Pokerography: The Story of Phil Hellmuth is an intensely personal and intimate portrait of a man, Phil Hellmuth, Jr., who transitioned from a painfully awkward youth desperate for his father's acceptance into the most confident and decorated tournament poker professional the world has ever seen. Features exclusive interviews with the "Poker Brat" himself and those who know him best, from his fiercest opponents to his own mother and father.
After escaping from a war-torn country at only eight years old, Antonio Esfandiari is no stranger to beating the odds. Pokerography: The Story of Antonio Esfandiari delves deep into the personal story of how a shy boy named Amir first picked up a deck of cards and soon became one of the most charismatic and highest earning poker players in the entire world. Features original interviews with "The Magician" himself as well as his loving father and closest friends.
From the time she was the only girl fearless enough to play on her high school baseball team, three-time WSOP bracelet winner Vanessa Selbst has proven she knows how to dominate in a man's game. In Pokerography: The Story of Vanessa Selbst, Vanessa bares all from the loss of her mother to being arrested and ultimately finding true love - all elements which shaped her into one of the toughest tournament players in history. Features exclusive interviews with Selbst and some of her closest poker colleagues.
Pokerography: The Story of Mike Sexton is a deeply honest and heart-felt profile of the man who helped make poker a staple of prime time television. From creating the first Tournament of Champions and pioneering online poker to donating hundreds of thousands of dollars in winnings to his favorite charities - there is a reason Mike Sexton is considered 'the voice' of poker, and it's due to so much more than just his role as commentator for the World Poker Tour.
Jennifer Harman paved the way for women in a male-dominated game, and dominated them for multiple decades along the way. Harman was the only woman to play for The Corporation vs. Andy Beal in the highest stakes match ever played. Her path in life, however, wasn't all highs, as she received kidney transplants from both her father and niece, to combat the disease that sadly took the life of her mother at an early age. This is her life story.
A serious illness during his teen years pushed this 19-year old college dropout to chase his dreams, and never do anything he didn't love. This is the life story of Jason Somerville.
The father of two overcame self-doubt and rose through the ranks in the infamous Mayfair Club. Playing backgammon before picking up the game of poker and becoming one of the biggest winners of all time.
From a family of gamblers, Michael Mizrachi emerged as one of the most powerful forces the poker world has ever seen. "The Grinder" has proven that he is one of the most competitive poker players on the planet but despite crushing the game for years, there were still ups and downs for Mizrachi on and off the felt.
The man that started it all, Chris Moneymaker. The 2003 WSOP Main Event champion ignited the poker boom, but the journey to the top was not easy. In the end, the man with the storybook name changed the game forever.
In a world of big personalities, Phil Laak might be the biggest. The incomparable Laak was introduced to cards at a young age. After a few false starts, Laak found the "perfect job" and the Unabomber has captivated poker fans ever since.
One of the all-time greats, Johnny Chan has done it all on the poker table. On this episode of Pokerography, the ten-time WSOP bracelet winner starts from the beginning; from his upbringing in Texas, to his first experiences in Las Vegas, to winning back-to-back Main Events in 1987 and 1988, to his cameo appearance in the legendary poker movie, Rounders.
From college dropout to the top of the poker world, Brian Rast is now arguably regarded as one of the best of all-time. While his poker journey started at Stanford University, it has taken him around the globe ever since. Rast was introduced to online poker in Europe, met his future wife in Brazil, has claimed some of the world's biggest titles in Las Vegas, and is showing no signs of slowing down.
A love for horses, physics, and metal music preluded Liv Boeree's rise through the poker ranks. A poker TV show, a true passion for the game, and countless satellite tournaments later, Boeree made her big splash on the European Poker Tour winning the San Remo event for nearly $1.7 million in 2010. All of that and much more in this episode of Pokerography.
Jennifer Tilly grew up a nomad with her hippie parents, followed by a long Hollywood career, and Oscar nomination, and ultimately she won the most coveted prize in all of poker: a WSOP gold bracelet.
Online, live, cash games or tournaments, it doesn't matter for Jason Mercier. The Florida native has passed every test the poker world has thrown at him and over the last decade, has become one of the game's most consistent winners.
All State and All-American soccer player Byron Kaverman won the one of toughest tournaments of the year, the $10,000 6-Max No Limit Hold'em at the 2015 World Series of Poker. This put his name on the map for good, and he closed out the year as the GPI Player of the Year. Now, Kaverman has $11.2 million in live tournament earnings, putting him 44th on poker's all-time money list. This is his story.
From Shanghai via Melbourne to the rest of the world, Celina Lin is one the foremost ambassadors of the game of poker in Asia with a competitive spirit like no other, but explaining this game to her family proved to be a difficult task.
Born in Taiwan with one older sister, Maria Ho moved to the United States with her family at the age of five. Growing up in a traditional Chinese household came with lots of expectations, making her path to becoming a highly successful poker player, presenter, and personality in the game that much more unlikely. While keeping the game a secret from her family, Maria discovered poker in college, graduated and boarded a plane to Las Vegas. This is her life story.
From a childhood passion for games, to a love for mathematics, Isaac Haxton went from the Ivy League to the top of the online poker world. Since then, Haxton has proven himself on the live circuit and has become one of the best high stakes players in the world.
Chris Moorman is the greatest online tournament player in the history of the game. With $14 million in online earnings, Moorman has nearly $4 million more than the second-biggest winner. In 2017, Moorman cemented his poker legacy by winning a World Series of Poker bracelet to bring his career live earnings up to over $5 million.
As one of the most energetic, upbeat and skilled players in the game, Jason Koon has the respect from his peers and poker fans from around the world. However, the story of the man with $8.8 million in live tournament earnings started far away, amidst poverty, an abusive father and welfare in a little town in West Virginia.
Two World Poker Tour titles and WPT Player of the Year honors are not what define this player with North of $7.5 million in tournament earnings. Jonathan Little is the ultimate student of the game, who became one its most recognizable teachers and authors. Dubbed as the “hardest working poker player in the world,” Little continues to excel at the highest level to this day, and this is the story of his life and poker career.
From the highest stakes cash games in the world to major tournaments, Nick Schulman has proved himself as one of the world's best all-around poker players time and time again. Poker wasn't Schulman's first foray into the world of gambling though. The New Yorker got his start in a local pool hall, which eventually led to a new challenge and a new passion.