Bet Raise Fold Online Poker Movie Debuts in Two Days
Online poker has been a strange business ever since the first real-money hand of cards was dealt over the internet in the late 1990’s. The trials and tribulations of the industry have waxed and waned over the years as government regulations have altered the scope of online poker worldwide for nearly a decade. Online poker really flourished when an accountant from Tennessee, Chris Moneymaker, won the $10k buy-in an online poker satellite to enter the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event, and went on to win it. That’s where ‘Bet Raise Fold’, a new documentary that follows the story of online poker, begins.
Moneymaker’s amazing win was so much more than just a life-altering $2.5 million bankroll booster for an amateur poker player from Tennessee. It sparked the explosion of online poker that saw millions of players logging on to poker sites worldwide in hopes of following in his footsteps. The documentary covers a decade worth of online poker’s variegated history, with a heavy focus on the industry’s most reverberating events, including the passage of the UIGEA of 2006 and, of course, the ominous events of Black Friday, which sent tremors throughout the online poker world that can still be felt to this day.
A group of high-stakes online poker pros got together and decided to use their winnings to produce the story of online poker, which is, essentially, the story of their own lives as well, as they experienced each of the movie’s roller-coasting crests first-hand. One of the more interesting factors surrounding Bet Raise Fold is that the movie was funded 100% by online poker winnings; the winnings of its creators as well as donations from online poker playing supporters.
The Bet Raise Fold project began near the end of 2010; a film three years in the making. Ostensibly, the events of Black Friday – the government’s cessation of online poker in the US that occurred on April 15, 2011 – were a shock to the documentary’s production crew that gave them a whole new focal point to key in on. Two years later, the film’s creation is complete and is set to launch to the viewing public on June 30; two days from now.
A number of video clips are available on the Bet Raise Fold Movie website, as well as a full trailer and a preview of its main characters, including Daniel “DMOONGIRL” Anderson, Tony “BOND18” Dunst and Martin “ALEXEIMARTOV” Bradtstreet. There is an extensive list of poker professionals who appeared in minor roles in the film as interviewees, contributing their opinions and knowledge of the game such as those of Canadian poker pro Daniel Negreanu, the 2004 WSOP Champion Greg Raymer and online poker aficionado Tom “DURRRR” Dwan.
In the tradition of the movie itself, Bet Raise Fold will be released over the internet. A digital (DVD) copy of the film can be obtained by making a $15 donation on the website. An additional $10 donation will upgrade users to a Blu-Ray copy of the movie. Other items can also be obtained for additional donations, including everything from a Bet Raise Fold mouse pad to a signed movie poster. The film’s makers are planning a private, theatrical premier of the film in Las Vegas on June 12, during the 44th Annual World Series of Poker. Other screenings are in the works as they hope to tour all over the world to share the true story of online poker.