“Kid Poker” – A Daniel Negreanu Documentary Released on Netflix

Poker movies are nothing new, in the early 2000's, it seemed anyone with a camera was churning out some form of poker movie. We don't count Rounders in this list, as that was prior to the poker boom, and had an actual plot. A decent movie, that just happened to be about poker.

The movies that came after, and during the poker boom were purely a gimmick and meant to capitalize on the popularity of the game. None were any good, most were terrible.

When it was announced that “Kid Poker” would be released on Netflix, expectations were not high. But, being a poker player, and interested in anything about the game, poker players were sure to watch it. Myself included in that group.

I've been an owner of Netflix since the beginning days, even before live streaming was their main outlet. I rarely turn it on anymore, as I believe I have watched every movie and TV show in their extensive library.

However, when I learned that Kid Poker was going to be released on Netflix, I was intrigued. I must admit, I'm not a fan of the Canadian player, but a movie about poker, especially something I have yet to see, was good enough to make my short list of what to watch on a boring Wednesday evening.

Fully expecting to turn it off half way through, or at least start doing something else and not even pay attention to the movie, I sat down and turned it on.

When I see the Poker Stars logo fly across the screen at the beginning, I start to think that this may be one big ad for the site. My expectations shrink to their lowest right before the movie is about to start. Not looking good.

To my surprise, this would be one of the only mentions of the online poker room and the movie was ok. I say ok, as poker movies have a ceiling that can never make them a great movie A great poker movie is equal to a mediocre standard movie.

The main aspect of the film was a documentary about Daniel – from his birth, to his rise to stardom. It's always fun to get a behind the scenes look at the poker world. The life of poker players is much different than that of anyone else. It is an interesting aspect of life.

I learned a good bit about not just Daniel, but about other players in the game. It was interesting to see just how quickly Daniel became so great and how bad he lost prior to becoming what some say id the best player in the game.

His story was one that some can relate to, he's an average white dude, who took a shot at a dream. He wasn't rich, he didn't have a bad childhood, he was a suburban kid who liked to play poker. If anything, it was inspiring to see what he went through, and how hard he worked to get where he is.

I left the movie, with a slightly different point of view of Daniel. A little more respect for him; and a better understanding of the dedication it takes to be great.