Poker Film
The Best Poker Scenes Ever In Film
Poker is a tense and exciting game. It’s about the cards you are dealt, sure, but it’s also about the intensity of looking across the table and weighing an opponent up. Do they have you beaten? Are they bluffing?
This movie won't teach anyone how to play poker, but it is a fun film that captures the old-west image of back-alley bars, cowboys, and cards. Maverick, played by Mel Gibson, travels with the original Maverick, James Garner, and Jodie Foster to the biggest poker tournament of the day - a riverboat five-card draw winner takes all contest. A documentary focusing on why one of America's oldest games has had a renaissance in the past few years and why, for so many, poker is the way to chase the American Dream. Director: Douglas Tirola Stars: Karen Abbott, Peter Alson, Nick Brancato, Humberto Brenes Votes: 431 10. An action and crime film, this 1976 movie shows a darker side to the poker world, when it was being ruled over by crime syndicates. A man, due to losing a lot of money in a poker game, was forced to kill a small-time Chinese bookie.
Film, and the art of storytelling, rely on the same emotions of tension and relief, conflict and resolution. Poker scenes are often a fitting way to convey these emotions between characters. The game intensifies what’s already there, and provides a perfect framework for the action.
Poker Film 2017
With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best poker scenes ever in film.
Casino Royale
Poker Night, released in the UK as The Joker, is a 2014 crime thriller film that was written and directed by Greg Francis. The film was released to video on demand on 5 December 2014 and had a limited theatrical release on 20 December. The Poker House was a great movie. I thought it had some great potential for it to be nearly perfect movie. I remembered seeing this movie on Showtime in 2011, and I didn't knew Jennifer Lawrence.
There’s no better place to start than with Casino Royale, the first Bond film to star Daniel Craig. Bond is tasked with defeating terrorist Le Chiffre in a game of poker.
The scene is not exactly known as being accurate in terms gameplay and etiquette, but still it’s a perfect marriage of film and poker. The blinds in the tournament have reached obscene levels ($1 million dollars) and Bond is facing a pot worth over $120 million.
After a round of checking, a final Ace falls on the river, completing many possible hands. For the uninitiated, the river is the final card dealt in a hand of poker. The first player goes all in for $6 million, the second calls all in for $5 million and then Le Chiffre raises the stake to $12 million.
Bond shoves for $40 million and is called. It’s an easy all in for Bond in the end, who is holding the best possible hand with a straight flush, yet still the tension is palpable. The victory shows the power struggle going in favour of the good guy.
The original novel actually featured the casino game baccarat, but the film switched this to Texas Hold ‘em, perhaps proof of the strength of the relationship between the card game and movies.
Ocean’s Eleven
Ocean’s Eleven is an award winning film about robbing $150 million from a casino vault. At one point, character Rusty is teaching a table full of clueless newbies how to play poker. Out of the blue, his old partner Danny Ocean joins the table, and the teacher soon becomes the student.
Rusty decides to take the opportunity to teach his team the art of bluffing, but ironically picks the wrong moment. He gets caught out by Ocean, who happens to be holding quad 4s at the time.
In terms of poker, it’s a simple lesson in when not to bluff. But in the film is more about establishing the dynamic between the pair, to let the audience know that Rusty can still be outsmarted by his partner.
Rounders
Rounders’ unforgettable scene
The 1998 film Rounders tells the story of fictional character Mike McDermott, played by Matt Damon. Mike is a law student and prolific poker player, but loses his entire bankroll one night to Russian mobster Teddy KGB, played by John Malkovich. He quits poker forever.
That is, until one day his friend ‘Worm’ gets out of jail and needs help paying off his debts. Mike takes up poker once again to save his friend from doom.
In the final scenes of the movie, Mike finds himself playing against Teddy once again. This time, he picks up on Teddy’s physical tells – how he munches Oreo biscuits when he has a hand, or splays chips everywhere when he doesn’t.
To be fair, Mike flops the top straight in the final hand, so there’s no real danger of him going bust. Still, he checks down the flop to allow a tilted Teddy KGB to spew away his chips, settling the battle and winning the money he needs.
The Cincinnati Kid
Going much a few decades, the Cincinnati Kid was one of the first, and is still considered to be one of the greatest poker moments in film. Eric Stoner, aka the Kid, is an aspiring poker beast who can beat nearly everyone around town.
He hears about the arrival of Lancey Howard, known as the Man, and wants to challenge him to a game. The Kid eventually goes against the advice of his friends and gets himself into a game with the Man.
This isn’t a hero story. The pair are left heads-up. In the final hand, the Kid a full house with Aces full of Tens. It’s a monster, but the Man has the Queen high straight flush, an even bigger hand.
In poker this is what is known as a “cooler” – a hand that you can’t really expect anyone to get away from. Yet in the film it clearly demonstrates what was always going to happen – the Man got the better of the Kid.
Molly’s Game
Jumping forward now to a much more recent addition to the poker film landscape, Molly’s Game tells the true story of Molly Bloom, who ran exclusive underground poker games with major celebrities and business people, taking a cut for hosting the games.
Molly’s Game has a lot of poker scenes to choose from, as the whole film is based around these games, yet once again the accuracy of the poker action is not essential to the narrative. What is more important is the tension and dynamics that are created between the players at the game, as well as Molly’s interactions with this world.
If we were to pick a hand, it would have to be the one between Harlan and Bad Brad. Harlan is the best poker player at the tables. He plays the odds and wins consistently. Bad Brad is new to the table and, as Molly puts it, Harlan doesn’t yet know that Brad is bad.
Brad makes huge bets and eventually Harlan makes the fold with a full house, probably not something that would happen in real life. Brad has nothing.
Bad Brad joins the tables in Molly’s Game
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07:2406 May
Netflix is a full to the brim with great choices for your evening’s entertainment. There’s also plenty to pick from if you want something connected to poker, or even gambling in general. As poker players we also all secretly enjoy to watch the occasional piece of degen behaviour when it comes to gambling. There’s something here for everyone.
KidPoker – 2015
This is the Daniel Negreanu story filmed in documentary style after his induction into the Poker Hall of Fame. Charting his rise to the pinnacle of the game, we get to see a glimpse behind the scenes at exactly how it all came together.
We also learn how he maintains the best version of himself possible, because it’s no secret that Negreanu has come in for some stick about not being able to compete with the younger generation these days.
A great piece of cinema, even if you’re not a massive fan of the man himself. Worth a watch.
No Limit – 2006
This is a fun look into the world of high-stakes tournament action by two independent filmmakers. Made during the height of the poker boom we get to see the excitement behind what poker players are chasing day-after-day.
Big names from poker such as Mike Sexton and Doyle Brunson feature to give their opinions on the game that transformed their own lives.
Win It All – 2017
This Netflix original movie is a fictional comic look into the life of a gambling addict. Eddie Garrett, played by Jake Johnson, is rebuilding his life after gambling away $50,000 that wasn’t his. Things are going well until a friend arrives at his house with a duffel bag stuffed with bank notes, and asks him to take care of it while he goes to prison.
There’s not a great deal of poker in the movie, but the themes are all relevant to the gambling industry and there’s plenty of laughs.
Killing Them Softly – 2012
This all-star movie has it all. We have a mob protected poker game that is robbed by three nobodies and Brad Pitt is on the case to restore order as an enforcer. Ray Liotta and the Soprano’s James Gandolfini play big parts in the story of the mob’s efforts to show that they won’t be messed with.
Full on Hollywood blockbusters that touch on the gambling world are quite rare, especially starring names such as these. This is an excellent production and definitely one you shouldn’t miss.
Cold Deck – 2015
This modern thriller is all about a compulsive gambler’s agreement to rob a high-stakes poker game hosted by a rich banker, Turk. Bobby is neck deep in a long losing streak and accepts an offer to pull off the heist from a local gangster.
After successfully getting away with the money, Turk is determined to get his revenge and Bobby is now in fear for his life.
Poker Film
Although cliché ridden, this is still a decent choice if you can ignore the cheesiness of the actual poker.