From the back of the 1965 Dell paperback version:

The New York Times:
"This is the walkdown in the western... the closing in on the killer in the detective story... altogether gripping, fascinating... exciting.. .You don't have to be a poker player to get a kick out of THE CINCINNATI KID"

Book-of-The-Month-Club News:
"Short, tight-lipped Hemingwayesque."

Chicago News:
"Opens the door to the world of the rambling-gambling man ... whose world is encompassed by a pool of light thrown from a green-shaded 100 watt bulb... whose every interest is tied to the whirring shuffle of cards... Fascinating"

Chicago Tribune:
"Richard Jessup does for poker much the same thing that the late Raymond Chandler did for murder."

New York Herald Tribune:
"The performance of a champion can dazzle our attention, providing the tale is well told, as is this novel about a cool, young American gambler... Simply first-rate."