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| PRODUCTION WRAPS ON FEATURE FILM “DEAL” WITH WORLD POKER TOUR CAST, SET AND STARS |
May 10, 2006
Actors Burt Reynolds and Bret Harrison Pick Up Tips from Pros
With Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten calling the action, “Deal,” the
independent feature film shooting in New Orleans, created a World Poker
Tour World Championship that deftly mixed fact and fiction.
World Poker Tour champions Antonio “The Magician” Esfandiari, Phil “The
Unabomber” Laak and Isabel “No Mercy” Mercier float through the film as
themselves, laying down cards against the legendary actor, Academy Award
Nominee and Golden Globe Winner Burt Reynolds, portraying a former poker
champion, and television star Bret Harrison, playing the brash internet player-
turned tournament pro.
Esfandiari and Laak brought their vibrant personalities to the big screen,
while entertaining the cast when the cameras stopped rolling. Esfandiari
performed magic tricks and then both pros made the cast members’ cash
disappear with some fun and frivolous wagers.
Said Harrison, who had played little poker before taking the role, “They really
taught me about the life of these gamblers. They were constantly betting on
something. It gave me a lot of insight into my role.” Harrison used his new
found skill to play against cast-mates, only to lose his daily per diem to his
personal assistant. “He got a nice bonus for working on this film,” he laughed.
Reynolds prepared for his role by watching hours of WPT DVDs. “I was
fascinated by how these guys study their opponents, figuring out their tells,
and using psychology to outsmart them,” he said. “I realized how to improve
my own game. I was very flattered when some of these young stars said
they couldn’t tell if I was bluffing. I don’t think that was true before I started
this movie.”
(more)
Using the real WPT set, the scene -- which was a faithful recreation of the
WPT World Championship at Bellagio -- was eerily realistic. Sexton and Van
Patten introduced the players, ad-libbing as they went, just as they do on
the show…except four of the six players were fictional. Two were poker pros
who any WPT fan might expect to see at a final table. Courtney Friel
conducted exit interviews and faux Bellagio showgirls brought in the
mountains of cash. In the conclusion, the three hosts toasted the winner and
runner up with Budweiser, just as they do on the weekly TV show that airs
each Wednesday night on the Travel Channel. And Sexton wrapped up with
his signature “May All Your Cards Be Live and Your Pots Be Monsters.”
The feature, produced by Michael Arata and directed by Gil Cates Jr.,
chronicles the story of a veteran poker champion, long out of the game, who
comes back to coach a talented newcomer. Both learn valuable lessons along
the way, and end up meeting each other face-to-face at the WPT World
Championship Final Table.
“It is the perfect role for Burt Reynolds, because Tommy Vincent’s career
follows a similar arc. Burt was the number one box office attraction for many
years and has now once again become a sensation as a seasoned actor. I
think people will be very impressed with his performance in this film. The
scenes between him and Bret Harrison really are truly dynamic.”
Several other poker playing actors add character to the film. Shannon
Elizabeth, two-time Academy Award Nominee and Golden Globe Winner
Charles Durning and Jennifer Tilly all take star turns. Elizabeth and Tilly are
regulars at the WPT Invitational each year in February at the Commerce
Casino, the WPT’s star-studded celebrity pro-am.
Scott Lazar, who finished sixth in the 2005 WSOP, served as co-executive
producer and “poker technical advisor” to make sure that all card play and
betting were authentic. Lazar, who started out with a cameo, actually ended
up with a featured role.
“An amazing transformation has occurred during the shooting of ‘Deal,’” said
director Cates. “The actors have all jumped into their roles with relish and
have taken up the game with a passion just like millions around the country.
It’s led to some truly spirited poker games after hours and in between
scenes.”
The production was the first independent film to be shot in post-Katrina New
Orleans. It employed many local crew and was warmly embraced by the
community.
“I think poker fans will be stunned when they see “Deal,” said Arata. “The
film captures the excitement of the TV show, while telling a compelling story
about competition and trust. The audience will really feel like they have been
transported to a real WPT event.”
The WORLD POKER TOUR is the global leader in poker. The WPT introduced
poker to a worldwide audience through its innovative and riveting brand of
televised poker, now seen in more than 147 countries and territories.
Capturing all the excitement and sizzling action at its 17 Tour stops around
the globe, the shows sets the gold standard in poker programming. The WPT
inspired a global poker phenomenon that has attracted millions of men and
women to the game and legions of devoted followers to the poker lifestyle. It
has transformed poker into the sport of choice for vast numbers of viewers
and players, and the hundreds of millions of dollars of prize money on the
WPT has rekindled the promise of “The New American Dream.” The WORLD
POKER TOUR airs on the Travel Channel, every Wednesday night at 9 p.m.
ET/PT in the U.S. and on ITV4 in the U.K. For more information, go to www.
worldpokertour.com.
Actors Burt Reynolds and Bret Harrison Pick Up Tips from Pros
With Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten calling the action, “Deal,” the
independent feature film shooting in New Orleans, created a World Poker
Tour World Championship that deftly mixed fact and fiction.
World Poker Tour champions Antonio “The Magician” Esfandiari, Phil “The
Unabomber” Laak and Isabel “No Mercy” Mercier float through the film as
themselves, laying down cards against the legendary actor, Academy Award
Nominee and Golden Globe Winner Burt Reynolds, portraying a former poker
champion, and television star Bret Harrison, playing the brash internet player-
turned tournament pro.
Esfandiari and Laak brought their vibrant personalities to the big screen,
while entertaining the cast when the cameras stopped rolling. Esfandiari
performed magic tricks and then both pros made the cast members’ cash
disappear with some fun and frivolous wagers.
Said Harrison, who had played little poker before taking the role, “They really
taught me about the life of these gamblers. They were constantly betting on
something. It gave me a lot of insight into my role.” Harrison used his new
found skill to play against cast-mates, only to lose his daily per diem to his
personal assistant. “He got a nice bonus for working on this film,” he laughed.
Reynolds prepared for his role by watching hours of WPT DVDs. “I was
fascinated by how these guys study their opponents, figuring out their tells,
and using psychology to outsmart them,” he said. “I realized how to improve
my own game. I was very flattered when some of these young stars said
they couldn’t tell if I was bluffing. I don’t think that was true before I started
this movie.”
(more)
Using the real WPT set, the scene -- which was a faithful recreation of the
WPT World Championship at Bellagio -- was eerily realistic. Sexton and Van
Patten introduced the players, ad-libbing as they went, just as they do on
the show…except four of the six players were fictional. Two were poker pros
who any WPT fan might expect to see at a final table. Courtney Friel
conducted exit interviews and faux Bellagio showgirls brought in the
mountains of cash. In the conclusion, the three hosts toasted the winner and
runner up with Budweiser, just as they do on the weekly TV show that airs
each Wednesday night on the Travel Channel. And Sexton wrapped up with
his signature “May All Your Cards Be Live and Your Pots Be Monsters.”
The feature, produced by Michael Arata and directed by Gil Cates Jr.,
chronicles the story of a veteran poker champion, long out of the game, who
comes back to coach a talented newcomer. Both learn valuable lessons along
the way, and end up meeting each other face-to-face at the WPT World
Championship Final Table.
“It is the perfect role for Burt Reynolds, because Tommy Vincent’s career
follows a similar arc. Burt was the number one box office attraction for many
years and has now once again become a sensation as a seasoned actor. I
think people will be very impressed with his performance in this film. The
scenes between him and Bret Harrison really are truly dynamic.”
Several other poker playing actors add character to the film. Shannon
Elizabeth, two-time Academy Award Nominee and Golden Globe Winner
Charles Durning and Jennifer Tilly all take star turns. Elizabeth and Tilly are
regulars at the WPT Invitational each year in February at the Commerce
Casino, the WPT’s star-studded celebrity pro-am.
Scott Lazar, who finished sixth in the 2005 WSOP, served as co-executive
producer and “poker technical advisor” to make sure that all card play and
betting were authentic. Lazar, who started out with a cameo, actually ended
up with a featured role.
“An amazing transformation has occurred during the shooting of ‘Deal,’” said
director Cates. “The actors have all jumped into their roles with relish and
have taken up the game with a passion just like millions around the country.
It’s led to some truly spirited poker games after hours and in between
scenes.”
The production was the first independent film to be shot in post-Katrina New
Orleans. It employed many local crew and was warmly embraced by the
community.
“I think poker fans will be stunned when they see “Deal,” said Arata. “The
film captures the excitement of the TV show, while telling a compelling story
about competition and trust. The audience will really feel like they have been
transported to a real WPT event.”
The WORLD POKER TOUR is the global leader in poker. The WPT introduced
poker to a worldwide audience through its innovative and riveting brand of
televised poker, now seen in more than 147 countries and territories.
Capturing all the excitement and sizzling action at its 17 Tour stops around
the globe, the shows sets the gold standard in poker programming. The WPT
inspired a global poker phenomenon that has attracted millions of men and
women to the game and legions of devoted followers to the poker lifestyle. It
has transformed poker into the sport of choice for vast numbers of viewers
and players, and the hundreds of millions of dollars of prize money on the
WPT has rekindled the promise of “The New American Dream.” The WORLD
POKER TOUR airs on the Travel Channel, every Wednesday night at 9 p.m.
ET/PT in the U.S. and on ITV4 in the U.K. For more information, go to www.
worldpokertour.com.
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