“In 8 weeks, chess did more than poker did in 8 years.”
Iannotti doesn't hold back: “Poker is a game full of psychological battles, risking it all, yet on YouTube, it barely surpasses 250,000 views. Meanwhile, Netflix released The Queen's Gambit, a story about an introverted girl moving pieces silently, resulting in a 1000% increase in chess set sales, 5 million new online players, and a doubling of students in chess academies. And us? We keep producing the same highlights from the same tables – for the same audience.”
Iannotti argues that poker desperately needs heroes, stories, and emotions. It's not about someone calling a 3-bet with J h 7 h for the 37th time during a stream. That doesn't interest anyone outside the “poker bubble.”
I'm about to alienate the entire poker industry with what I'm going to say.
— Dustin Iannotti (@dustini) April 10, 2025
But someone needs to point out that we've been telling the wrong story for 20 years.
The evidence is undeniable. The solution is uncomfortable.
The poker content industry is creatively bankrupt and… pic.twitter.com/VS8hZLNJ6d
What's Missing for a New Boom?
Poker doesn't have a problem with the rules, but with its image. It lacks a face that viewers can relate to. It doesn’t offer the drama that even those who've never held cards can experience. Iannotti mentions chess, Formula 1, wrestling... all these fields gained millions of new fans not through statistics, but through characters, documentaries, series, and stories. What's the difference? The ability to tell stories. Not about what people do, but why they do it. Not about competition, but about emotion.
“Do you remember why the first poker boom happened? It wasn't a coincidence. It was the story of an underdog – an unknown accountant named Chris Moneymaker, aptly named, defeating professionals and winning at the WSOP. David beats Goliath – such powerful stories draw people in. And it's those that are missing today.”
“Everyone keeps criticizing Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth – but it's them who aren't afraid to try something new to popularize the game. No one has brought more people to poker than the two of them.” Their willingness to be in front of cameras, creating strong moments, conflicts, emotions – even if not always popular – makes them the last true ambassadors of the game, who understand that poker needs to be an experience, not just a technical discipline.
And when asked about the frequent question: “When will Rounders 2 come out?” Iannotti’s opinion is clear: “We don't need it. We must stop feeding on nostalgia and start creating something new. And if we succeed, poker will become a cultural phenomenon again.”
Poker Is Not Just About Money – But It Still Seems That Way
Iannotti not only criticizes the players but primarily the poker platforms themselves: “They invest millions in software redesigns – but not a cent into content that would make the game cool again. They're repainting the lobby instead of filming something that could revolutionize the entire industry.”
And while Formula 1 gained 20 million new fans through the documentary Drive to Survive, poker still tries to “sell” pots over a million dollars as the main reason to watch.
The Problem Isn't Just Content. It's Also Accessibility
Another well-known player, Max Silver, criticized the platform PokerGO, accusing it of “burying the chance for a new poker boom” with its paid access. He agrees that the platform creates quality content, but if no one sees it, it's pointless.
Even though YouTube offers many free videos, the best content is often locked behind a paywall – and thus only reaches the hardcore fans. And the millions of potential new players are left out because there's nothing to captivate them.
What Do the Creators Themselves Say?
The founder of Hustler Casino Live, Ryan Feldman, agrees with Iannotti – at least partially: “We have heroes, but we don't have ESPN or major platforms to show them to the world. Poker has a controversial reputation, and many celebrities simply don't want to play the role of gamblers losing money on screen and so on. We need to think about what we can do with that.”
So, How to Start?
According to Iannotti, a clear plan offers itself:
- Less graphs and more emotions.
- Less focus on winners, more stories of loss, hope, and drama.
- And most importantly: stop telling how to play – start showing why to play.
Poker has the potential to become a cultural phenomenon again. But it must learn to tell stories. It must understand that it's not enough to show an all-in – you need to show everything that person put into that all-in. And maybe on Netflix, there's already a script lying around, ideally with someone like Anya Taylor-Joy in the lead role, sitting at the green table, fire in her eyes, poker face on her lips... and that's when a new boom might begin.
Source: X, CardsChat, Netflix, YouTube, PokerNews
