Meet Jim McManus, the poker player who isn’t a poker player at all. Those who read Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Times or other respectable publications may be familiar with McManus as a professional writer/journalist.
From reading his curriculum vitae, one may be surprised to learn that McManus is a seasoned poker player. He picked up the game – mostly draw and five-card stud - at a young age from his grandfather. His big game poker accomplishments include making it to the final table and finishing fifth place in the 2000 World Series of Poker. The poker world at large is indebted to McManus for his literary works dedicated to the subject, including his article "Fortune's Smile," which appeared in The Best American Sports Writing 2001 anthology. He authored the popular Positively Fifth Street: Murderers, Cheetahs, and Binion's World Series of Poker and is a regular contributor to PokerPages.
When McManus is not playing tournament or cash game poker or writing poker related articles, he’s busy teaching graduate writing courses for The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He enjoys reading poker novels and books about poker and even teaches a course called “The Literature and Science of Poker.” McManus, who has been married to Jennifer Arra for more than 15 years, is the father of four and lives in Kenilworth, Illinois outside of Chicago.
McManus is a fan of both classical and old-school country western music (Willie Nelson style) and is an active reader (both fiction and poker how-to books). When preparing for a major tournament or to keep his play sharp, McManus reads any of the books from McEvoy and Sklansky. It should come to no surprise that he is a fan of Larry Phillips’ Zen and the Art of Poker.
If he can’t find a good cash game or tournament near his home town, McManus confesses to playing online. Though he doesn’t think it’s a substitute for the real thing of face-to-face tournament play, he thinks online poker helps him improve his game and stay in practice. Don’t think we’ve heard the last of this poetic poker player. Look for McManus to go for the bracelet in the 2006 WSOP.
