I first saw this several months ago on YouTube, but lost interest within 40 seconds of the first episode. I recently saw it posted again on 2+2, read some funny comments, and decided to give it another try.
Game Theory is an amateur production on a shoestring budget. It follows Omar Bawzy, a former online grinder down on his luck. Apparently Omar never saved any of his money, acquired any job skills, or planned any sort of contingency for an event like Black Friday. With his entire net worth frozen online, he must find some other way to make ends meet.
The pilot episode begins with Omar getting interviewed for a job. Omar openly admits that he made a living at online poker and complains about US online gambling legislation. The interviewer doesn't seem too put off by this, perhaps because Omar's dad arranged for him to get this job. So Omar puts on a shirt and tie provided by the company and proceeds to do a day's work of manual labor.
After working one shift, Omar decides that he doesn't like working for the man. He begs his buddy for one buyin to an underground game to get back on his feet, Mike McDermot style. And so begins his quest to grind his way back up in live underground poker games.
Going into this, I fully expected to find a goldmine of fodder for some kind of humorous remix or overdub. Maybe give it the YouTube Poop treatment. And I was correct. Much of the dialogue is awfully written, awkwardly delivered, and some of the plot makes no sense. Why is Omar shoveling shit in business casual attire? Does he really believe that it's -EV to play in games with too many fish? I guess they don't respect his raises. He also rationalizes (via internal dialogue) cold calling a 3-bet out of position with 42s. That's awful, right? That seems awful.
As for dialogue, here are some choice lines:
"If I call I could face a big fatty for my entire roll in the riv."
"Is he advanced enough to range merge a jack rag, a snowman or a seven in this spot? Triple barrel bluff jam?"
"I was so nervous. It was like I could hear my heartbeat pounding. I need to get a hoodie or some shades or something!"
There's a climactic scene where Omar gets whipped (literally) by his father that is meant to be very dramatic, but I couldn't help laughing the entire time. This is a grown man getting spanked. With a lamp cable. Afterwards, Omar looks like half his face got sanded off.
In many ways, Game Theory is truly awful and hard to watch. But it has some redeeming qualities. For having an amateur crew and low budget, its production value is impressively high. Visually, it looks very good. The colors are very desaturated and dark, but that's fitting for the theme of the show. It kind of reminds me of 8 Mile. Or maybe that's just because of the way Omar dresses.
Though the dialogue and plot leave much to be desired, the concept is not a bad one. It could be very interesting to watch a young kid struggle to build a bankroll in a bunch of shady underground poker games, portrayed in a realistic and unflinching manner. This is not a show that sugarcoats or glamorizes the lifestyle. In the hands of a skilled writer, Game Theory could be to poker what The Wire was to cop drama. Well, that's a bit of a stretch, but you know what I mean.
By the end of episode 2, for some reason I found myself giving a shit what else was in store for poor Omar. Assuming his straight flush draw gets there, will he be ready to move up where they respect his raises? With a bankroll of $1500, he's more than rolled for the 2/5 game. In 3 days he could have enough scratch to join his gypsy friend in Canada. I'm being facetious, but I am actually interested in seeing more. Sometimes certain shows can be unintentionally hilarious, but still keep your interest with its dramatic elements. Anyone who has seen The 'Bu by the Lonely Island knows what I'm talking about.
Or better yet, maybe they'll improve as they continue working on this. They're clearly putting in a ton of effort.
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Originally Posted by ShadyJ
