Poker Videos
A brand new Finnish documentary sequence on YouTube (with English subtitles) shall we it’s identified that Finnish poker is set greater than Patrik Antonius, however nonetheless credit him for placing Finnish poker at the map.
Patrik Antonius is extra well-known in the United States than he’s in Finland, the makers of Remaining Name pokeridokumentti contend. (Symbol: YouTube/Pokersiviut)
The four-episode docuseries, “Remaining Name,” travels round Europe to expose a pulse of poker moving clear of American soil. Already the display has captured just about 100,000 perspectives. CardsChat spoke with Miika Anntonen, one in every of 4 government manufacturers at the undertaking (and the lone screenwriter) to be informed in regards to the untold tale this sequence is making an attempt to seize.
Filmed on location in Estonia, France, Monaco, Eire, and, in fact, Finland, Remaining Name shall we audience into the arena of high-stakes Ecu poker.
Whilst a decade in the past it would were unthinkable to exclude Las Vegas from any severe poker tale, authentic plans to movie in the United States have been scrapped because of COVID commute restrictions, and Anntonen mentioned he believes it labored out for the easier, as no longer many poker enthusiasts know what it takes to make it as a high-stakes Ecu professional.
Running with a five-figure price range, the manufacturing isn’t simply any individual posting an interview recorded on their telephone to YouTube.
“We felt like if we’re going to have other people like Antonius and Jens Kyllönen (aka “Jeans89″) inform their tales for the primary time, we had higher do it proper,” Antonnen mentioned. “We used 3 other cameras to shoot each scene and didn’t take any shortcuts.”
(He credit cinematographer Matti Harju for the manufacturing worth.)
What the Finnish began
Regardless that no longer the primary position that involves thoughts when other people recall to mind poker hotspots, Finland has been house to high-stakes crushers because the early days of the web.
“Should you take a look at the 20-year historical past of on-line poker, there’s at all times been a minimum of one Finn, typically extra, on the very most sensible of the meals chain,” Anttonen mentioned. “The Negreanus and Hellmuths of the arena get lots of the media consideration, however on the absolute hardest video games on the earth — on-line nosebleed money video games — no different country has executed in addition to Finland and it’s under no circumstances shut.”
Anttonen lists Antonius, Kyllönen, Ilari Sahamies, Pauli Äyräs (“Fiilismies”), Eelis Pärssinen (“”EEE27”) and Sami Kelopuro (“LarsLuzak”), a number of the Finnish high-stakes superstars.
“We’re a rustic of simply 5.5 million other people,” he mentioned, “but now we have produced extra excessive stakes crushers than some other nation.”
The primary episode, titled “Teenage Millionaire,” options “Jeans89,” the web monicker for Jens Kyllönen, speaking a couple of fast studying curve in poker, and the way dedicated gamers from Finland have risen from freshmen to the perfect stakes video games in only a couple to a couple of years. Finnish tune manufacturer Dan Tolppanen, additionally identified via his rap character Uniikki, stocks tales of dwelling huge with Kyllönen and Sahamies, and the way tune movies truly offered them to the Finnish public.
Episodes #2 and three, “The Prince of Monaco,” have been filmed most commonly in the lounge of Antonius’s palatial house, the place he tells the tale of going from newspaper supply boy to poker professional, then .turning €200 into greater than €20 million, converting flats alongside tips on how to stay the taxman at bay.
“It’s a loopy paradox that our maximum mythical gamers like Patrik Antonius are extra well-known outdoor of Finland than they’re right here,” says Anttonen.
International poker enjoy
As famous in Anttonen’s pokeridokumentti, poker has modified because the Moneymaker increase of the early-2000s, when No-Prohibit Grasp’Em was once exploding throughout the United States. Now the global neighborhood performs a miles better function.
As an example, within the WSOP Primary Tournament 2019, American citizens made up 71% of the sphere. However simplest 41% of the overall 50 gamers have been from the US.
The 2021 Main Event winner was German pro Koray Aldemir.
Within the ultimate episode, which has but to be launched, Remaining Name travels to Dublin to apply CardsChat ambassador Dara O’Kearney.
“The Irish really love poker,” Anttonen mentioned, “and appearing what the poker enjoy is like for any individual taking part in in a €300 Global Poker Open whilst additionally interviewing one in every of their most renowned gamers in Dara was once the easiest finishing for season one.”
It’s a pleasant watch if you’ll be able to get previous the subtitles, which Antonnen insists are to the audience’ receive advantages.
“I will guarantee you that following them is a stroll within the park in comparison to looking to make sense of our ridiculous accents.”