1. Slot Machine Smugglers Gambit Game

There was a lot of speculation as to what Smuggler’s Gambit would be about. As one fan told me, “all I know is it’s a radio show written by Kyle Newman so you know it’s gonna be awesome.” And indeed it was! Kyle Newman began the evening by telling us a little bit about how Smuggler’s Gambit came about. Newman said that what we were about to see was a, “Han Solo (original trilogy era) radio drama for all ages.”

Slot Machine: Smuggler's Gambit - Non-usable Announcement Just a heads up that the 1 credit Slot Machine with the Binary Star realtor is cannot be interacted with, like the ones currently on Nar Shaddaa's Casino, not like the ones during the event. How to Win at Slots – 15 Actionable Slot Machine Tips & Tricks. For online slots nuts and enthusiasts, the flash of slots games are known for coming in a variety of themes, payouts, paylines and betting platforms, each featuring staggering arrays of winning potential ready to reward with the next big jackpot. Set your speakers to hyperspace and buckle up for a rip-roaring, all-new Star Wars adventure – Smuggler’s Gambit — starring everyone’s favorite scoundrels, Han Solo and Chewbacca!

Jimmy Mac from The ForceCastwas also onstage acting almost like a conductor of an orchestra. During the show, it was really cool to watch him work. He played sound cues (like Chewbacca’s voice or a blaster firing) while the show was happening. For this special evening, Newman brought together a talented group of actors who also happen to be on The Clone Wars. As Newman put it, he simply “borrowed Dave Filoni’s cast.” Speaking of the Smuggler’s Gambit cast, here they are!

David Collins as Han Solo

Ashley Eckstein as Ryder Thorne

Sam Witwer as Ro Kurota

Matt Lanter as Luke Skywalker

Dee Bradley Baker as Prince Xixor

Clare Grant as Princess Leia

Matthew Wood as Bib Fortuna

Daniel Logan as Boba Fett

Tom Kane as the narrator, announcer, and Imperial Lieutenant Kane

Tom Kane began the performance of Smuggler’s Gambit with his incredible announcer voice saying, “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….” I got chills hearing it. Now I don’t want to ruin it for you all so I won’t give the entire story away. Instead, I’ll give you some of the highlights! The story centers around Han Solo and Chewie as they try to find a safe place for the Rebels to hide. (Dave Collins did a spot on performance of Han Solo!) There’s a bounty hunter named Sweeper who works for Jabba the Hutt. It’s a battle of wits between Princess Leia and Han. On their journey, Han and Chewie run into a mysterious woman named Ryder Thorne who has a “very special job” for them. They also meet an ambitious guy named Ro Kurota who is a “local smuggler but soon to be the galaxy’s most famous bounty hunter.” Prince Xixor makes a chilling appearance and what happens next is a really fun Star Wars adventure.

Kyle Newman said they recorded it so hopefully it’ll be available for download sometime in the near future. There’s just something really neat about listening to the drama unfold with just the sound of the actor’s voices and sound effects. I was tempted to close my eyes and just listen as Smuggler’s Gambit was being performed. But all the actors were giving such great physical performances (with their face and body language) that I didn’t want to miss it!

After the performance, questions were taken from the audience. One fan asked Kyle Newman what inspired him to write this radio drama. Newman explained how much he loved the Brian Daley Star Wars NPR Radio Dramas. You can find out more about how Brian Daley inspired him in Kyle Newman’s post on the Star Wars Blog.

Matthew Wood piped in and suggested that Kyle write a Ben Quadinaros radio drama to which Newman jokingly entertained the idea. Going back to the question, Newman shared that he’s never written anything like this before. Although, he does have 20-30 Star Wars stories already mapped out.

Then one young female fan, Alessandra Robinson, stepped to the mic and sweetly asked, “can you have more girls in the next radio drama?” To which Ashley Eckstein replied, “I love you.” Cheers erupted amongst the crowd. Newman told the young fan that if they do another radio drama at Celebration VII in Florida, he will give her a line to perform onstage. I couldn’t see the young girl’s reaction but I’m sure she can’t wait until the next Celebration!

At the end of the evening, someone mentioned that Dee Bradley Baker will be turning 50 next week! Kyle Newman immediately got everyone to stand and sing happy birthday to a very touched Baker.

Smuggler’s Gambit was such a treat to see performed live! The great dialogue, the acting, and the sound cues brought the whole story to life in a way that people like myself have never experienced a Star Wars story before. It was particularly special to hear a Star Wars radio drama that was written by a fan for the fans. Not to mention the actors are all fans as well! Which is truly what SWCVI is all about—bringing fans together to celebrate our love for Star Wars.

Table Of Contents

With more than 62 million households watching over the first 28 days, The Queen's Gambit is Netflix's biggest scripted limited series to date.

Searches for 'How to play chess' have hit a nine-year peak, and actress Anya Taylor‑Joy has shot to prominence with her portrayal of chess protégé Beth Harmon.

The show's simplistic yet enthralling approach to the game by director Scott Frank has led many to speculate as to what a poker version of the show could achieve.

PokerNews spoke with Woman Grandmaster, two-time United States Women's Champion and poker player Jennifer Shahade who told us what she made of the show.

Related: Explore All 169 Hold'em Hands With Jennifer Shahade on 'The Grid'

The International Appeal of Chess and Poker

So could a poker version of The Queen's Gambit boost poker's popularity?

'Absolutely!' said Shahade. 'I think a well-written show around poker would be an amazing tool to boost the popularity of poker. I hope the success of The Queen's Gambit inspires writers to try to work on more content around games.'

We need to come up with the poker version of Queens Gambit on Netflix #

In Shahade's eyes, the most important thing for a poker version to get right is to get input from people who know the game inside out, something that she says The Queen's Gambit did extremely well.

'If you were to do a poker version, you would need consulting from great poker players who also understand how to tell a great story.'

'Garry Kasparov, the greatest chessplayer ever, in my opinion, was a consultant on the Queen's Gambit, and even scripted some of the final games of the series.'

'That type of commitment to excellence, and to listen to the people at the top of the game, added authenticity into a show that needed it. I commend Scott Frank, the director, and screenwriter, for that attention to detail.'

Chess, like poker, can be played irrespective of nationality or native language. It is perhaps for this reason that The Queen's Gambit has been ranked #1 on Netflix in 63 countries.

'I think one asset that chess and poker share is our international appeal and the ability for the action and emotions of a game to do a lot of the 'talking'.'

'One asset that chess and poker share is our international appeal.'

'It was quite minimalistic when it came to dialogue. The chess games formed a secondary script, and allows for a second viewing for those who aim to dig deeper into the chess moves.'

Poker on TV

Various film depictions of poker often have the legality of poker at their core. Films like Molly's Game and Rounders show poker players evading the police and law enforcement authorities. If a film portrayed poker as legal and regulate, as opposed to underground and illicit, does Shahade think it would be a 'box-office flop'?

'Not necessarily,' said Shahade. 'Maria Konnikova's, 'The Biggest Bluff' is a best selling poker book that centers on intellectual discovery, struggle, and triumph. I think there are lots of ways to create 'stakes' in a poker story that don't center on legality.'

PokerNews Book Review: The Biggest Bluff by Maria Konnikova

The main difference between poker and chess relates to money, something Shahade says isn't at the core of The Queen's Gambit story arc.

'In chess, as the series shows, money is somewhat important, but only up to a point. Having enough money to go to tournaments, study chess, and buy books is what a young person needs to succeed in chess, along with a supportive school, coach and/or family.'

'In poker, having the luxury of a safety net and/or gifted bankroll can be a much more significant boost since money is literally the currency of the game, not just a way to get to tournaments and train.'

Slot Machine Smugglers Gambit Game

The Learning Process

In the show, Beth Harmon learns chess from a very early age in the basement of an orphanage. A she grows up, she learns more and more about the game. She plays against others, studies scenarios, reads strategy books, and discusses particular situations with other players - often those who are better than her - in order to learn how to play and advance her skills.

It was Mike Sexton who famously coined the phrase 'Texas Hold ’Em: the game that takes five minutes to learn and a lifetime to master,' and poker fans will be familiar with all of the methods Harmon uses in order to further her poker career. Could these similarities in the learning process help poker's on-screen portrayal?

'I think it's faster for a new player to reach a competence in poker that allows them to excel in many mixed fields,' said Shahade. 'But to reach a very high level, I think they both require much of the same commitment: play, computer training, rigorous self-analysis, and study of top player games.'

Poker and Chess

This commitment sees Harmon move from playing in a basement to competing in the US Open and on the international stage. Shahade says that many poker players have similar origin stories, from playing in college dorm rooms to playing for millions of dollars on the European Poker Tour or at the World Series of Poker.

'Of course kids can't play poker at such a young age, so that changes things quite significantly from Beth's path!'

Poker is no stranger to chess, with many poker players having played chess en route to their first tournament win such as Konstantin Maslak, Ivo Donev, Ylon Schwartz, Dominik Panka and Alex Livingston to name but a few. But would these famous faces need to be visible in any poker version of The Queen's Gambit?

'Queen's Gambit left out famous player names for the most part but there were many composite characters. I think some cameos by poker's greatest faces would be amazing.'

_{Image courtesy of Netflix}

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