let's explore the headspace, but let's not forget this is very closely based on Stephen Paddock and a culture of mass killing.

[Zac · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of reviews tell you to go blind into your reading, with many warning you to not even read the back cover. Let me just say that the subject of this book is probably something you'll want to be familiar with before deciding if you want to spend a few hours in its world. I both love and hate this work. It is masterfully done. But I question why it needs to be written at all. Is it really saying something we don't already know?
I had much the same reaction to the 2019 film "Joker," both admiring its craft and wondering if it was even responsible for Hollywood to have made it.
Or perhaps, in both these cases, I'm just sad we live in a world where stories like this are even told, much less relatable.

Four stars for Paolo Iacovelli's handling of the themes and the character (sympathetic, without being the least bit aggrandizing).
The "twist" of the novel isn't anything readers with a knowledge of current events won't immediately identify (hence why I'm confused so many suggest reading this without any prior knowledge... which is what I did, and I regret it)
One star for such a thoroughly unpleasant read that completely ruined my afternoon.
Again, do yourself a favor and read what this is about BEFORE you decide to pick it up. You'll be happier either way.

[Connor Harrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who doesn’t read often, I thought this shorter story would be a great intro into starting again. I think I was correct in that assumption. While the writing style felt off-putting for me at times, I felt as though it did a great job of putting me into the headspace of the main character, feeling as though they were partially my thoughts as well, making portions of the story even more shocking as they occurred.

I thought the degradation of the character’s mindset was done really well. Slowly introducing topics to make you realize this guy is kind of an ass**** before hitting you with some deplorable thoughts and actions.

I was mainly drawn in by many claiming the twist at the end was what made the story, and while I agree it’s done masterfully, it doesn’t need to be the only reason to pick this book up.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely gripping character study of a man whose life is sent into a desperate spiral of isolation kicked off by a relatively minor moment. The whole time you're just watching him grasp at ghosts, reaching at every person in his life for any sort of connection only to find each of those relationships crumble to dust when pressured, and he just keeps falling lower and lower, panicked and afraid and angry that he's all alone.

I guessed the twist from page 1, unfortunately, but even with that in mind it's still a damn good read with a stomach-churning third act. The stream-of-consciousness style prose really makes you feel like you're deep in the guy's head, even when you really really don't want to be.

[DeDra Sagerstrand · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't just a fiction book. Rather, this is an incredibly powerful, real, bold, and raw reflection of American culture and society. A reflection that shows the reader just how disillusioned we are to relationships, morality, violence, and death. A reflection that mirrors what each of us has within ourselves on some level. Iacovelli has highlighted the darkest parts of the human mind that we repeately turn a blind eye to. Brilliantly written in simplistic detail that allows the reader to connect with the narrator rather than loathe him. And that sparks the question within the reader, "What part of narrator do I see in myself and what does that say about me?"

[Patrice Schelkun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paolo Iacovelli’s debut novel is a gem. He tackles the challenge of diving into the psychological origins of a disturbed mind with finesse and acuity. His style of writing and development of each scene made it hard for me to leave the book on my table for long without trying to sneak another few moments to find out what happens next. His characters are believable and his subject incredibly well-researched. The King of Video Poker stands out as a winner in the category of fast-paced thrillers that in many ways addresses the difficult and controversial topic of just what it is that drives a person over the edge.

[Steve Angelkov · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a recommendation for this novel from bookstagram.

The King of Video Poker dives into the void of the modern American experience. We follow a nameless, middle-aged, upper-middle-class man whose addiction to high-stakes video poker in Las Vegas barely masks a profound, corrosive despair.

​His life starts to unravel after the death of Arnold Palmer, an event that triggers a dark, reckless spiral. Iacovelli’s writing is caustic and precise, detailing the narrator's rants and the soulless routines of the Strip.

This short, intense novel is a disturbing character study of alienation and anhedonia, building toward a shocking and horrific conclusion.
​

[Isaac · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll have to come back to this in a few days and update with some thoughts because it's pretty heavy. Despite being such a short book it took me around a month to read because I read 2/3 in one sitting, then once I realized where it was going I put it down for a while. I just came back to finish it in another sitting. I liked it a lot but it's hard to recommend without a big content warning that would spoil the entire book.

[Rebecca Melman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating novel that I read in one sitting. While the book is short, you become immersed in the mental demise of the narrator, who is objectively a Bad Guy but who somehow you feel sympathy for ( reminded me of my feelings towards Tony soprano). I read it right after I finished East of Eden and saw similar themes in regards to good vs evil and what falls in between. Highly recommend!!!!

[McKenna Leavens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iacovelli’s debut novel, “The King of Video Poker” is a poignant account of the mind of a man who committed one of America’s most devastating crimes. Iacovelli’s writing is raw and honest, drawing readers into a world that’s gut wrenching and horrifying. It’s one of the most shocking and effective endings I’ve read. While the storyline is brilliant, so is the writing.

[Mike Schelkun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! I was recommended this book and it totally blew me away. From the opening sentence until the perfect ending. It was one of those rare books that you had to keep turning the page and not put down. Well written and constructed, Kudos to Mr. Iacovelli on his debut novel. You need to read this book. Looking forward to his next work. I love the way he writes!!

[Mariah Schmidt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hooked pretty quickly as I enjoy reading about how pitiful the human condition can be but this was quite the buildup of a story just to be let down. The author is clearly talented but the ending felt much less seasoned and crafted.
Also not a fan of the unnecessary racism toward Mexicans. It didn’t contribute much to the story and felt like a frivolous and cheap way to drive the theme home.

[Andrea Surget · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book evokes empathy from readers, shedding light on a dark and disturbed anti-hero while exposing the reality of an overly glorified 'America' where no one truly feels safe. I was consumed throughout!"

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

totally devastating and completely enthralling. unbelievable debut, totally irreverent in the way it weaves together the lie of the american dream, mental illness, commercialism, darkness & desperation. this one will stay with me for a while

[Jen J · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is so well written and is such an engrossing page turner. I could not put it down.
The characters really came alive, as did the depressing casino world.
I got the real sense of the emptiness of the protagonist and why he did this heinous atrocity.
I highly recommend this book!

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Went into this book completely blind, not even knowing the premise, so the third act was quite a twist.

Very reminiscent of American Psycho in terms of the unbearably banal consumeristic ramblings of the main character but distinguishes itself.