Stu Ungar Movie High Roller Airs on Thursday

Stuey Ungar fans will want to set their DVRs to record A.W. Vidmer's High Roller, a film based on the true story of the young poker legend Stuey Ungar. The nearly two-hour movie airs on ENC (Encore Cable Network) on Thursday at 11:40 a.m. PDT.

High Roller opens with the narrative, "Some people have a gift for science. Some people a gift for art. Stu Ungar had a gift for cards."

Inspired by true events, the Stu Ungar story is about a young card prodigy, who at 14 began his gambling career playing high-stakes gin rummy in the underground clubs of New York. After accumulating enormous debt, Ungar fled to Las Vegas at the age of 20. Fortunately, he won a gin rummy tournament, allowing him to pay off the angry mobsters.

While in Las Vegas, Ungar mingled with legendary high rollers and competed against them on their own turf, the green felt of the poker tables. A quick study, Ungar entered and won his very first World Series of Poker tournament, following it up with another WSOP championship victory the very next year. Branded "The Kid," he was the youngest WSOP bracelet winner of his time.

Lacking moderation and money management skills, Unger was soon destitute. But with the help of a friend, he turned the tide, and with considerable financial backing he entered and won another WSOP Championship in 1997.

It didn't take long for his penchant for excess and the Las Vegas lifestyle to secure a stranglehold on the compulsive and addicted Ungar. Soon after achieving celebrity poker status, he sacrificed another fortune - and eventually his life - to his own demons.

The movie's key cast includes Michael Imperioli as Ungar, also known for his continuing role as Christopher Moltisanti in the hit HBO series The Sopranos. Steven Schirripa plays Ungar's best friend, Big Anthony. Schirripa also appears regularly in The Sopranos. Angela, Ungar's widow, is portrayed by Renee Faia, while Mr. Leo is the late Pat Morita, a veteran actor best known for his role as Mr. Miyagi of the Karate Kid film series.

"I painted a very, very sympathetic portrait of a man in comparison to what I heard from many people," stated High Roller director A.W. Vidmer in a 2003 press release. "Stu had random problems… He had some real dark moments, and I just didn't want to go there. That's not the kind of filmmaker I am."

Photos courtesy of the High Roller 2003 press packet presented at the Palms Las Vegas movie premier.

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