Few people have done more to shape the evolution of poker media than Dustin Iannotti. From interning at Poker Royalty during the Moneymaker boom to helping build global poker brands and now spearheading a new storytelling era, Iannotti has spent nearly two decades fighting to bring legitimacy and artistry to the game’s image.
His latest project, No Limit—a GGPoker-funded docuseries produced in partnership with the World Series of Poker (WSOP)—marks his most ambitious effort yet: to transform poker from a niche pursuit back into a cultural phenomenon.
Join us as we get to know the man behind the camera by talking with him about his beginnings, creative vision, and the movement to put storytelling rather than solvers back at the heart of poker.
The Origin Story
Tell me about what first got you into poker and what’s kept you here all these years?
My college roommate had poker on twenty-four seven in our dorm room. One day I walked in and he was replaying his favorite moment from that year’s World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event—when an amateur accountant named Chris Moneymaker eliminated Phil Ivey, one of the best in the world.
I’d normally tune the game out, but this time I sat down and watched. By the time we got to the heads-up battle between Moneymaker and Farha, I was hooked.
My friend convinced me to throw $40 on PokerStars. My love of the game grew from there. Eventually, I boarded a plane for the first time in my life. The destination? Vegas. I was traveling for an internship with Poker Royalty, the agency that reps Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, and all the legends.
I never went home.
What kept me here was the fight. In those early days, you were constantly defending this industry. We went through Black Friday. We fought for legitimacy. In many ways, that camaraderie bonds you. Unfortunately, some of what we’re fighting for today is the same thing we were fighting for back then.
My entire adult life was spent in this industry. Thanks to this industry, I’ve sat in rooms with some of the most intelligent, passionate, and successful people I’ve ever met. They became friends. Mentors. This industry has given me everything.
I stepped away for a while to build my agency in other sectors. But poker pulled me back in. I think in some way, I’m still here because the fight for legitimacy is not over.
Do you play much yourself these days? If so, how would you describe your play style?
For nearly a decade, I barely played. Building my agency was more than a full-time job, and I’m a workaholic who loves creating—so it wasn’t hard to dedicate every waking hour to that. Then, last year, my mentor and Chief Operations Officer basically staged an intervention.
They told me that I was burning out and needed to spend at least one day a week doing something I love that isn’t work. Naturally, I picked poker. Now, I play tournaments most weekends and I hit a few WSOP events in the summer.
My style is a mix of Daniel Negreanu and Jesse Lonis, with about 1/1000th the skill. I’m a feel player who recently added more solver work to my toolkit. I tend to build a big stack early. Then I usually have no idea what to do with it after that. But I’ve had a few small scores since coming back to the game.
Who would you most want to play heads-up against, and why?
Daniel Negreanu. When I got into poker, he was the guy winning everything. Then, when we started working together, I realized he’s the same person whether the cameras are on or off—genuinely one of the good people in this industry. He’s been incredibly supportive of my career. Plus, I think I’ve got a tell on him. But don’t tell him that.
From Player to Creative Visionary
In your Twitter/X bio, you say you’re “on a mission to rescue poker content — turning cold math into unforgettable human drama.” Can you elaborate on what you mean by that?
That line was intentionally provocative, but it’s what guides my work. Poker has spent two decades prioritizing technical content that only appeals to hardcore players.
At some point, we decided storytelling was too expensive, so we streamlined everything around strategy. But you can’t grow a sport by only speaking to people already in the game.
Every other major sport builds stars through narratives—documentaries, reality shows, and broadcasts that tell you who to root for and why it matters.
Poker used to do this. The boom was built on characters and drama, not Game Theory Optimal (GTO) ranges and solver work. If we want poker to reach mainstream heights again, we need to remember a basic tenet: people don’t fall in love with math. They fall in love with people. That’s what I’m trying to bring back.
As someone who doesn’t claim to know all the “cold math” yet, do you think mastering the numbers is necessary to succeed in poker or in telling great poker stories?
To play poker at a high level? Yes, of course you need to understand the numbers. To tell great poker stories? You need to understand people. You have to ask what motivates them. What they’re risking. Why this hand, this moment, this decision matters beyond the Expected Value (EV) calculation.
Phil Ivey didn’t become a legend because people understood his range construction. He became a legend because of the mystique—his calmness, the reads, the million-dollar pots, the way he made you feel something when you watched him play.
Why is it important to tell a good poker story — both with your hand on the felt and in your life as a creative person?
At the table and in life, storytelling is everything.
When you’re playing poker, you’re not just playing cards; you’re telling a story with every bet, every check, every reaction. The best players understand this. They create a narrative that their opponents believe; then they exploit it. That’s what a bluff is: a story so convincing that someone folds a better hand.
As a creative person, the same principle applies. People don’t buy products or services. They buy the story around them.
You’ve worked with some of the biggest brands in poker. What was it like collaborating with GGPoker?
GGPoker is funding the WSOP No Limit docuseries, and they took a real chance on it. You can watch it here with the first episode having dropped on November 4, 2025.
I’d been pitching this project to them since we first met in 2021. After the WSOP deal went through, they finally gave me the green light. To their credit, they gave us a ton of creative freedom to pursue what we thought was best for the show and the story.
This wasn’t a typical client relationship whereby they micromanaged every frame. They understood the vision. They know that poker needs premium storytelling to reach a mainstream audience, and they trusted us to execute it.
Given that this was almost five years in the making, it’s been an exciting partnership so far. They’re betting on the idea that great storytelling is worth the investment. Now, we’ll find out.
Building No Limit: A New Era for Poker Storytelling
Tell us about your newest project, No Limit. What inspired the idea?
I’ve had versions of this idea brewing since 2011 when I was doing short documentaries for PokerStars. I doubt anyone remembers I AM NANONOKO, the short film that resulted.
Even then, I knew there was something bigger there. Then Netflix dropped Drive to Survive, The Last Dance, Full Swing—and those shows turned casual viewers into die-hard fans through pure storytelling.
Full Swing had a personal impact on me in this way. I’ve loathed watching golf my entire life. It’s boring, slow. I didn’t get it. But then I watched the show, and two seasons in, I’m sitting there emotional during the Masters watching Rory McIlroy’s long walk back from the hole.
That moment, and me caring that much about a golfer, traces directly back to his story in Full Swing. I thought to myself, “If this show can convert a vocal golf hater into a fan, we absolutely need this for poker.”
I first pitched a version of the concept to GGPoker in 2021. Then, a few months before the 2024 WSOP Paradise, they finally green-lit it around their new Super Main Event.
From that, No Limit was born.
Why did you decide a WSOP docuseries was the right way to kick off this new storytelling movement?
The docuseries format lets you do what a 90-minute film can’t; we could go deep on multiple storylines.
With a feature-length documentary, creatives are forced to pick one or two narratives and hope they’re compelling enough to carry the whole thing. With eight episodes, we followed multiple players and explored multiple story arcs, building tension across the series. Viewers get invested in people. They come back to see what happens next.
The Last Dance and Drive to Survive proved this format works for sports.
If you’re going to make a statement regarding the poker industry, you start with the WSOP. It’s the most prestigious brand in poker. It’s been crowning world champions since 1970. It’s the one poker event non-poker fans might actually recognize.
The Super Main Event at Paradise gave us the perfect opportunity—all the stakes and star power of a summer WSOP, but in a condensed 2.5-weeklong timeline that’s easier to capture cinematically.
What are your main goals with No Limit — both creatively and culturally — for poker as a whole?
Creatively, I want to flip the format on its head. Current poker broadcasts are 98% poker, 2% story. No Limit is 92% story, 8% poker. That’s scary. It’s also necessary.
This isn’t meant to replace live streams; it’s supplemental. Find your favorite characters here, then watch them at the tables. Eventually, we’ll find the perfect balance, but right now the industry needs to see what’s possible when story leads.
Culturally, the goal is simple: create something you can share with your spouse, your friends, frankly anyone who’s not a poker fan—and turn them into die-hards because they connected with Kristen Foxen’s redemption story, or Jesse Lonis’s overcoming poverty.
If this works, it proves to every major company investing in great content that poker is a viable vehicle for large-scale investment. It’s ambitious as hell. But, that’s the point.
Tell me about the team that helped bring No Limit to life. What makes this crew special?
This team is special because when I told them how hard this was going to be, they said, “Hell yes. Let’s do the hard thing.” If you told people in Hollywood how few of us pulled this off—and in the timeframe we did it in—no one would believe you. But we moved mountains.
Grace Park, Marquis Marisigan, Alexis Marisigan, Nick Andrew, and Malia Masei all worked their asses off. Late nights, weekends, all of it. I’m as nitpicky as they come, especially on this project, but they’re driven by the same thing that I am—creating something meaningful that sets a new standard for storytelling in this industry.
Grace and Marquis have been with me for almost eight years. That is incredibly rare. It took all that time of us working together to be ready for a project like this.
I also need to give a special thanks to John Caldwell, our Executive Producer and my longtime mentor, and longtime industry veteran. He helped us navigate story arcs in the early stages of development and was part of the initial team over Christmas, sifting through more than six hundred and fifty hours of footage, which is not a glamorous job.
I couldn’t have done it without them all.
What was it like when No Limit finally got green-lit?
We had about 6 weeks to plan. That’s not nearly enough time for anyone thinking about doing this. We had to assemble a crew, figure out logistics, and get eighteen people to the Bahamas with around thirty cases of gear.
I wrote a story arc document that sounds similar to what Christopher Nolan’s team has described. We had multiple storylines that we wanted and believed would exist, and we also included what were termed, contingency branches.
For example, we asked and planned for things like, “What if this player busts early? What if this rivalry doesn’t materialize?” We needed to be ready to pivot so we didn’t miss the moments that make shows like this work.
We had writers’ meetings every few days during which we would go over potential storylines, interview questions, and cast members. We pre-interviewed everyone, including people who didn’t end up making the final cast.
Of course, we didn’t know the outcome of the tournament, so we needed luck. It was chaos. It was fun. It was exciting. And it was absolutely not for the faint of heart!
What was it like watching your tweeted call-to-action turn into a fully realized production?
It’s one thing to tweet about what’s broken. It’s another thing to publicly say, “I’ll fix it” and then actually have to deliver. When you make a declaration like that, you’re putting a target on your back. Everyone’s watching to see if you can back it up.
And if you fail? You look like just another person talking shit on the internet. But that’s also what made it necessary. I’ve spent my entire career believing that if you see a problem and you have the skills to solve it, you have a responsibility to try. Don’t complain. Don’t wait for someone else. Try.
So, when the opportunity finally came, there was no choice but to go all-in. We had to deliver something worthy of that tweet, something that proved poker storytelling could be world-class.
Watching it come together—seeing hundreds of hours of footage turn into something that I’m genuinely proud of—is validating. But, it’s also just the beginning.
One docuseries doesn’t change the industry. However, it proves what’s possible. And that’s the first step.
What was it like to “ruffle some feathers” with your original call-to-action tweet?
I knew it would spark conversation. That was kind of the point.
When you say something bold publicly, not everyone will agree with you. I respect that some of my friends and colleagues have a different perspective. However, the overwhelming response was positive. I know that many people have been feeling this way for years.
I wasn’t trying to tear anyone down. I was trying to push the industry forward. Sometimes that means being willing to say the uncomfortable thing. There are incredibly talented people doing production in this industry. But individual talent doesn’t change the fact that we’ve deprioritized storytelling as an industry.
Actions speak louder than tweets. No Limit is a great proof of concept. Will it live up to its promise? That’s for everyone to decide when they watch it.
What was it like working closely with Alan Keating, and what can you tell us about your project together?
Working with Alan has been incredible. He’s such a compelling character, with so many layers to him and his interests, that it makes telling his story so much fun.
What I love most is how hands-on he is. He sits in the editing bay with us, and as his creative instincts evolve, he wants to continually push the boundaries of what’s possible creatively.
We’re treating each video like a mini movie now. For example, for the latest Hustler million-dollar game, he wanted us to try out cinema cameras and lenses to give it a film-quality look. It’s rare to work with someone who refuses to compromise on quality and wants to take the time to make things great. Alan and I are incredibly creatively aligned that way.
As for why you haven’t seen new episodes? The man is the real-life James Bond; he’s always on the move. But, he’s been in the studio lately, and we’ve got a large batch of episodes almost ready. Amazing content is coming soon!
You’ve spotlighted some of the most well-known players in the game. What was it like working with them on camera and what surprised you the most behind the scenes?
Just like any documentary subject, some players are open books, some need time to warm up, and some aren’t ready to share everything.
The advantage we had was built-in trust. Many of these players I’ve worked with for years, like Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu. But some of the people we worked with only connected with us a month before filming, so there was a feeling-out period.
We went deeper with Phil and Daniel than anyone has before. We got a real sense of where both of their edges come from as well as what makes them so driven.
Also, Kristen Foxen was incredibly generous. She opened up about her Main Event run in ways she hadn’t publicly discussed before. Her story this summer is so relatable, even for non-poker fans. I think it’s similar to what we see in a typical sports documentary. We’ve all watched our favorite athletes reach close to the mountaintop only to face a setback at some point.
As for what surprised me? Simply put, how generous they were with their time. Poker players are notoriously antsy about doing anything other than playing at big events. But they all sat for long-form interviews multiple times. That showed me they liked the idea of their whole story being told, which was fortunate for us.
Jesse Lonis played every single moment he was awake. Our producers were in constant contact with his wife because he never answered his phone; he was locked in and always playing.
One cast member was hesitant to let us film hand discussions because they didn’t want their strategy getting out, which was cool and telling of what it takes at the highest levels. It was fun.
How can fans enjoy the behind-the-scenes stories and insights into how No Limit all came together?
WSOP’s main social accounts will be rolling out behind-the-scenes content as the episodes release. I’ll also be sharing my own stories and production insights on my X account @dustini.
As you can imagine, there’s a lot that went into making this—the late nights, the creative decisions that had to change, the moments that almost didn’t make it—and I’m excited to pull back the curtain on that process.
The Heart of the Game
I share your belief that poker is about people first, the game second. What makes this social game so special to you?
What makes it special is the character it reveals in each of us. How people handle pressure, wins, and losses shows who they really are.
You’re making decisions with incomplete information, using psychology and strategy. It also has true global appeal in that it transcends cultures, geography, and language barriers.
You’re sitting across from people for hours. Chatting, reading them, getting into their heads, and more. It’s intimate in a way most games aren’t. It’s special in that way.
Is there anything in the works to highlight cash game grinders or everyday heroes of the felt?
As far as the WSOP project, I can’t speak for them. But I could absolutely see the evolution of this docuseries highlighting some everyday grinders. Story leads everything, so if there are great stories with compelling characters, I see no reason why future seasons couldn’t include those stories.
As far as other projects in the works? I’ve heard some compelling pitches that could make sense. They just need the right pieces to fall into place. I can’t say much more than that yet, but there’s interest in telling more diverse poker stories beyond just the tournament circuit.
What have you already accomplished that makes you feel proudest — and how will you know when you’ve truly “returned poker to the spotlight”? Is that a milestone you hope to reach, or a never-ending mission?
Securing funding for this docuseries, after years of pitching it, is at the top of my proudest moments’ list. Another recent win includes helping elevate Alan Keating’s story in a way that feels premium for YouTube. It proved that poker content can appeal to a broader audience when you invest in quality. And, honestly, it also proved that poker content can have staying power.
I’ve been part of multiple shifts in poker content culture, from doing PokerStars Team Online documentaries when marketing online professionals wasn’t widely done, working on the Full Tilt relaunch post-Black Friday, and launching Jason Somerville on Twitch, which sparked the poker streaming boom.
Each of these accomplishments felt like an important moment at the time. Looking back, I’m proud to have been part of that evolution.
As for knowing when we’ve “returned poker to the spotlight?” We’ll know when there are TV and streaming deals on major platforms that perform well, exponential growth in live event attendance, and non-endemic sponsorships from major brands. Those are the indicators that “we’re so back.”
But honestly? It’s a never-ending mission. The moment we stop pushing is the same moment that the industry reverts back to playing it safe. I’m not interested in safe.
The Future of Poker Media
What advice would you give to current and aspiring content creators, especially those who want to deliver character-driven narratives but don’t know where to start?
For aspiring creators, start with what only you can tell. Everyone has the ability to sit down and play poker. What they don’t have is your perspective or relationships.
In this era of social media, there are no celebrities anymore. Content is the only currency that matters. A great story about an unknown player beats a boring story about a legend every time. Don’t wait for permission or the perfect budget. Constraint forces innovation. Turn your limitations into your advantage.
When we’d get small budgets, I’d tell my team that this is making us stronger. It forces us to do more with less. So, when we finally get more resources, we’ll be able to do things that people who only know big budgets could never pull off. You’d be surprised at how freeing that feels.
Character-driven storytelling is simple: Find what your subject wants and what’s stopping them from getting it. Our hero wants things like a bracelet, redemption, respect, or rent money. Something stands in their way. That’s your story. Everything else is fluff.
The uniqueness comes from your perspective on how they get there or don’t. Nobody else has that angle. Nobody is better at being you than you are. So don’t try to sound like anyone else.
For established creators, don’t let success make you comfortable. The format that worked last year is probably holding you back now. Study outside of your medium.
The best poker content ideas won’t come from watching more poker. They’ll come from an indie film that outperformed its budget through pure storytelling, or studying how filmmaker David Fincher builds tension. Look everywhere except where everyone else is looking.
Who do you think are the best in the game right now at creating powerful, character-driven poker narratives and why?
What first comes to mind might seem unexpected, but I love what the Table One podcast is doing. Most people wouldn’t think of a podcast interview that way, but they go deep on topics you don’t see covered elsewhere, and that reveals character.
Corey Eyering and Frankie “Frankie C” Cucchiara are doing character-driven work and doing it well. I also love that PokerStars’ Big Game on Tour is trying to weave more storytelling into their format; that’s exciting to see.
But the reality is that premium character-driven narratives where story leads and poker is secondary is still incredibly rare in this industry. It’s not the default. Most content defaults to highlights, strategy, or hand analysis. All of that is valuable, but it is fundamentally different from what we’re trying to do.
That’s why No Limit matters. We’re not competing with what exists. We’re trying to establish a new standard for what character-driven poker storytelling can be at the highest level.
Hopefully, if we do this right, it raises the bar and inspires more investment in these kinds of stories. Because poker has thousands of compelling characters waiting for someone to bring them to life the way they deserve.
Finally, what do you think poker content will look like in five years, and what role do you hope to play in shaping it?
In five years, I want to see more poker content that works for everyone, not just the poker nerds. We should all want this because it’s the only thing that assures the continued growth of the game. Multiple formats across streaming platforms, including docuseries, reality competitions, historical deep-dives, and more.
I want to see content that treats poker like the sport it is, with the production value and storytelling it deserves. The kind of stuff where Netflix and HBO are bidding against each other, rather than poker sites funding it internally.
Most importantly, there needs to be a new way to watch live poker that doesn’t bore casual viewers to death. Right now, if you sit someone down who’s not into poker, they’re lost in five minutes.
In other sports, you can watch a big game with zero context and still enjoy it. That’s impossible in poker right now. That needs to change.
As for my role? I want to be at the forefront of this. I’d be lying if I said otherwise. Poker has a tremendous cast of characters and stories that can work for all audiences. I think we can help kick off a content boom that brings poker to those success indicators we talked about earlier—streaming deals, exponential growth, mainstream sponsorships, and more.
If you’re not ambitious enough to want that in the thing you love, then what’s worth fighting for? I’ve been in this fight in some ways for nearly 20 years. I’m not stopping now. The best poker content hasn’t been made yet. But I for damn sure want to be a part of making it when it is.
Conclusion
Dustin Iannotti isn’t chasing nostalgia; he’s redefining what poker storytelling can be in the modern era. With No Limit, he’s betting that audiences are ready to care again—not just about cards and results, but also about the people who play the game.
His vision is clear: if poker’s next boom comes, it will be born from a story powerful enough to make the world fall in love with the game all over again.
