Pros Under the Microscope
It's hard enough grinding your way through dozens of big-buy-in events against the best players in the world, but seven pros had an extra burden during this summer's WSOP: living together, with cameras filming their every move and emotion.
ABA Entertainment, LLC captured the behind-the-scenes footage for an upcoming documentary, House of Cards, which will reveal the roller-coaster, real-life grind of the professional poker player during the biggest event in poker history.
Jean-Robert Bellande of Los Angeles, David Colclough from Birmingham, Tony Chessa from the UK, Beverly Cheney from Texas, Marc "Mr. Cool" Goodwin of Birmingham, Alan Adler of California and Brian "The Rookie" Wilson of Florida. Bellande is a well-known trash-talker at the table and Wilson defeated John Gale in the WSOP's $5,000 pot-limit hold'em event last year. Goodwin was a high-stakes cash-game player in England for years before recently tackling the tournament circuit. He is now one of Europe's highest-ranking players and the face of USAPoker.
For six weeks, camera crews followed the seven between the tournament tables, bathroom breaks and all the way to their residence, the "Parisian Palace," an awe-inspiring 13 million home rumored to have been previously owned by Whoopi Goldberg. It has a nightclub, bowling alley and legend has it that in a classic case of Vegas excess, it took nine years just to paint the ceiling.
Eventually, the footage will make an hour-long TV show and 90-minute movie.
"It's a house full of competitors," said Goodwin. "When we first arrived, we ended up playing cards to decide who would get which room."
In Vegas, there's plenty of action to go around, but in this new documentary, the action will center on the real-life emotions, psychological torture and international glory that can make or break a pro at the World Series.
Said Goodwin: "It will really give the viewers an insight as to what goes on behind-the-scenes at this massive annual tournament."
They got the fabulous house and future notoriety, but there was a tradeoff, distraction, at a time when small edges become huge and distractions can be fatal.
"It did take away some of the concentration as far as poker," Goodwin said.
The players' goal was to make a final table and then, the gods willing, take home a bracelet.
The group played almost every day, event after event, but, in what should make for some raw footage, they made not a single final table. How they handled the empty showing will make for some interesting viewing.