Brian Koppelman

Brian Koppelman, as well as his side line in poker, is best known for his work in film – be it as a writer, director producer or actor, he’s done it all. His first work was Rounders, a film he co-wrote with David Levein, and is one that many poker players will be able to relate to. Starring big names including Matt Damon, John Malkovich and Ed Norton, the film opened number one at box office.

A lot of research had to go into the film. As well as Koppelman’s previous experience in cards, he and Levein would visit underground poker halls for research and they would often be cleaned out.

One notorious scene in Rounders is the clip of Johnny Chan’s victory over Erik Seidel at the 1988 World Series of Poker Main Event. Since this film, despite a lot of teasing, Seidel, who is sponsored by Team Full Tilt, has become good friends with Koppelman. This link is one of the reasons why Koppelman now also plays under the Team Full Tilt banner and at their online tables.

For one day, Koppelman was allowed to play as player in red – the method Full Tilt use to highlight their professional players – and he soon felt the pressure and used the benefits that this allowed him. Whenever he played a hand poorly the railbirds would soon let him know, often quoting lines from his movies to put him down.

On the flip side, his opponents gave him the respect the red deserved and would often leave his bluff raises unchallenged. His career in film has come on in leaps and bounds and he now has credits on blockbusters such as Runaway Jury and Ocean’s Thirteen. In 2004 Koppelman and Levien were nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Awards for their work on Runaway Jury.

Law and gambling are two subjects that Koppelman has great experience of. Whilst growing up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he attended night classes at Fordham University to attain a degree in law. During this time he also worked for his dad’s record company as an A&R man and it is him who is responsible for discovering Tracy Chapman, the singer of hits such as ‘Fast Car’, ‘Baby Can I Hold You’ and ‘Give Me One Reason’.

Despite his dad’s huge success, Koppelman doesn’t feel pressured in having to compete or match up to his father. The one aspect of his life that he does try to match his father is in the parenting stakes which, again, comes with high standards to meet.

Koppelman was born in May 1966 and grew up in the state of New York where he remains today, living with his wife.