Pokergeist

Cash (Witches Protection Program) puts plenty of old-fashioned warmth into this playful story of good-hearted gamblers and second chances, but stereotypical characters and a plodding plot make it feel more like a sketch than a fully developed novel. Telly Martin, down on his luck, makes a wish to achieve his dream of becoming a poker champion. He becomes bound to the smart-talking ghost of Clutch Henderson, a world-renowned player who died at the previous year’s International Series of Poker but wants one more chance to earn the coveted winner’s bracelet. Both man and ghost have woman troubles; Telly is trying to make things work with his frustrated girlfriend, Gretchen, while Clutch helplessly watches the fight between his greedy wife and his beloved girlfriend over the money he has left. The concept would make a good screenplay, evocative of It’s a Wonderful Life, but without the charisma of actors, Cash’s words don’t deliver the emotional punch that would make the story worthwhile. (BookLife)