Some people play poker to make a living. If they're just barely good enough, they'll grind out a living like Knish in Rounders. If they're really good, they won't have to think about working another day in their life.
Two independant filmmakers have had a little trouble finding financial backing to make their movie. The solution? How about some tournament poker?
Taking a Shot: High-Stakes Gambling, Moviemaking, & the New American Dream is a new movie project from Camden Pictures.
I only found about this movie because the website linked to an Up For Poker entry about the television explosion. Our link landed among links from AdAge.com and Business 2.0.
I spent the next 5 minutes reading all about it. It's fascinating. They've been to the Four Queens Poker Classic and The World Poker Finals in Foxwood. Next month they'll be at the Jack Binion World Poker Open. It all ends at the granddaddy of them all, The World Series of Poker next May.
It helps that one of the two producers, Susan Genard, has some poker tournament experience. She finished 14th out of 127 players in an Omaha Hi-Lo tourney at Foxwoods. That meant a paycheck, and more money to make the film.
With the poker explosion we're seeing, I've got to imagine there is more money behind this movie than just they money they make at the table, but that doesn't take any luster off the project.
When this documentary finally makes it to a big or small screen, we'll hear from some of the top tournament players in the world. We'll also hear from everyone from celebrities to dead money.
Who knows, maybe we'll see Susan at the final table next May, and they'll be able to make a big budget poker movie (starring Wil Wheaton?).