Poker Movies

Poker and the Silver Screen

Like songs that are specifically about poker and songs that mention poker, there are a lot of movies in which poker plays a part. Some of these commercial films are about poker and maybe some side plot. In other movies, the game of poker plays a much smaller part. In recent years, many people have come to the game of poker after learning about the game through television. Texas Hold ‘Em has taken over the poker world. A movie that has helped this new generation of card players is Rounders.

Matt Damon and Edward Norton

Well-known actors Matt Damon and Edward Norton lead the action, with Damon trying to make a big score in an underground game. Norton, who plays Worm in the movie, gets involved in the plot. Poker action in Rounders is interesting and the portrayal is accurate, for the most part. The script even includes a reference to the now-famous saying, “If you look around the table and don’t see the sucker, you are it.”

The Cuban Connection: No Cigar, But Poker

A movie that includes poker as more minor element is Havana. Robert Redford took the lead part in this 1990 movie directed by Sydney Pollack. The cast included Lena Olin and Raul Julia. Redford’s character, Jack Weil, travels to Havana, Cuba to play some serious poker. He does this occasionally throughout the movie. But the strength of the plot is the revolution, and the parts played by Olin and Julia.

In fact, the plot is held together by the setting. Action comes to a head on January 1, 1959, when the revolution explodes into the streets, bringing Fidel Castro to power. Weil gets involved in helping the revolutionaries, primarily because he is interested in a relationship with Olin’s character. A few poker hands are woven throughout the film, with high stakes helping to hold audience interest. This movie should be seen by poker players and anyone else interested in the excitement of the gambling life.

Cincinnatti it is

Going back a few more years, we find that The Cincinnati Kid is one of the foundation movies for the popularity of poker today. Steve McQueen and Edward G. Robinson have the lead parts in this 1965 film. McQueen’s young character wants to take down Robinson, who represents “the man” in the way that Jackie Gleason’s character was a target for Paul Newman in The Hustler. Five-card stud is the game of choice in this classic poker movie. Watch the final scene closely and see if you can believe how the hands turn out.