WSOP Pulls the Plug – No Limit Documentary Disappears from YouTube After AI Scandal

A Documentary to Bring Poker to the Masses

No Limit is an eight-part documentary series filmed at the premier WSOP Paradise event at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. Cameras followed players during the historic $25,000 Super Main Event with a $50,000,000 guarantee, capturing over 700 hours of material, later condensed into eight half-hour episodes.

The project is led by producer Dustin Iannotti, a former marketing team member from Full Tilt and PokerStars, now head of the award-winning studio Artisans on Fire (Timeless Motion). The cast was a dream for any fan: Negreanu, Hellmuth, Seiver, Jesse Lonis, Adrian Mateos, Maria Ho, Liv Boeree, online stars like Wolfgang Poker and Lexy Gavin-Mather, and unknown qualifiers who earned their way into the tournament for just a few dollars.

Keating Notices Words He Never Said

Alan Keating, one of today’s most respected cash game specialists, was featured prominently in episodes 5 and 6 to bring his typical cash game perspective to the tournament world. After several sharp criticisms of tournament poker, things took a turn. In the documentary, Keating admits to essentially disliking tournaments and questioning why he’s even at WSOP Paradise (these statements are verified as authentic).

However, two passages caught Keating’s attention. One was a statement like “I love putting opponents in tough spots and testing their will,” the other sounded like a tired sigh during the tournament: “Is it over yet? Can I finally find a cash game?” These segments – reportedly about 10 seconds in total – were not what Keating actually said but a synthesis of various past responses, enhanced by AI and a cloned version of Keating’s voice.

Keating noticed the discrepancies only after both episodes aired. On Friday night, he shared WSOP’s official post on social media, adding an accusation that the documentary was “putting words in his mouth” using artificial intelligence. The tweet and the creators' responses subsequently disappeared, but the scandal was out in the open.

“Only a Few Seconds” – The Creator Defends

Dustin Iannotti initially responded directly under Keating’s post. He admitted that his team used AI for “two short sequences in post-production, totaling about 10 seconds” in episodes 5 and 6 out of a total of 55 minutes. He added that these were “editorial choices” intended to speed up scene transitions and more accurately capture Keating’s thoughts – and that they should have contacted him first, which didn’t happen. However, he also stated that “he stands by the overall integrity of the series” and that Keating’s episodes were the most successful with viewers.

The poker community, however, wasn’t satisfied with the explanation that 700 hours of “real” material was supplemented with “only” a few seconds of AI. Many pointed out that the line between reality and fiction is sacred in a documentary – and if a creator crosses it, the viewer can never be sure when footage is authentic and when it is “enhanced” by a machine.

WSOP Hits the Brakes and Pulls All Episodes

While the series creator defended himself, the most significant action came from WSOP itself. On Sunday evening, they released a statement on X, saying they “recently learned about the use of AI-generated content in the No Limit series, which altered players’ words without authorization.” They also announced they were immediately removing all episodes from YouTube and re-editing them to ensure the final product met WSOP standards. A public apology to all affected was also issued.

The final episodes had yet to be released, effectively ending the series halfway – after three weeks, six episodes, and one storm. For WSOP and GG, it’s an unpleasant blow to their reputation – the No Limit series was meant to be the flagship of a new WSOP era, a blend of lifestyle, big money, and dramatic personal stories from Paradise.

The reactions from players and poker personalities were sharp and unequivocal. Jennifer Tilly wrote on X that she dislikes even ordinary misinterpretations and the idea of someone using her voice to put “inserted” sentences into a documentary is unacceptable to her. Daniel Strelitz speaks of “a gross violation of the basic principle of documentary making,” which is the truth.

However, the entire situation might have a positive effect – forcing poker media, organizers, and production studios to set clear rules for using AI. The basic principle is simple: without explicit consent, AI should not be used for anything that changes the meaning of words or creates new statements in a player's voice. WSOP has announced that No Limit will be re-edited and returned in some form. Even if this happens, the series will forever be clouded by the question of whether it will ever again be the documentary that aimed to showcase why we love this game – rather than an example of how far AI in the wrong hands can stretch the boundaries of reality.

Sources – X, WSOP, YouTube, PokerNews, PokerStrategy, CardPlayer