Fact or fiction? It happens to wonder while following the episodes of the television series Tilt, which focuses on the world of poker and in particular the frenetic and exciting world of the World Championship of Poker, which is played in America
Produced in the USA in 2005, the series stopped at the first season, but could have continued much longer, considering the emotional charge that characterizes and animates the story. Set during an imaginary World Poker Championship obviously hosted in Las Vegas, the city of gambling and gambling, the Tilt series follows the protagonists in various adventures that start from the green table but also develop away from it, between intrigue and background. At the center of the plot is the study of the characters and the dynamics that bind them, but the series also becomes a way to discover details on how to play poker. Tricks, passwords, jargon and recurring formulas of Texas Holdem are the protagonists of the bets on par with the characters who use them and end up helping newbies to understand the often complicated universe of this discipline.
When emotion paralyzes
Tilt is the second original television series created by the American production company ESPN, which deals with poker and its “heroes”. It was signed by Brian Koppelman and David Levien, also co-authors of the film Rounders, which also had poker as its setting and inspiration. In particular, this series reflects on the phenomenon of “tilt” (hence the title), a term that is used in the world of poker to indicate a state of mental and emotional confusion caused by a very serious or less heavy but decidedly unexpected loss. and shocking. When experiencing a tilt, players cannot stay around the table, as they risk worsening the situation by further increasing their losses. The word is borrowed, of course, from pinball machines that were in vogue from the 1950s onwards, which turned on the Tilt signal and froze when shaken or lifted by players in an attempt to give the ball a different direction than it had taken. .
The TV series Tilt, nine episodes to be enjoyed in one breath
The television series Tilt consists of nine episodes with a duration that varies between forty minutes and an hour and almost all takes place inside the Colorado Casino in Las Vegas. The protagonists are a group of young poker professionals, who agree to defeat a legendary player, named Don “The Matador” Everest and played by Michael Madsen. What makes the story interesting is that each of the protagonists has his own reasons for “attacking” Everest: someone just wants the money, others take his power and replace him, but there are even those who dream of revenge for a wrong suffered by a person dear to him.
Bluff, secrets and infiltrations
Bet after episode, the spectators begin to discover how the world of poker works in a great tournament: there are helpers who secretly report the cards to Everest (who calls them horses), there are alliances to be woven, conveniences to be respected. And then there is the passion for bluffing, which sees Everest as a true master and which makes every challenge exciting and surprising. In the series there is no shortage of infiltrators, the long shadow of the Mafia, the interests of the casinos … In short, a varied plot with different twists, which keeps the spectators in suspense until the last. Also because the ending is tragic and hides secrets, which obviously cannot be revealed here.
Tilt, too bad to stop at only one series
Considering all these elements, therefore, it seems surprising that there has not been a sequel to this series. But it must be considered that it was 2005, a period in which the stories were still ending, without leaving behind any clues of future developments. If we exclude, of course, the case of Friends, the American series that launched Jennifer Aniston and lasted for ten seasons, but continues to be in the hearts of young people (and former young people) from all over the world. As evidenced by the fact that on May 27 HBO will air a special with the cast reunion which is announced as one of the biggest events of the year. After so much Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer will meet together in the studio where the series was filmed and for the many fans it will be a truly exciting moment.