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Poker Central Releases Beyond the Rail Short Series

If you’ve ever wondered what went on behind the scenes at the World Series of Poker, now you get the chance to find out. On Monday, Poker Central announced a new original series that will give poker fans a backstage look at what happens at the World Series of Poker. Beyond the Rail is a new short-form series on PokerGO that gives fans a look at the people involved in various aspect of the World Series of Poker from playing to broadcasting.

Beyond the Rail Pulls Back the Curtain of the World’s Most Prestigious Tournament Series

Poker Central sent out a press release on Monday announcing the new short-form series Beyond the Rail, an original series that takes a deep look at the World Series of Poker from various angles. It features players, media and production professionals and other individuals that are responsible for helping to put on the most popular poker tournament series in the world.

The first episode of the series will feature WSOP bracelet winner and ESPN commentator Antonio Esfandiari. He has been the third man at the WSOP Main Event final table broadcasts for years now and is perhaps most famous for winning the first-ever Big One for One Drop tournament.

Esfandiari’s episode is already streaming on PokerGO along with episodes featuring Mori Eskandani and All American Dave. The episodes range from eight to ten minutes in length and are produced in conjunction with Primal NY.

According to Poker Central VP of content Sam Simmons, “The 2018 World Series of Poker is behind us, but the entertainment continues as fans get more access to the tournament than ever before. Beyond the Rail shows poker enthusiasts the intricate work of poker producers, the day-to-day humanity of the players themselves, and the sheer heart that everyone involved puts into making WSOP an annual success.”

Show Explores the WSOP from Different Views

One thing that sets this series apart from other documentaries and shows about the WSOP is that you don’t hear about it from just the players. Beyond the Rail looks at the WSOP from multiple aspects including players, media, and support staff.

Below are some of the people featured in the show in addition to Antonio Esfandiari:

Dan Gati – WSOP on ESPN Co-Executive Producer
Chris Moorman – Pro poker player and #1 on the online poker tournament all-time money list
Drea Renee – Massage therapist and Poker Central host
Drew Amato – Renown photographer at the WSOP and poker events worldwide
All American Dave – Fitness trainer and popular food truck operator
Mori Eskandani – Renown poker producer and Poker Hall of Famer

Primal NY President and Executive Producer Robert Conticelli also spoke about the project, stating, “The team at PokerGO has provided incredible access and support for this project, which enabled us to do unprecedented things with Beyond The Rail.

It’s the closest you’ll get to actually living the World Series of Poker. Primal NY’s style of filming was paramount to showcasing the atmosphere of this amazing event, giving viewers a sense of the real people on the ground at the WSOP who make it happen.”

Beyond the Rail is an Average at Best Reality Show

I watched a couple of episodes of this show and while I had some high hopes about the series, I was largely unimpressed. The production value is solid, but the show comes across as an average reality show like you’d see on cable with nothing really spectacular or revealing – at least not that I have seen thus far.

If you’re a complete noob to poker and the WSOP, this may be a nice view. However, for many of us there isn’t going to be anything all that eye-opening regarding this series. Granted, I am only basing my opinion on a couple of episodes, so I am hoping that some of the future episodes will reveal more.

The entire series will be released over the week and you can judge for yourself. Luckily, the episodes are 10 minutes or less each, so even if you watch ever episode and don’t like the series, you haven’t wasted a lot of time.

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