Movie Review of Poker Documentary “The Ultimate Stack” – Available Now Free on YouTube
The World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship will return to Wynn Las Vegas in a few weeks, and something sure to get players excited is a new poker documentary that released on Wednesday.
The Ultimate Stack by POKERfilms was written, directed, and produced by noted poker documentarian Michael Bailey, who last year released the six-part Bracelet Hunt: A Poker Docuseries. The new documentary focused on the 2023 WPT Championship with the aim of showing a poker tournament from the beginning to the end through the eyes of the chips.
As the description describes, “Beginning with one player we will continue to follow the opponent that eliminates them until the eventual winner of the tournament. We will take the viewer on the rollercoaster ride we call tournament poker and educate those who are unfamiliar.”
The documentary features players like Tony Dunst, Garrett Adelstein, Andrew Lichtenberger, Dan Sepiol, Mike Holtz, Brad Owen, and more. Others involved in its production included Thomas Keeling (producer), Matthew Kiefer (narrator), Alec Rome, Matthew Owen, Nick Papazoglou, Sharelle Fequiere, and more.
The 90-minute documentary not only gives viewers a look behind the scenes of the WPT World Championship but also offers a unique and random opportunity for new players to make a name for themselves. After all, you can’t predict who is going to bust someone and become the new subject for as long as they have chips.
Case in point Lithuania’s Paulius Vaitiekunas, a relatively unknown who became a primary figure in the documentary by making a deep run. During that time, the filmmakers introduce him to the audience by exploring his story, poker accomplishments, and what life is like while going deep in one of the most prestigious tournaments of the year.
On the flip side, a player everyone is well-acquainted with took a turn in the spotlight – Chris Moorman, who is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, online poker players of all time. It wasn’t his first time playing under the bright lights in a high-pressure situation, and viewers get to learn what motivates one of the best in the game.
The 90-minute The Ultimate Stack was a simple, yet unique, concept that Bailey, a poker player himself, executed in an entertaining manner that compliments both the WPT and all the players involved. It was a gamble on Bailey’s part as there was no telling how many subjects they might have to follow nor a guarantee all would be game for unexpectedly being a part of a documentary. He seemed to have run well though as he captured plenty of action and followed the chips to a diverse cast of characters.
Bailey has been doing great work in the poker world for several years. Still, his latest documentary is sure to introduce him to an even larger audience due in no small part to the support and participation of the WPT.
If you’re a fan of poker, The Ultimate Stack is definitely worth checking out, especially since it’s offered for free on YouTube now:
Win a $5 Million. ClubWPT Gold Invitational Freeroll Seat
Director Michael Bailey did a giveaway for a $5,000,000 ClubWPT Gold Invitational Freeroll seat for those who signed up for ClubWPT Gold using the code “MOVIE” and were then entered into a random raffle that took place the day of the movie premiere.
The winner of that drawing was New Hampshire's Peter Wagner, who will head to Vegas in early December to compete for a $1,000,000 first-place prize!
ClubWPT Gold is the WPT’s newest online poker platform and is set to launch in 2025.
Click here for full WPT Terms & Conditions
