Poker has long had a convoluted history when it comes to comedic or dramatic presentations. While poker cash games and tournaments draw large audiences, that does not seem to translate into viewership for fictional television shows or films. There is a new production that is looking to change that, however, starring a noted actor/comedian and one of the top casino influencers in the industry.
“You ARE Going to See it on Television”
In an interview with Casinos.com, casino influencer Lorraine ‘Goddess of Slots’ Bencivengo-Ziff dropped the highly hush-hush news. “You ARE going to see that,” she said during the interview, “It is a television series called Un$uited, and it is an absolute blast…I hope I don’t get in trouble for talking about it!”
“It will be out in June, and it centers around poker players,” Ziff related. “Tom Arnold (comedian/actor with hits such as a supporting role in the movie True Lies with Arnold Schwarzenegger) is the lead in the show…and it is so funny. Tom plays a guy who is supposed to be taking over the family business, but he actually wants to be a professional poker player. It will be all about the people that he meets, the characters in that world…it’s really brilliantly written.”
When asked about how her part in the comedy came to be, Ziff commented that it was not a big stretch for her. “I come in as the ‘Goddess of Slots!” she laughed. “I may not have everyone’s best intentions at heart…that’s all I’ll say!” Strangely enough, producers of Un$uited are already looking toward the future, and Ziff is a part of that. “I’ve been asked to do Season Two, and from the start of that season, I’m already in trouble!” Ziff also said that the first season of Un$uited is complete and will air starting in June.
This was not the only thing that the ‘Goddess of Slots’ has on tap. She admitted that a movie is in development – industry speak for a project that is in some form of creation – that will also feature her ‘Goddess of Slots’ character. “I can’t go much further than that, however,” Ziff stated.
Poker’s “Hit or Miss” History with Hollywood
There has been a bit of a “hit or miss” history when it comes to poker and casino life in Hollywood. Whether on the silver screen or the Tube, the gambling lifestyle has been portrayed in different lights. Most of the time, however, these programs have been more misses than hits.
In the cinematic world, several classic films portray poker, including California Split (1974) and the James Caan version of The Gambler (also from 1974). In those two films, gritty realities that came through in the stories made them quite appealing to audiences. The pinnacle of the “gambling film” was Rounders (1998), which drew many to the game. There have also been some misses in these films (Lucky You…sorry, Matt Savage!), making for a mixed bag.
When it comes to television, there have been efforts to turn the gaming lifestyle into “reality” shows, but one dramatic show stretched the boundaries of sensibility. Strangely enough, Tilt premiered on ESPN during the height of the televised poker boom in 2005, and it would utilize many tropes that people believed about poker and the casino world (plenty of cheating, both at the games and in relationships, mob-style beatings, etc.). It would only last for a single season in 1995, despite featuring the late, legendary actor Michael Madsen alongside poker pros like Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, and Erik Seidel.
That is one of the things that Ziff states will be a part of both her projects, the comedy show with Arnold and the movie in development. “I was able to bring in some of my fellow casino influencers (for parts in both programs),” Ziff said, and that involvement from fellow influencers – and the comedic abilities of Tom Arnold – promise to make both projects interesting. Be looking for Un$uited, starring Lorraine ‘Goddess of Slots’ Bencivengo-Ziff and some hack named Tom Arnold, at the start of the summer in June, and be looking for Ziff on the big screen potentially later in the year.
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