Hey, this is the moment. I'm Brian Koppelman. Thanks for listening. I've been friends with Peter

Alson since 1995 or 96. We met at the Mayfair Club, which is the is where David Levine and I got

inspired to write rounders. Alson was a legend there. He was a great card player, but also had just finished his first novel, Confessions of an Ivy League

Bookie, which is, I mean, barely a novel, much more a memoir, though it's incredibly great.

And I remember when it came out in 96,

I couldn't believe that somebody had written a book

touching on this world that I knew that I wanted to be able to write about for a long time.

And then I remember reading it and just being blown away by what Peter was able to capture, not really the poker world, but the world of bookmaking and

gaming and a lot of his own story. And Peter's continued to write about this Demimand in which each of us have lived at some point.

And his newest book is his best book and it is a novel,

although I recognize certain aspects of it of the inspirations for the novel because we've continued to play poker together over the years but it is a

Absolutely terrific novel called the only way to play it.

And Peter Alston, thank you for being here.

I'm thrilled that we get to talk in this context.

Oh, me too, me too.

And I really appreciate that introduction that that was that was good man you know I was

trying to think about because I don't remember us I mean I remember the time that we met but I don't remember our first meeting do you?

Well, yeah because I what I remember was you being I think Jonathan Schechter if I had to guess I think Jonathan Schechter pointed you out to me because

And it would have been 96 because actually I know that the first time I walked into the

Mayfair Club was December 15th 95. So it would have been 96 as the book was about to come out and I remember he was like, oh, this guy wrote a book.

And I already knew I wanted to write about the Mayfair Club. You know, Dave and I already started writing, so I remember being worried about it. he also said you know I didn't say this up front but you're

Norman Mailer's nephew and I'm sure that he said that as well and so I was like oh

...