Video-on-demand has changed the way we watch TV in this modern hi-tech age of smartphones and tablets. Even smart TVs are capable of giving us streamed content these days. There’s also a decent amount of poker content to be found on Amazon’s platform, some of it being very high quality. This is what we’re really interested in; let’s take a look at what’s available.
High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story - 2003
Stuey Ungar is one of the great legends of poker, known to anybody harbouring ambitions to one day be a professional. His story also has just about every gambling cliché you could possibly imagine, along with the typical sad ending.
Michael Emperioli plays the lead role, relaying his life story from the early years through all the cocaine abuse, until he collects his third World Series of Poker Main Event title.
Although rated as only an average quality movie, this is a must watch for anybody interested in the characters from poker’s colourful history.
Grinders – 2011
Grinders follows Matt Gallagher, an out of work filmmaker from Toronto, trying to support his family through playing poker. Much of his journey takes place in illegal underground clubs through out the city, showing a different side to the game than what most people get to see.
There are a few more characters to pad out the story, but overall it has the feel of an age that has passed us by. That said, it’s still definitely worth a watch for those that are new to the world of poker.
Poker Brain: Inside the Minds of the World’s Best Liars – 2017
Poker Brain is all about where poker meets science. Experts put together a game consisting of three seasoned professionals together with three amateurs and conduct some interesting analysis. Some of the players are also pulled aside for experiments using modern technology such as a MRI scanner.
The results are intriguing and make this one of the best poker programs available to watch today.
BET RAISE FOLD: The Story of Online Poker - 2013
This has to be the most epic poker documentary ever released. Featuring a whole roster of stars that have graced the virtual felt over the last decade, we get to see how it all really started after Chris Moneymaker’s history making victory back in 2003.
The storyline follows the meteoric rise of the game until it all came crashing down in 2011, changing many people’s lives overnight totally unexpectedly.
Drawing Dead – 2014
Drawing Dead follows two very different characters in the world of poker: Dusty Schmidt, well-known high-stakes pro, and Michael Korpi Jr, a former straight A student who had his life ruined by an addiction to online poker.
The theme of the documentary is all about the extreme highs and lows that the industry is capable of handing out, with a particularly deep look at problem gambling.
This is an interesting look at both sides of the coin, showing the life of Schmidt after all of his hard work and success, while Korpi Jr had to rebuild his from scratch after appearing to have the world at his feet.