Documentaries about poker have become a bit more fashionable of late. High-stakes pro Phil Galfond and his wife Farah dropped the Galfond series this summer, and The Mouth, a film highlighting the life and career of Mike Matusow was released in May. The BBC also unveiled a docuseries this year called The Four Rules of the Poker Kings, focusing on Scottish pro Niall Farrell as he hit the circuit for tournaments around the world.
The World Poker Tour World Championship is now the focus of the latest poker documentary. The Ultimate Stack is available on YouTube from Poker Films and has drawn positive reviews from players and fans so far.
Producers said they documented the 2023 tournament in Las Vegas from start to finish “through the eyes of the chips.”
“Beginning with one player, we will continue to follow the opponent that eliminates them until the eventual winner of the tournament,” the production team notes of the film. “We will take the viewer on the rollercoaster ride we call tournament poker and educate those who are unfamiliar.”
Average Joe Players Highlighted
Poker fans will recognize several players making appearances including WPT commentator Tony Dunst, Garrett Adelstein, Chris Moorman, Andrew Lichtenberger, Dan Sepiol, Mike Holtz, Brad Owen, Jesse Sylvia, and more.
Regular Joe qualifier stories are also featured. The events begin with Patrick Harvey, the winner of a WPT contest from Boston, Massachusetts, who won a $12,000 tournament package.
The championship attracted players from around the world, many of whom were not high-stakes poker players and won their way in online, at local casino qualifiers, and through other opportunities to win a package. Many probably wouldn’t have put up the $10,000 to enter the tournament.
The WPT moved the World Championship in 2022 to Wynn Las Vegas with an initial guarantee of $15 million that was raised to $40 million last year. The tournament fell just short of its massive guaranteed, paying out a $2.4 million overlay to the players. This year, they’ve forgone the guarantee in favor of a $5 million freeroll.
*Photo by WPT – Drew Amato