A couple of weeks we gave you the early reviews following the premiere of Bet Raise Fold: The Story of Online Poker at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

Jan 12, 2018 Besides that, it also explores the huge clash between online poker players and the US gambling authorities through the interviews with three online poker players, Danielle Andersen, Tony Dunst, and Martin Bradstreet who had their money frozen by authorities due to online gambling regulations.

I finally had a chance to watch the film (available here for $10) and now have some thoughts of my own – largely (but not entirely) positive – to share.

1. Martin Bradstreet is an Aussie transplant in Montreal who enjoys online poker more for the game than any potential for fame. Danielle parlayed her husband’s interest in poker into her own and soon became good at it.
2. Martin is back on the podcast to talk about his just finished USA tour with his band, His experience out in Las Vegas during the WSOP, his new music video, p.

But first, let’s set the stage.

Bet Raise Fold: The Central Characters

At its core the film tells the story of online poker from its earliest incarnations dating back to Planet Poker in 1998 to the current post-Black Friday apocalyptic poker world.

The bulk of the film centers on three main protagonists, each representing a specific segment of the poker playing population:

• Danielle Anderson: Anderson’s role in the film is the most fleshed-out of the three as she represents two segments of the poker community, female players and players with families. Because of her family dynamic Anderson is easily the most sympathetic character in the film and someone you’ll find yourself rooting for throughout. She also seems to have been the most affected by Black Friday, financially and emotionally.

• Tony Dunst: Dunst represents the single, college-age, male seeking an unconventional life that is pervasive in the online poker world: The young guy who is gifted at the game of poker but lacks any real direction, or sense of work-ethic, and the deeper understanding of the machinations of the outside world. Dunst is the quintessential Libertarian in the sense that he wants to be free to do what he wants without having to answer to someone. Dunst comes across as extremely likable, appears to be honest to a fault, and is another character you’ll probably find yourself rooting for.

• Martin Bradstreet: Bradstreet represents the ROW of poker (Rest of World player for any non-poker aficionados out there) as an Aussie living in Canada, who unlike Anderson and Dunst didn’t see his life completely upturned on Black Friday, just slightly inconvenienced. Without the Black Friday element the eloquent Bradstreet would likely have garnered equal billing with Anderson and Dunst, but with the secondary storyline that emerges partway through the film he was basically relegated to the role of supporting actor.

The Gist of the Film

What makes Bet Raise Fold so enthralling is that during the shooting of the film (which began in 2010) the main storyline was usurped by Black Friday, so the Bet Raise Fold team of Ryan Firpo, Jay Rosenkrantz, and Taylor Caby were able to capture in real-time the poker world literally being turned upside down through the eyes of Anderson, Dunst and Bradstreet.

In an hour and a half the film takes you from the beginning of online poker to today, with all of the important stops in between. From Chris Moneymaker, to the exponential growth of poker knowledge and how these young mathematicians changed the game, to UIGEA and later Black Friday.

Bet Raise Fold is real, it’s emotional, and it’s captivating.

Praise for Bet Raise Fold

• First off, Bet Raise Fold isn’t some fly-by-night project. The movie looks and feels like any well-produced documentary; they interviewed relevant people for each segment, most of whom you don’t see very often in interviews, like Nolan Dalla, Noah “NoahSD” Stephens-Davidowitz, Phil Galfond, and Paul McGuire.
• Bet Raise Fold was made by poker players for poker players, so you are getting a real look at the underside of the poker world beyond what the TV cameras generally show.
• I really enjoyed that they touched on some of the finer points that have been lost in the shuffle between Moneymaker and Black Friday, like the online poker wars between PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, the onset of the nosebleed games, and the current trajectory of tougher and tougher games.
• The Nolan Dalla segments are fantastic. Full disclosure: I could read Nolan Dalla all-day every-day, and his interviews don’t disappoint. In Dalla you have someone who simply “gets it” about poker, and his ability to recall events and put them in their proper perspective is second to none.
• Watching Tony Dunst go from poker pro with tons of freedom to a company man is intense and in a way satisfying. It’s a transformation I undertook myself in 2006 when UIGEA passed and my beloved Party Poker and the Cryptologic Network were taken away from me, so I could really relate to this evolution by Dunst, as I think most people who quit the game after Black Friday will as well.
• “If it was a good day at poker it was a good day at our house; if it was a bad day at poker it was a day at our house,” was how Danielle Anderson’s husband described the trials and tribulations of being married with a family and having his wife play poker for a living. This entire dynamic in the storyline really gave depth to Anderson in the film.

Criticisms and Unanswered Questions

• I would have liked to have seen more of the “Holla Balla” angle to Dunst’s life as a young poker pro in Las Vegas. While it was hit upon in the film it could easily be interpreted as a single party and not as a lifestyle. For instance, what kind of money was coming in and flowing out after a good day at the tables and what were they blowing it on? Does he regret some of these spending sprees?
• Where was the story of the players that didn’t make it, or simply gave up after their first few deposits were lost? Anyone who is a regular reader of mine knows I have a fascination with the parenthetical, so I would have liked to have seen a video version of parenthesis (the cut-away) in Bet Raise Fold address the 95% of poker players who play for fun or have been felted –even if it was only for a three or four-minute segment.
• Is the story compelling enough to appeal to a non-poker crowd? This is the million-dollar question of course, and to be completely honest I really don’t know. We’ll find out down the road, but my initial hunch is that even with its sympathetic characters and solid production quality it will still be viewed as a bunch of young kids gambling by the general public.

Martin Bradstreet Poker Review

On Wednesday, Bet Raise Fold premiered at Brenden Theatres at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The event attracted some of the biggest names in poker, including Tom Dwan and Daniel Cates, who haven’t played a single event at the 2013 World Series of Poker thus far, executive director of the WSOP Ty Stewart, president of the World Poker Tour Adam Pliska, and, of course, the three main characters in the film, Tony Dunst, Danielle Andersen, and Martin Bradstreet.

The event was a great success. Rarely do you see such positive energy oozing from all corners of the poker world, yet in that cozy, packed, 200-person theater, there were individuals from all different publications, companies, and online poker sites joining to show their support for something that will ultimately have a positive effect on the game. In making this film, Jay Rosenkrantz, Taylor Caby, and Ryan Firpo have provided the community with a vessel to tell our very unique story, and the more eyeballs it reaches, the better.

The film itself was spectacular. If you’re familiar with Firpo’s work with the PokerStars.tv documentaries, you can imagine how visually appealing BRF is. All of the footage is crisp and clean, and the graphics and animation keep the viewer engaged and entertained. There is one sequence in particular where a handful of pros, including Phil Galfond, Dani Stern, Justin Bonomo, and Vanessa Selbst, break down the same hand. While the players are explaining their thought processes, graphics whiz around the screen to illustrate what is being said. This technique is very effective for two reasons: (1) it looks awesome, and (2) for the general viewer, it shows just how complex each street of a poker hand while also allowing them to follow along without feeling excluded.

Dunst, Andersen, and Bradstreet are all brilliant, and their unique personalities speak to the diversity within the poker community. You have Dunst, the typical 20-year-old who wants to personify the high-roller, James Bond-like lifestyle. Andersen, a mother in a conservative middle American town who grinds to support her family. And Bradstreet, a free-floating intellect who appears to be bright enough to do anything, yet has decided to play online poker to make a living.

At first, Bradstreet seems to be the odd man out because he is a non-American and his passion for poker doesn’t really shine through, but the importance of his role increases as the film nears Black Friday. He provides very necessary and effective comic relief in a scene that starts with the title “Meanwhile in CANADA,” and he plays a very somber score on his piano during b-roll of documents disseminated on April 15.

Because of the Raw Deal segment on WPT broadcasts and his eccentric group of friends, Dunst was a no-brainer. He is great on camera, always telling it how it is, and he gives a very impassioned and angry testimonial at the Bellagio after Black Friday. Andersen was a perfect choice because she is the exact opposite of what the public perceives to be a typical online poker player. Seeing her parents, who generally have no clue what online poker is about, talk openly about trusting her decision to become a professional is very interesting, and her son is hilarious and elicits plenty of smiles.

During the question-and-answer session after the film, the BRF crew explained their casting process, and the depth of their research was impressive.

The three stories worked well when intertwined with the history of poker, particularly Dunst’s because of his direct connection with the WPT, and all of the historic testimonies given by knowledgeable media members like Paul McGuire, BJ Nemeth, Nolan Dalla were both in depth and captivating. Some may say the historical sequences don’t fit with the rest of the film, but they are necessary to provide context for the casual viewer.

There are only two gripes that I had with BRF. First, there is a sequence at the 2011 L.A. Poker Classic that is a bit slow. It’s important to the film because Andersen and Dunst cross paths, one en route to success (Dunst and the Raw Deal) while the other fails (Andersen doesn’t cash and makes several live mistakes), but it seems to drag on. The second gripe is the omission of Ultimate Bet. This isn’t an investigative film, although there is a great UIGEA sequence that shows just how shady Bill Frist is, but you can’t tell “the story of online poker” and omit the UB scandal. I understand that there are time limits, and the UB saga will most likely require a 20-part mini-series, but I wish they would’ve at least made mention of it.

Bet Raise Fold is undoubtedly a must-see for all poker fans, and I’m willing to wager that if casual viewers stumble upon this film, it will open their eyes to a whole new world and help them understand just how damaging Black Friday was to thousands of poker fans. BRF will be showing in select cities across the country, and digital distribution is set to take place at the end of this month, so be sure to check out their website if you wish to view the film for yourself.

PokerNews hostess, Kristy Arnett, attended the premiere pre-party to speak with some of those involved in the making of the film:

Photo courtesy of BetRaiseFoldMovie.com.

Martin Bradstreet Poker Log

Be sure to follow our Live Reporting page for continuing coverage of every event at the 2013 World Series of Poker, and follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.

Martin Bradstreet Poker Game

• Tags

  BellagioBlack FridayJustin BonomoLas VegasPhil GalfondTom DwanWSOPVanessa SelbstUltimate BetUIGEATy StewartTony DunstTaylor CabyPokerStars

• Related Tournaments

  World Series of Poker

• Related Players

  Vanessa SelbstJustin BonomoPhil GalfondTom DwanTony DunstTaylor Caby