Jobs were few and far between, recalled Gallagher, who didn't hesitate to play a game of poker in an underground club at the invitation of a friend.

"I went into it with the intention of playing cards and seeing what I could do," said the Bloor West and Dufferin streets area resident. "Within the first month, I had enough money to pay the mortgage. I started wondering if I could actually succeed at it."

His wife, for her part, wasn't so crazy about the lifestyle. It wasn't about the cards, said Gallagher. It was the routine of being a poker player.

"You had to get used to the nocturnal life, of being a vampire. You'd be playing from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m. and sleeping during the day. That didn't suit her," he said. "It was very different from working a typical nine to five day."

Naturally, Gallagher said he began to wonder about the guys who called themselves 'grinders.' The veteran documentary filmmaker followed three in a cast of colourful characters for his latest work, the aptly titled 'Grinders,' which makes its debut at the Hot Docs Film Festival Friday, April 29 at the Isabel Bader Theatre, at 9:45 p.m.

The film is Gallagher's first-person narrative joined by the stories of three other grinders, including 25-year-old Andre, who has been playing poker since he was 16.

"That's all he knows," said Gallagher. "He just knows poker and he makes a really good living."

Then, there's a suburban Toronto father who has a wife and three children to support. He has paid all his bills over the past decade at the poker table. Gallagher also tells the story of an older gentleman who runs a club in a Scarborough highrise.

"He got into a big landlord-tenant war and the landlord locked him out of his poker room," said Gallagher. "It's very A-typical. Not everyone can do this. You have to survive the work hours and you have to be good at cards. If you go in and play poker badly you'll lose a lot of money."

Gallagher says he's always been a poker player. Within the past 10 years, the game has really "exploded," he said.

"Poker is on TV, it's in underground clubs. It's seen a revitalization. Even with the crash of the economy, everyone is playing," he said.

Gallagher, a Windsor, Ontario native, said he has always wanted to pursue a career in film. He studied film at the University of Windsor and got his start at a children's TV show before moving on to documentaries.

"You're telling real stories," said Gallagher. "It's a luxury to be able to follow people, to see how they overcome obstacles. It's the human condition."

When Gallagher first started going to these underground poker clubs, the players thought he was a cop. Months later when they realized what he was up to, that he was a filmmaker, some were even more wary. There's a secret underground world that people don't want exposed.

"I had a commitment with people, a gentleman's agreement: I wouldn't film the exterior of the clubs so no one would know where they are," said Gallagher.

Gallagher's career spans 15 years. His resume includes such documentaries as 'Vimy Ridge: From Heaven to Hell' (2007) for History Television, and 'Vimy: Carved in Stone,' which was nominated for a 2006 Gemini award for best history documentary.

Additional screenings of 'Grinders' take place Saturday, May 7 at 9:30 p.m. at the TIFF Lightbox 1 and Sunday, May 8 at 6:30 p.m. at The Fox.

 Source:  Inside Toronto

Original article: http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/local/article/979437--underground-poker-life-comes-to-the-screen-in-hot-docs