One of the biggest impacts made by poker in 2013 was in the theatrical world. It seemed that nearly every month there was news about a film project, YouTube series, poker documentary or a new poker book that was making an impact. While some of these films were outstanding (and, admittedly, some not), they kept the game of poker in the consciousness of not only poker fans but the general public.
January 2013 started the onslaught of media with the release of the book “Ship It Holla Ballas.” Following the exploits of the young men who became the internet wunderkinds that ruled the online gaming in the mid-Aughts, the book by Storms Reback and Jonathan Grotenstein was an interesting journey down Memory Lane as players such as Andrew Robl, Tom Dwan and others were featured. While it sometimes bogged down into TOO much detail on their exploits, Reback and Grotenstein told a great story, especially in finishing by indicating how the subjects of their book were trying to “grow up.”
In March, poker professional Dutch Boyd looked to get a book project off the ground by funding it through Kickstarter. The book, tentatively titled “Poker Tilt,” would be part autobiography/part poker strategy as Boyd and his co-author Lawrence Samuels envisioned it. Expected to be released by the end of the World Series of Poker, Boyd and Samuels are still currently working on the tome but are looking at releasing their effort soon.
Also in March, one of the first documentaries on the game of poker saw its release. “All In: The Poker Movie” examined the game following the exploits of Chris Moneymaker in 2003, speaking to none other than Moneymaker himself, but the film really hit its groove in its look at online poker. Tracing the explosion of the online game in the U. S. – and its subsequent downfall with the UIGEA and “Black Friday” – “All In” was generally received favorably by the poker public.
In May, probably the most controversial book regarding online poker was released. Noted author Ben Mezrich’s “Straight Flush” hit the bookstands across the country detailing out the rise and fall of Absolute Poker and its leaders. As he meticulously documented the meteoric beginnings of Absolute, Mezrich didn’t pay as much attention to what eventually brought it down, something that many in the poker community had issue with.
June saw the release of another poker documentary that captured the poker world’s attention. “Bet Raise Fold: The Story of Online Poker” was a fantastically created documentary that spanned the (albeit brief) history of the online game. Put together by Jason Rosenkrantz, Taylor Caby and Ryan Firpo (using their own funds and a Kickstarter campaign), the movie was universally acclaimed by the poker community to be the definitive word on the past ten years.
August brought the news of another movie that should have been better than it was. The creators of “Rounders,” Brian Koppelman and David Levien, dipped their toes back into poker with the Hollywood release of the film “Runner Runner.” Starring Ben Affleck, Justin Timberlake and Gemma Arterton, the movie (released in October) was widely panned by the poker community, moviegoers and reviewers and only earned slightly more than $7 million in its opening weekend. It also caused a bit of furor as various pro- and anti-gambling organizations attempted to use the film as propaganda for arguing their particular causes.
As the film is set to be released on DVD and On Demand this month, the film has only made $20 million in the U. S. and another $40 million in worldwide distribution.
August also saw the release of probably the best example of “the underdog” taking a shot at the big time. The YouTube series “The Grind” released its pilot episode, following the exploits of a group of friends as they play poker and, as the climax of the pilot, begin to experience the effects of “Black Friday” on the gang. Financed entirely themselves, “The Grind” has, as of yet, been unable to land a spot for the continuation of the series and a second episode has yet to be filmed.
Finally, in October another poker documentary saw its premiere on DirecTV’s “Something to Talk About” series. “Drawing Dead: The Highs and Lows of Online Poker” traced the paths of two men, poker pro Dusty ‘Leatherass’ Schmidt and Michael Korpi, and the different tracks their lives have taken due to online poker. Some in the poker community viewed the documentary, and its creator Mike Weeks, as anti-poker, but it overall was a balanced approach to two very different outcomes of online poker.
There were a slew of other books and films that were released during 2013 (and we’ll get to reviewing here soon!), but 2014 could also bring some interesting reading. “The Poker Princess” Molly Bloom is expected to blow the lid off the high stakes poker world with her expose on the subject and there are other tomes that are expected to take a look at the Superuser scandals that rocked online poker, “Black Friday” and other subjects. There is also the potential for more documentaries and films on the game, so you can see there’s plenty to look forward to as we enter the New Year!
