The Story of The Greatest Crime in the History of Online Poker is Being Told Again

A new, re-edited version of the poker documentary Ultimate Beat: too much to lose is set to be released on June 25th.

Over the past several years longtime Ultimate Bet investigator Scott “ElevenGrover” Bell took on the monumental task of creating a full-length documentary film detailing the Ultimate Bet super user scandal that rocked the poker world at the height of the poker boom.

Since they contain slightly different content, I’d recommend watching both, which for the time being you can do for the price of one.

Trailer for the new version

Here is the new trailer for the re-edited version of Ultimate Beat:

The history of Ultimate Beat

The documentary originally premiered in 2013 during the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, and even though it was well-received by the hardcore poker community, its narrow focus and the minutiae of the scandal failed to capture the attention of the casual poker player.

Hoping to reach a wider audience, Bell is back with a re-edited version of Ultimate Beat, which he plans on debuting at the iGaming SuperShow in Amsterdam on June 25th. Bell will provide a keynote address before the film and will also be available for a Q&A session afterwards.

Bell, who had no background in film or movies, took on this project on his own time, relying on donations from the poker community to fund the project.

Bell did an excellent job creating the first cut, but wasn’t entirely satisfied with the final product. Now he is back with what he hopes is an improved version.

Advance viewing

I was able to see an advance screening of the re-edited film, which provides new details and information into the still-ongoing investigation. Bell also cleaned up the production quality from the original cut.

The film is still meant for a poker-educated audience, but the reboot does provide a simpler storyline to follow, focusing on the main points of the scandal, with quite a bit of the speculation and side stories hitting the cutting room floor. The new version of the film is about five minutes shorter, clocking in at just under 90 minutes compared to the original 94 minute version.

In all I would estimate that somewhere between ten and fifteen minutes of footage has been revamped.

Here are some of the key differences I noticed between the original cut and the newly re-edited film:

• There were several new interview segments and interview subjects.
• Central elements to the plot were fleshed out further, as secondary storylines that took the film in several different directions were dropped.
• The production quality (which didn’t bother me the first time around) has been improved.

Overall I think the re-edit makes the film better and more appealing to a larger audience. Even if you’ve seen the film already you should watch it again for the new material, and also as a refresher.

Read my original review of Ultimate Beat here: Ultimate Beat Offers Some Closure to a Wounded Poker Community.

Where to watch Ultimate Beat

You can watch the original version (which I still recommend) by purchasing it here.

According to Bell, purchasing the old version at this time will qualify you to receive the re-edited version at no additional cost when it becomes available. Essentially you’ll get both versions if you buy the original version now.