After seeing success on the film festival circuit, the acclaimed poker documentary Cracking Aces: A Woman’s Place at the Table is finally going mainstream. The film’s Producers, Professors Tracy Halcomb and H. James Gilmore, have just signed a distribution deal with Bitmax, paving the way for the film to be released on major streaming platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play beginning on Thursday, August 21.
Beyond sharing the distribution news, this article will serve to refresh people’s memories regarding how the documentary came to be produced as well as provide quotes from Professor Halcomb, with whom I spoke prior to publication.
From Festival Favorite to Streaming Release
Originally completed in 2018, Cracking Aces spent its first years exclusively on the festival circuit. Screenings at events such as the Sarasota Film Festival, Silicon Beach Film Festival in Los Angeles, Hobnobben in Indiana, and the Silver State Film Festival in Las Vegas drew sold-out crowds and rave reviews. But the broader public has never had access to the film about women in poker until now.
That changes with this new distribution agreement, which will finally make the 67-minute documentary available worldwide, marking the chance for everyone to experience the stories that have already resonated so strongly with festival audiences.
A Spotlight on Women Who Broke the Glass Ceiling
At its core, Cracking Aces tells the story of pioneering women who carved out their place in poker despite an industry dominated by men. Featuring trailblazers like Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher, as well as modern stars and fellow Women in Poker Hall of Famers Maria Ho and Lupe Soto, the film documents both the struggles and triumphs of women who refused to be sidelined.
Through interviews with players, industry leaders, and academics, the film explores everything from the “poker babes” era of televised poker, to online poker anonymity, to the #MeToo movement’s impact on women in the game. Stories range from women using southern accents and flirtation to survive in earlier decades, to younger generations insisting they be judged solely on their poker skills.
When I asked Professor Halcomb why getting a distribution deal for Cracking Aces was important to her and Professor Gilmore and why that took so long, she said that “we didn’t really have time to try to get the attention of distributors when the film came out. We are both full-time college professors and make movies on our breaks from school. We had fun taking it to festivals, but kept thinking that there had to be so many poker players and enthusiasts who really would enjoy this little snapshot of poker history. So Jim and I finally pulled the trigger and signed with Bitmax. When you spend four years making a movie you really do want to get it in front of an audience.”
From Chance Encounter to Award-Winning Film
The project began when Gilmore, a professor of Journalism and Screen Studies, met poker legends Johnson and Fisher by chance in Las Vegas. Their stories of breaking into the game in the late 1970s inspired him and Halcomb to begin a four-year research and filmmaking journey. What started as a short film idea evolved into a feature-length documentary after dozens of women in poker came forward to share their experiences.
“As the film’s producers, we’d certainly like to see Cracking Aces get substantial views on every streaming platform. Frankly speaking, we’d also like to make back our initial investment; breaking even would be great! We had a blast making this documentary and hope to keep making these entertaining documentaries, finances permitting,” said Halcomb.
A Timely Release
Cracking Aces‘ distribution to streaming audiences worldwide comes at a moment when discussions about gender representation and equity remain central to both poker and society at large. By giving voice to those who fought to be respected at the tables, the film offers both historical context and inspiration for the future.
Finally, I asked Professor Halcomb what, ideally, she’d like for the film’s viewers to take away from Cracking Aces, to which she replied “I would love it if people came away with a new appreciation for these women who were pioneers in professional poker. It would be wonderful for casual fans to learn a little more about the poker professional’s thought process, and for the female poker players of today to pay homage to a few of the women who paved the way for their opportunities.”
Cracking Aces: A Woman’s Place at the Table will be available for digital purchase and rental beginning on Thursday (August 21, 2025) on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, and other major streaming platforms.
