A game or job? Since the dawn of its days in underground clubs in New York and on Mississippi riverboats, poker has been a symbol of the pursuit of the American Dream and the journey and risks it takes to achieve it.
The Portland Museum of Art will be featuring a screening of All in: The Poker Movie, an award winning documentary on the cultural phenomenon of gambling and the unrelenting drive those who play the game experience, Saturday at 2 p.m.
Recently, poker has taken many twists and turns from the multi-billion dollar casino industry, to televised tournaments and online gaming. Internet gambling is the fastest-growing segment of the gambling market, according to the Pew Research Center, with over $13 billion being wagered online last year.
Bennett Elliott, the assistant to the producer of All in: The Poker Movie emphasizes the impact they hope to have on audiences by establishing that viewers understand its about the love of the game and the interesting character it brings out in all that play.
“You don’t have to be a poker fan to love the film. It’s a great documentary for interesting people with lots of interesting things to say,” said Elliott.
All in: The Poker Movie documents some of the poker industry’s biggest names like global-film star and poker aficionado Matt Damon; Chris Moneymaker, winner of the 2003 World Poker Series; and Howard Lederer, the owner of the troubled online poker site Full Tilt Poker, on a journey to understanding that it’s not only about making money but the comeback of poker.
Bennett assures audiences that although the agenda of the film might seem controversial to some, young people should be aware the politically-controversial issues addressed are relevant to the American fascination with poker.
Advanced tickets for All in: The Poker Movie are on sale until Thursday and cost $7. Tickets can also be purchased at the Portland Museum of Art’s box office starting at 10 a.m. on the day of the screening.
In addition to the screening at The Portland Museum of Art, All in: The Poker Movie will be available for purchase April 24 on Amazon.com, iTunes and VOD, or Video on Demand.