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Poker at the Movies
There have only been a handful of movies made that revolve around poker. Most motion pictures tend to show a brief scene or two and weave it into the storyline. Of the few that have anything to do with poker at all, even fewer are worth the airtime. Here is a collection of noteworthy movies released through the ages that are more specific about poker as the main theme.
Rounders is often touted as one of the best and most inspirational poker movies in existence. No Limit Texas Hold’Em gained a new fan base when this movie brought it into millions of homes around the country and, indeed, around the world. Released in 1998, this movie stars Matt Damon in the lead role, playing a reformed gambler who is forced to play another game of high stakes poker in order to help his friend pay off the loan sharks that are after him. Johnny Chan has a cameo role.
Maverick is a feel-good, fun movie in true Mel Gibson style. It follows the Old West gambling scene – booze, cowboys and cards – and leads up to a major poker tournament where the winner takes all. Jodie Foster and James Garner, the original Maverick, play supporting roles.
The Cincinatti Kid is a classic poker movie. Steve McQueen plays a young card-player in New Orleans, who tries to climb his way up the ladder to win the title of the best poker player of all time. When he finally meets the title holder, he gets his chance to realize his dream and play for the title.
A Big Hand for a Little Lady is a common favorite among poker enthusiasts. Henry Ford plays a man who stakes his entire family fortune to buy into the biggest high-stakes game in the Old West. He suffers a heart attack at a time when his game could go either way and so his wife, Mary, takes his place by default.
The Big Blind is a low-budget film created with a poker audience in mind. Lacking the Hollywood bells and whistles, the film with its numerous realistic poker scenes may appeal to hardcore poker players as it was written and directed by poker player, David James. It follows the lives of a dozen players in California but doesn’t have much of a plot outside of the game play.
High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story takes an autobiographical look at a poker legend, three-time WSOP champion, Stu Ungar, played by Michael Imperioli. Poker fans are the target audience, although a regular audience would find the storyline quite good as a human interest story too. There is no specific focus on any particular hands or tournaments that Ungar played but there are a number of poker scenes included. Pat Morita makes an appearance as well.
Shade is a story about a group of card playing con artists in Los Angeles who attempt to con master poker player, The Dean, played by Sylvester Stallone. Other members of the cast include Gabriel Byrne, Melanie Griffith, Stuart Townsend and Jamie Foxx. There are a fair number of poker scenes. However, many of the card games they actually play are redundant. Texas Hold’Em is mentioned but not played. The players also tend to bend the traditional rules in their favor every now and again.
Honorable mention should be made of other great movies that only touched on poker in the storyline but are still great to watch. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels starts out with a poker game gone wrong. The rest of the movie is a comic demonstration of how they get back enough money to pay off their creditor. Honeymoon in Vegas also starts out with a poker game gone bad, when Nicholas Cage puts up his girlfriend as stakes for the game. He loses to James Caan and spends the rest of the movie trying to get his girlfriend back.
Other must-mentions come from deep within the archives. The Gambler, released in 1980, is based on the Kenny Rogers’ song of the same name. Loaded Pistols, released in 1948, is a black and white movie, starring Gene Autry. Film noir poker lovers would enjoy the action-packed drama that unfolds. Kaleidoscope, released in 1966, stars Warren Beatty, a loveable card playing con artist who breaks into a card-making factory and marks the printing plates with a code. California Split, released in 1974, stars George Segal and Elliot Gould, two Californian gamblers who are down on their luck. The movie offers a close look at the unglamorous side of gambling.
These movies offer some insight into the lives of poker players and their love of the sport, the pitfalls and the excitement. Viewers may not always learn much about techniques in poker, but the movies are well worth watching for their storylines and humor.
By Poker Man
Jan 23, 2011
© Copyright 2004-2005 www.realpoker365.com
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