After the success of Game of Gold, many poker fans have been waiting for the next televised series that lifts the lid on the motivations of poker players at their peak. While Game of Gold Season 2 isn’t here yet, fans will be delighted to tune into the latest documentary series on the mindsport, entitled No Limit and featuring several players who sell action exclusively on PokerStake.

In this series of articles, we’ll look at the stars featured in each episode and what you can expect by tuning in. Just like with Game of Gold and poker itself, there are surprises with every turn of the card.  

Episode 1 – Money vs. Legacy

Kid Poker is Center Stage

“He’s like the Michael Jordan of this game” – Jeff Platt on Daniel Negreanu.

Just as in Game of Gold, Daniel Negreanu plays a major part in the action in No Limit. The opening episode is based on the theme of whether money or legacy is most important to four of the richest poker players in the world – Daniel Negreanu, Faraz Jaka, Kristen Foxen and Scott Seiver.

Daniel Negreanu is up first, welcoming cameras into his home as he shows what motivates him in his career. Some of the old footage that is used really paints the picture of the GGPoker Global Ambassador’s pride in being true to himself in his pursuit of a poker legacy. As he has said many times, ‘Kid Poker’ has lost all of his money before winning even more but never lost sight of the legacy he wished to create. What really shines through is how much people really do matter to Negreanu, despite his ‘lone wolf’ mentality at the felt.

“Maybe it comes from insecurity or self-worth, but I still appreciate [feeling] the warmth from the people.” Daniel says about winning in the Thunderdome at the Horseshoe Las Vegas.

Stars of the felt provide soundbites about every player under the microscope, with players such as Phil Hellmuth, Scott Seiver and the PokerGO broadcaster and long-time player Jeff Platt giving their two cents about Negreanu, one of the biggest names in poker.

“He’s trying to crush you, he’s like the Michael Jordan of this game.” Jeff Platt says in one interview segment.

The Negreanu footage also includes Daniel’s wife Amanda, whose insights on the Poker Hall of Famer are just as fascinating as those of the players. Lifting the lid on what makes her husband tick, she describes her pride at finally seeing him win the Poker Players Championship for $1.1m, the event that gave the Canadian his seventh WSOP bracelet.

Opposite Ends of the Spectrum

“I backed myself into an egotistical corner.”

While the opening episode is bookended by looking deeply into the lives of both the most famous male poker player in the world and the most successful female player of the modern day, the middle section is thrilling too. This part of the show centers on two very different characters in the game, Faraz Jaka and Scott Seiver.

While both hugely successful, the polar opposite paths of poker coaching and a single-minded approach are both given full inspection, with this viewer concluding that both men have made a huge success of their careers and lives by being fuelled by what optimally drives them.

“He’s more than a clinical poker coach,” student Michael Dwyer said about his coach Faraz Jaka. “He’s a decent human being. He cares about the community.”

That can still be said for Scott Seiver, but his inspirational run to WSOP Player of the Year came down to single-mindedness. It also came on the back of a $25k Fantasy Draft where he went for a measly price due to many players believing him to be more interested in cash games than WSOP events.

“I’d drafted him before and [he] was a dud,” said Negreanu about Seiver. “I’d tried and failed with you, Scott – I’m done.”

That quote summed up Seiver’s low price in the draft that year, but his refusal to accept it pushed him on to glory, something that Maria Ho identified as a key component in Seiver’s intellectual make-up.

“That fuelled me,” Seiver admitted of the draft. “I backed myself into an egotistical corner and [had to] go for it.”

The Foxen Effect

One couple who everyone is fascinated about in poker are Alex and Kristen Foxen. The focus of this episode’s conclusion was on Kristen’s battle to become the first female player to win the WSOP Main Event on the back of her run to the final table in 2024 worth $600,000.

While she ultimately fell short, the excitement was palpable in the documentary as fans of Kristen’s such as Global Poker Award winner Abby Merk spoke about how inspirational the most successful female tournament player of all time has been while a Female Hall of Fame member agreed.

“I think Kristen will go down as one of the best players of all time.” Maria Ho said about her fellow female player.

Whether money or legacy appealed to Kristen Foxen was left open to debate, but the episode’s premise was strong and the talking heads were top tier. There was plenty to go ‘all in’ on during the opening episode of No Limit, with the promise of Liv Boeree’s deep run in The Bahamas to come in future episodes, along with Phil Hellmuth and his bid to extend his already record-breaking career at the felt.

Watch the opening episode of No Limit, entitled ‘Money vs. Legacy’ right here: