In terms of longform poker movies, all eyes are on 4 proper now as nominees within the “Greatest Media Content material: Video” class on the World Poker Awards. They embody Behind the Swings: The Legend of Isildur1 (Miikka Antonen, Phil Galfond, Matti Harju), Davidi Kitai: Lifetime of a Genius (La vie du Génie – Winamax), The 4 Guidelines of the Poker Kings (Greg Clark, BBC Scotland), and The Ultimate Stack (POKER movies).
Had the World Poker Awards existed 15 years in the past, one poker-related documentary that you just most likely have by no means heard of probably would’ve been a contender to win. What’s extra, that 2010 documentary is offered now on Amazon Prime to lease for $1.99.
Strike Dice! Betting on My Father is the poignant story of Natalie Picoe‘s seek for her father, a playing addict, who’d been reported lacking in Las Vegas. I hadn’t beforehand heard of the documentary earlier than, so I gave it a shot and was glad that I did. It’s a bit of dated, it appears prefer it was filmed within the early 2000s when the panorama of Las Vegas was fairly totally different. Even so, the message nonetheless hits the mark.
Right here’s a extra thorough description from IMDb:
Strike Cube! Betting on my Father is the transferring story of a daughter’s search to seek out her father – an addicted gambler – when he’s reported lacking in Las Vegas. With little info to go on, she ultimately finds him, however he bears little resemblance to the daddy she as soon as knew. Homeless, gaunt, and unwashed, he lives day-to-day on the streets of Vegas, and regardless of her greatest efforts, he’s unwilling to acknowledge his dependancy and settle for the assistance he wants. What’s a daughter to do? How do you assist your father when a easy handout will solely make him worse? Does it matter if he is by no means actually been a dad or mum to you and the remainder of your loved ones has given up on him?
The documentary, which is an simply digestible and entertaining 58 minutes, was directed and produced by Natalie Picoe, the daughter of Mike Picow, a Las Vegas gambler and poker participant recognized for his play within the Eighties and 90s.
Picow is much from a family title within the poker world; in actual fact, he hasn’t cashed a match in three many years.
In line with The Hendon Mob, Picow amassed $162,986 in lifetime match earnings courting again to 1983. His largest money of $30,200 got here when he completed eighth within the 1989 World Collection of Poker (WSOP) Major Occasion, which was received by Phil Hellmuth. Picow’s final money got here in Could 1995 when he completed twelfth within the WSOP $1,500 Restrict Ace-to-5 Draw occasion.
1989 WSOP Major Occasion Closing Desk
| Place | Participant | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phil Hellmuth | $755,000 |
| 2 | Johnny Chan | $302,000 |
| 3 | Don Zewin | $151,000 |
| 4 | Steve Lott | $83,050 |
| 5 | Lyle Berman | $67,950 |
| 6 | Noel Furlong | $52,850 |
| 7 | Fernando Fisdel | $45,300 |
| 8 | Mike Picow | $30,200 |
| 9 | George Hardie | $22,650 |
Regardless of not being a recognized title in poker – besides maybe to old-school gamers in Las Vegas – Picow’s story could also be of curiosity to the neighborhood. However make no mistake, it’s not as a result of it’s a feel-good story with a contented ending. Quite the opposite, Strike Cube! is a dive into the degenerate facet of Las Vegas, a peek backstage of what occurs when an untreated playing dependancy reaches its inevitable finish.
“He wasn’t a great man. He knew all people, however he was a jerk.”
I’m not fairly certain no matter grew to become of Mike Picow. I assumed he had probably handed, however I used to be unable to find any kind of obituary on-line. I requested a Las Vegas participant who has been round for a very long time and was advised they final heard from Picow round 2020, although it was allegedly him asking for cash.
“He wasn’t a great man,” I used to be advised. “He knew all people, however he was a jerk.”
Picow wasn’t the primary poker participant to go broke, and he positively received’t be the final. Nevertheless, he is without doubt one of the few to have it placed on full show in certainly one of poker’s most poignant documentaries. Should you’ve received an hour and $1.99 to spare, it’s nicely value a watch.
Click here to check out Strike Dice! on Amazon Prime
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