AllMovie

Most people enjoy gambling on some small scale, such as a game of cards with friends, buying a lottery ticket, or picking the winner in an upcoming football game. But gambling can be a compulsion for other people, and for addicts, winning isn't the point -- the thrill of game is what drives them, and no matter how much they've made or how far in debt they go, it's all but impossible for them to get enough of the charge they get from the action. Filmmaker John Appel knows more than a bit about all this -- his father was an passionate gambler whose love of betting on the horses made life problematic for his wife and children. Appel looks into his father's fascination with gambling in the documentary The Player, as well as giving a handful of other compulsive gamers a chance to tell their stories, ranging from a poker player who has moved into a shabby motel a stone's throw from his favorite casino to a bookie who talks at length about his regular customers. The Player was an official selection at the 2010 Hot Docs Documentary Film Festival.