World Series of Poker

Year: 2026
Role: Camera operator
Studio or network: ESPN
Type: Live and unscripted
Links: IMDb

The 2026 World Series of Poker ran May 26 to July 15 at Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas. Its Main Event began on July 2 and drew 9,208 entrants, and Lucas Jumalon of the United States won it for $10 million. ESPN returned under a multi-year deal and produced the coverage, streaming Days 1 to 8 live on ESPN+ before the final table aired on ESPN2 and ESPN in August.

Michael-Ryan Fletchall worked the 2026 Main Event as a camera operator. He is a camera operator, Technocrane operator and chief drone pilot with three decades on films, series and live broadcasts.

Poker is a quiet game to film. Most of the drama sits in small things: a glance across the felt, a stack of chips pushed forward, a player who stops talking. Operators hold tight, patient frames for long stretches and have to be ready the instant a hand starts to matter. Because play runs for hours at a time, consistency counts as much as reflexes. Clean, matched shots let the director cut between tables and faces without the viewer losing the thread, and they give the commentators something to read. When the cards are finally turned over, the picture people remember is usually a face, and somebody has to be holding it already.