Tomaz Salamun was born in 1941 in Zagreb, Croatia, and raised in Koper, Slovenia. He has published thirty collections of poetry in his home country and has received many prizes and fellowships at home and in the U.S., including a Fulbright and Pushcart Prize. Poker is Salamun's first book of poetry, published in 1966 in Slovenia, and made available for the first time by UDP in 2003, vibrantly translated by award winning American poet Joshua Beckman, in collaboration with the author. Poker was a finalist for the PEN American prize for poetry in translation.

Joshua Beckman is the author of five books of poetry, including Things Are Happening, which was the APR Honickman First Book Prize. His work has appeared in many magazines and anthologies including Harper's, The Pushcart Prize, and Best American Poetry. He has translated numerous books of poetry, including Poker (Ugly Duckling Presse), which was a finalist for the PEN America Poetry in Translation Award. He presently works as an editor for WAVE Books and splits his time between Seattle and New York.