Spanier, author of many books on gambling, dies at 67

Friday, April 21, 2000 | 10:47 a.m.

David Spanier, a renowned gaming author whose 1994 book "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" was a stylish, humorous look at modern Las Vegas has died in London. He was 67.

A longtime visitor to Las Vegas, Spanier had planned to come here this month for one of his favorite annual events, the World Series of Poker at Binion's Horseshoe.

Spanier, a resident of London, fell ill while playing poker at a London club on Sunday and was taken to a hospital where he reportedly suffered a stroke and died Tuesday.

Spanier's other top gambling books include "Total Poker," his first, published in 1977; and "Easy Money -- Inside the Gambler's Mind," a study of the psychological motivation of gamblers, published in 1987.

"David was a very well-respected poker writer," said Las Vegas gaming analyst and radio personality Larry Grossman. "He wrote with a sophisticated style that raised the level of gaming writing.

"He was a breath of fresh air in a smoke-filled poker room."

Born April 30, 1932, Spanier early on developed a strong interest in chess. In 1984, he authored "Total Chess" and was a regular at major London chess tournaments.

Spanier's "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" -- first published in 1992 in England under the title "All Right, Okay, You Win" -- told of how big money makes the rounds in Las Vegas casinos.

The London Mail newspaper once wrote: "Combine Spanier and Las Vegas and you have the work of a superlative, witty reportage."

Spanier, who advocated gambling as a good release for emotional energy, started his writing career in 1957 as a reporter for the London Times, a position he held until the early '80s. He was a foreign correspondent in Brussels and in Washington, D.C.

He often engaged in -- and started -- poker games at the Press Club in the nation's capital. Upon returning to London, Spanier became a diplomatic correspondent for the Times.

Spanier often compared poker to diplomacy, saying that the object of both is to outplay and out-think the other party.

Spanier learned to play five-card-draw while attending Cambridge University. Later, he became skilled at Texas Hold 'em and Omaha Hold 'em, which are mainstays in Las Vegas cardrooms.

Spanier's "Total Poker" not only introduced many new players to the game, but also shared folklore and stories of U.S. presidents who played poker.

He also wrote "The Gambler's Pocket Book," a study of casino games and betting strategies that was published in 1980.

Many of Spanier's books are available at The Gambler's Book Club, at 630 South 11th St.

Since 1997 Spanier has written a weekly column on poker in the London Independent. Since last October, that column has been reprinted by Mind Sports Worldwide, an Internet website.

"David was a man who loved life with an infectious enthusiasm," David Levy of Mind Sports Worldwide wrote in an obituary published at the website today.

"He played (poker) regularly, often several times a week, at various casinos and was the leading light and often the host of regular private games in London."

Spanier's 1998 book "The Little Book of Poker," is a collection of his best columns. According to Levy, Spanier had just completed his autobiography "The Hand I Played." A publication date is pending.

Spanier is survived by his wife of 31 years, Suzy Spanier, a British newspaper fashion editor, and their three sons, Gideon, Joshua and Samson.

Ed Koch is a reporter for the Sun. He can be reached at (702) 259-4090 or by e-mail at koch@lasvegassun.com