Poker Protocol

Life in a seaside suburb on Sydney Harbour appears idyllic from the outside, but cracks are appearing in the lives of five well-heeled, mismatched friends. Brought together by compassionate Kristen in her quest to help refugees, they share a passion for poker. Every month, they gather in each other's houses to gamble on cards and each other.

Affairs, fraud, betrayal and greed....their 'first world' problems are suddenly challenged when their lives collide with an embattled Afghani family trying to make it in a hard-arse Australia.

Smart, taut and sexy, the action in "Poker Protocol" unfolds over one year, putting the life of contemporary middle Australia under a microscope with humour and suspense.

Using journalistic skills honed over decades, Anne Maria Nicholson tells the story through the cleverly interwoven perspectives of five men and women craving love and friendship while coming to grips with a moral crisis.