| James McManus | |
|---|---|
 James McManus in the Professional Poker Tour |
|
| Nickname(s) | Jimbo
Sweetness |
| Hometown | Chicago, Illinois |
| World Series of Poker | |
| Bracelet(s) | None |
| Money finishes | 7 |
| Highest ITM main event finish |
5th, 2000 |
| World Poker Tour | |
| Titles | None |
| Final tables | None |
| Money finishes | 4 |
James (Jim) McManus (born March 22 1951 in Manhattan, New York) is an American poker player, novelist and poet now living in Kenilworth, Illinois.
Contents |
Poker and Positively Fifth Street
McManus is best known as the author of the book Positively Fifth Street: Murderers, Cheetahs, and Binion's World Series of Poker (ISBN 0-374-23648-8). The book is based on his trip to Las Vegas to cover the progress of women in the 2000 World Series of Poker (WSOP) and the death of Ted Binion. He used his advance to enter a satellite tournament for entry into the Main Event, defeating the likes of Hasan Habib and Amir Vahedi to qualify for the seat. He made the final table of the Main Event, finishing in 5th place and winning $247,760. He credited his success in the tournament to the book Championship No-Limit & Pot-Limit Hold'em (ISBN 1-58042-127-X) by T. J. Cloutier and Tom McEvoy. Cloutier was also at the same final table. The book is dedicated to his son, James McManus Jr. (1979-2001). McManus made the quarter-finals of the 2006 National Heads-Up Poker Championship, where he was eliminated by Chris "Jesus" Ferguson. He continues to play poker when the opportunity avails. As of 2007, his total live tournament winnings exceed $740,000.
Other works
Fiction
- Going to the Sun (winner of the Carl Sandburg Award)
- Ghost Waves
- Curtains
- Chin Music
- Out of the Blue
- Physical: An American Checkup
Poetry
- Great America
- Antonio Salazar
Journalism
In 2001, McManus received the Peter Lisagor Award for sports journalism. He has also written for The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Esquire and Harper's Magazine. His Esquire article on the controversial stem cell research issue, Please Stand By While the Age of Miracles Is Briefly Suspended, was featured in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2005.
Personal life
McManus pursued undergraduate degrees from Loyola University Chicago and University of Illinois Chicago. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1974 and a Master of Arts degree in 1977, both from UIC. He teaches at the School of the Art institute in Chicago. He is a fan of musicians The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan.
