No Limit: A Search for the American Dream on the Poker Tournament Trail (2006) User Reviews

Great interviews, annoying everything else.

[keliwah · 6/10 · 23 January 2007]

This film contains many interesting clips of interviews with top pro poker players which were great and very professional. I'd have much preferred the movie if was half an hour of those interviews, but instead the producers decided we'd be interested in their failed marriage, rocky business and their attempt at getting lucky at a handful of tournaments to sort their business out which padded the film out to a full 90 minutes of mainly dross. I wasn't interested in their personal situation - why would I be? They were not particularly interesting people and they had little to do with poker, which is what the movie was meant to be about. Most of the movie comprised of a rather annoying sounding woman complain at her bad luck over and over again like a broken record. It was pathetic and pretty lazy film making. A couple of times she did actually explain how she got unlucky, but if they were going to make a lot of the movie about her success and failures at the table, they should've talked a little bit more about her style of play and a few hands in detail. But like the most boring poker blogs on the net, they didn't. To be honest, she seemed to be a very mediocre player at best. Her complete lack of control over her body and facial expression at the table probably gave off all the tells in the world. I noticed she sat next to Ram Vaswani (one of the best tourney players in the world) but she didn't seem to know who he was, so he wasn't interviewed - shame. Notice at one point she complains at her "bad luck" when she was busted out after holding the nut straight on the turn which she said she checked because of the flush draw possibility! The flush then hit, and she must've then called all her chips off. That's an awful play to check on a turn like that and she didn't realise it - she obviously really overrates herself. Still, even with the annoying woman who seems to think it unlucky not to make a heap of money playing $500 buy-in tourneys against better players than herself, it is worth watching (but not paying for).

No Limit: More like Limit or Pot limit.

[WayneBullet · 7/10 · 27 January 2007]

I am a huge poker fan. I like this movie. I am not sure why it is called No Limit. She plays Omaha Hi Lo mainly. Susan is her name. She complains to much. Her husband Rob really doesn't understand poker. I can relate to that. My wife doesn't and would probably react the same way if she knew my wins/losses too.

The interviews are very good. They hit some topics I have not seen in books and magazine. One thing this movie seems to really hit on the swings of poker. This is the most important aspect of poker.

If you are a fan of poker you will like this movie. If you really have no clue about poker, you will probably not really understand or care.

don't waste your time

[jahbhu · 1/10 · 26 January 2009]

I signed up to this site just so I could vent about this horrible "documentary". It was a reality TV show about a couple of annoying people who spend six months on the poker circuit. The woman plays and the husband, who runs the film company, doesn't even bother to learn about poker. There's some sound byte interviews with a lot of great poker players, but there's absolutely nothing interesting or exciting. I can't begin to say how disappointed I was with this film. By the last 45 minutes I was just fast forwarding most of it, hoping it would get exciting but to no avail. They never show the actual hands or any strategy, or anything that makes poker interesting. This is a third rate hack job of a movie. What a waste!!!!! Do not waste your time

This is a brilliant, must see, slice of life documentary

[donfargy · 10/10 · 25 January 2007]

The professional reviews of this movie are accurate in all respects. Richard Roeper of Ebert and Roeper fame gave it a thumbs up on his January 21, 2007 show. He called it insightful and a neat documentary. Professional poker wizard Daniel Negreanu said the film was as real as it gets. A review in A list Magazine, the Robertson Treatment and the Urban Network said it was a slice of poker heaven. The story line is compelling. The interviews with professional poker players from around the world are highly entertaining. This film should appeal to everyone, not just poker players. It helps to explain the poker craze and illustrates the type of courage, skill, luck and endurance it takes to be successful at playing poker. But it is much more than that-it is a revealing look at humanity. It shows that playing the game, win or lose, is the true goal.A brilliant documentary.

Fantastic look at the wildly popular and insane poker world!

[selloutmf · 10/10 · 24 January 2007]

I really am not into the whole poker thing, but I have to say the filmmakers managed to make the story really hit home as a tale of a family going through it all together in the home of making their dreams come true. Its sad in its way, and you feel sorry for the whole family at first... well, through most of the film... but then if you step back you realize that America is filled with a lot sadder, just as insane tales as this... at least this family seems to be working together and supporting each other, but not without honest challenges.

All the pokers from the real poker celebrity world were fascinating also, and gives a great bit of dry humorous insight into their own ego-maniacal eccentricity. Modern day cowboys indeed. :)

Riveting, intense, and honest. Great work!