The Setup: Book Review of Dan Bilzerian’s Autobiography

07:31
17 Oct

Dan Bilzerian is one of the most talked-about figures in the poker community, and certainly the most controversial character we’ve had in recent years. The King of Instagram is as polarising as they come and now he’s put together an autobiography to give us an even deeper look into what makes him tick.

The Setup goes all the way back into Bilzerian’s childhood and chronicles his path into early adulthood where he attempts to pass selection for the Navy Seals. Then comes the move into gambling and poker, and the end is all about finding fame and the limits of excess.

The book was penned exclusively by Dan Bilzerian and not ghostwritten as many might have thought. And what a great job he did too. Entertaining and controversial in equal measure; a real page-turner.

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Controversial

For those who aren’t familiar with why Bilzerian creates so much controversy here’s a little bit of background.

The main talking point is his claim to have won his fortune playing in private high-stakes games against mega-rich businessmen. Those who don’t believe that claim are all sticking with the story that every cent came from a trust fund, set up by his dad full, of illicit cash from his days as a corporate raider in the 1980s. Paul Bilzerian spent time in prison for financial crimes and it has been reported that the Securities and Exchange Commission failed to recover most of the funds they went after.

But enough of that, this isn’t a judgement, only setting out the two sides of why Dan Bilzerian is controversial for the most part.

The other half has to be his style of social media posting which many consider flagrant. Of course, much of this, certainly from the male population, comes down to nothing more than jealously. This is a rich guy who is determined to enjoy his life to the full, and he doesn’t mind showing off a little.

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The Setup - What’s It All About?

The prose in this autobiography is nothing short of unfiltered - raw, explicit, and unapologetically revealing. Every scandalous, shocking, and sensational detail finds its way onto the page.

While many might assume Dan Bilzerian’s The Setup is an exercise in image control, the reality is far from it. The narrative doesn’t shy away from his darker moments; the highs and lows of his wild, high-rolling lifestyle are presented with equal candor and intensity.

In fact, the book’s notoriety nearly stopped it from reaching readers at all. As reported in headlines last year, printing staff allegedly walked off the job in protest, claiming the manuscript’s graphic and controversial content was too extreme to handle.

An email was sent to Bilzerian’s team, stating:

“Several bindery workers saw the content of the book and have walked out on working that shift for the job. In my years, this is a first but evidently, the content was quite offensive to some.”

Fast cars and guns are known to be two of Bilzerian’s passions, but the detail about orgies and drugs (with photos, of course) makes you realise what is really going on behind the scenes of where all of his Instagram shoots take place.

There is a great deal of soul-baring. Bilzerian has always been open about his struggles in childhood and how later he used to find it difficult to talk to women. We should also respect any man who has the stones to even attempt the Navy Seals training course regardless of whether he passed or not.

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Gambling

Dan Bilzerian's gambling exploits are why most poker players will buy this book. They will want to discover just how he claims he climbed the ladder until he was able to play in private high-stakes games for millions of dollars at a time.

Those who follow his poker exploits will be aware that there is a mooted $100,000,000 heads-up match in the wind against billionaire businessman Alec Gores. It turns out that Gores is the very guy who Bilzerian turned over for eight-figure sums on more than one occasion. There is even a photo proving that a $10.8 million wire transfer took place.

Time will tell if this mega-match will take place but for sure everyone will want to see it.

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Final Thoughts

The Setup is an unapologetically entertaining read. Bilzerian and his team craft a sharp, high-energy look into one of the most extravagant lifestyles imaginable.

Polarizing as he is, much of Bilzerian’s bravado seems like a response to relentless criticism. Still, if you’re curious about the man behind the Instagram persona, this book is bold, brash, and surprisingly revealing.