According to the US Internet Movie Database, a movie focusing on the life of Thomas Austin Preston Jr., better known as Amarillo Slim, professional poker player and lifetime gambler, is in production.
The film is currently categorized as “in production,’ has been in development for some time now. Nicolas Cage, who will be playing the lead role of Amarillo Slim, is credited as a producer along with Braxton Pope.
Christopher Wilkinson, whose credits as screenwriter include “Nixon,” and “Ali,” both biopics, is adapting Amarillo’s book, “Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People: The Memoirs of the Greatest Gambler Who Ever Lived,” for the big screen.
Amarillo Slim, during his career has won a total of four WSOP bracelets (1972, 1974, 1985, 1990) and has won over $590,000 in tournament play. Slim was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1992.
Most professional poker players spend the lion’s share of their playing time in live games. The big-name tournament players are famous because of the television coverage of their live play. Lots of these players play online, but it’s not like the live tournament scene. Most celebrity poker players are sponsored by an online poker site. They wear the site’s logo in live events and play on the site for periodic promotions or whenever they want to.
Full Tilt Poker has professionals Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson, John Juanda, Jennifer Harman, Phil Gordon, Erick Lindgren, Erik Seidel, Clonie Gowan, Andy Bloch, Mike Matusow, Gus Hansen and Allen Cunningham on their team.
PokerStars has Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, Joe Hachem, Barry Greenstein, Isabelle Mercier, Daniel Negreanu, Tom McEvoy, Victor Ramdin, Vanessa Rouso, and Humberto Brenes.
UltimateBet sponsors professionals Phil Hellmuth, Antonio Esfandiari, Jim Worth, Devin Porter and Annie Duke.
1. Erik Seidel has to be the man. He has eight bracelets, four of them in the last six years. He has won over $7M in tournament play, plus his cash table earnings.
2. Allan Cunningham has five WSOP bracelets in the last six years, including three in a row. He has earned over $8.7M in tournament winnings.
3. Scotty Nguyen consistently cashes wherever he is. He cashed six times at the WSOP 2007, including an 11th-place finish in the main event.
4. Phil Ivey is one of the top players today. He has five WSOP bracelets in the last seven years, and two big wins in Monte Carlo in 2007.
5. Tom Schneider won two WSOP bracelets last year, one in Seven Card Stud Hi/Low 8 or Better, and also in Omaha/Seven Stud Hi/Low 8 or Better. He also made the final table of the $2500 HORSE event.
