When the multi-million dollar cheating scandals were uncovered at Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet, the poker world was stunned. As more information came to light, the stranger-than-fiction story came to resemble something straight out of a Hollywood thriller. With secretly recorded meetings, hush money, fugitives on tropical islands, and tens of millions stolen from poker players, authors and screenwriters were itching to tell the tale. Here are a few of the books and movies that have been inspired by the incredible story.

Ultimate Beat

Scott Bell, better known online as “ElevenGrover”, emerged as one of the most outspoken voices against UB and established himself as a go-to source of inside information in the wake of the scandal. In August of last year, he announced “Ultimate Beat”, a documentary that draws from countless hours of meticulous research and aims to present the complex story in a clear, concise format for a mainstream audience.

To fund the project, Bell relied on private investors and later launched a successful Kickstarter campaign to make up the rest. Even so, “Ultimate Beat’s” budget pales in comparison to most documentaries. “Typical docs end up being somewhere in the neighborhood between $200,000 and $1 million. Our project is going to top out at just over $40,000,” Bell divulged in a video update. The shoestring budget also required him to do much of the work himself. “You’re wearing the hats of a cinematographer, director of photography, and interviewer,” he added.

Due to the evolving nature of the story, the documentary was delayed from its original release date in order to rewrite the script and incorporate new material. If it goes as planned, Bell hopes to release the film at the end of this month. Read more about Ultimate Beat.

Straight Flush

Ben Mezrich, author of the best-selling books “Bringing Down the House” and “The Accidental Billionaires”, became interested in Absolute Poker after receiving an e-mail pitch from founder Garin Gustafson. For Mezrich, who often writes about college kids made fabulously wealthy by bucking the system, the tale of the Montana frat boys was irresistible.

His book, titled “Straight Flush”, was based on interviews with the six company founders – including Scott Tom, whom he visited in Antigua on several occasions – and portrayed the group more like persecuted heroes than criminals. The poker community was outraged and quickly pointed out discrepancies, glaring omissions, and facts that Mezrich chose to distort.

The book has not been received well by critics either, with many suggesting that Mezrich plays a little too fast and loose with the facts. But due to the author’s popularity, “Straight Flush” will no doubt be a financial success. In a Twitter post, he boasted that the demand was so great that the publisher had sent for a second printing in record time.

Runner, Runner

When a major Hollywood movie star is cheated out of loads of cash playing online poker, it’s not a surprise the story would find its way into a movie script. “Runner, Runner”, starring poker aficionado Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake, was written by the screenwriters of the poker film “Rounders” and is loosely based on the cheating scandal at UB.

The thriller follows an Ivy League graduate student (Timberlake), who attempts to pay his college tuition by playing high-stakes online poker. But, after unexpectedly going bust, he becomes suspicious that he has been cheated by site’s shadowy owner, Ivan Block (Affleck), and decides to fly to Costa Rica to confront him. Once he arrives, the allure of the lavish lifestyle is overpowering and he is seduced into working for Block’s illegal and dangerous enterprise. The blockbuster is scheduled for release on October 4 in U.S. theaters. Its trailer says the movie is “inspired by true events.”

Do you think all the attention the AP/UB saga has received in the media has hurt popular opinion of online poker? Let us know in the comments!