9The Free Lunch Bunch, a semi-fictional memoir, is humorous and offers life and investment advice. John Maynard is a finalist in a big buy-in poker tournament that he desperately needs to win. After going all in and awaiting his opponent's decision, he ponders how he reached this point where his happiness and financial future will be determined by another. He ruefully reflects back on his life. While job hunting after college he discovers the exciting, legal card clubs in CA. Along his zig zag journey, he learns strategy and life lessons from older, grizzled players. He learns that sometimes playing poker against opponents was like playing with monkeys ... no disrespect to monkeys.