Poker Fuse – The DVD/Bluray release of poker movie “Runner, Runner” includes a featurette entitled “House of Cards: The Inside Story of Online Poker” (preview video below).
The movie features top tier stars Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck, but received mixed reviews from critics and viewers. It was also criticized by Costa Rican media for portraying the online poker industry in a bad light. The featurette offers a positive view that may go some way to counter this impression.
2012 WSOP Main Event runner up Jesse Sylvia explains his introduction to online poker and multi-tabling. Also included is an interview with Steven McLoughlin, PokerTracker’s Chief Brand Strategist & Player Lobbyist.
Michael Casselli from iGaming Business and Bluff Europe is also given screen time. He is considered an expert on online gaming, having been involved in the industry since formulating his MBA thesis on internet gambling back in 1996. He has been on several international news programs including CNBC, MSNBC and the BBC, giving his inside opinion on internet gaming topics.
Runner Runner’s plot centers on an online poker player being cheated out of his entire bankroll. The character played by Justin Timberlake then sets out on a mission to track down the cheats, but becomes embroiled in an internet gambling criminal scam.
Not only did the plotline offend Costa Rica’s struggling online gaming industry, but it also prompted the American Gaming Association (AGA) to set up a mini-site onlinevillains.com with the headline, “Sometimes Movie Villains Are Real.” The site is part of a lobbying campaign to educate and influence American policymakers on the perils of unregulated online gaming with the intent of promoting their agenda for federal legislation.
