The best poker movies: list

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Of all the games in the world, none is as full of mystery, romance and intrigue as poker. Whether you're in a Vegas casino, in a high-stakes session in the back of a nightclub, or playing at your best friend's house, poker is the most exciting intellectual game. It is easy to learn and understand the rules, but it takes a lifetime to achieve mastery. Is it any wonder that so many good poker movies have been made.

Poker movies

Casino is often the dramatic backdrop for many all-or-nothing scenes in the glitzy world of cinema, whether it's a brooding look, a man staring at a deck of cards, or a stony face escalating tension.

Winning at poker isn't just about having the right cards, as many poker games are won by those who don't have the best hand. Poker is half bluff and if a man can convince hisopponent that his hands have better cards, even if they don't, he still has a good chance of winning. So watching movies about poker can tell you a little about the art of bluffing.

Compiling a master list of poker and casino movies that have ever graced the big screen is a classic topic of debate. Everyone has their favorite, often first-impression-based movies that a person can watch over and over again until they memorize every line.

From the classic movie The Cincinnati Kid (1965) to the more modern poker movie The Big Game (2018), audiences have seen plenty of twists and turns, high stakes, loan sharks and swindlers.

1. The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

This film is a gambling classic. It tells the story of a young guy in New Orleans who is trying to win the title of the best poker player of all time, which leads him to Lancy Howard, the current title holder. The Cincinnati Kid is a must-see for every true poker fan, as well as anyone who just wants to watch a good movie. It's a bit dated, but it wins the main props for a realistic game description and perhaps the most epic look in any movie. Some call it the best poker movie of all time.

2. Big Snatch for a Little Lady (1966)

Despite being an old school film, it is still among the leading films aboutgambling. The biggest high-stakes game in the West catches the attention of a man named Meredith. Henry Fonda plays a poor farmer who is driving down the road through town to buy land. Despite not being the best poker player, he stakes all his possessions to get into the game against the richest guys, despite the protests of his wife. In the process of losing all of his family's savings, he has a heart attack, forcing his spouse to take a seat in the game.

Best Quote: "Listen mister, the first rule of poker, whether you're playing eastern or western or the North Pole style, is hang up or shut up!"

3. Scam (1973)

This poker movie is an absolute classic. While it doesn't show a lot of modern techniques, it does give a good idea of another aspect of the poker world that people find fascinating. This is a fraud. Henry Gondorff, played by Paul Newman, knows that the only way to beat the famous poker cheat Doyle Lonnegan, played by the excellent Robert Shaw, is to be a better cheat than him.

The movie might be a little dated, but it's another classic that won 7 Oscars back in 1974.

4. Rounders (1998)

Many say the poker boom of the last few decades wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for this movie starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton. The plot centers around the player (Damon) who is drawn into the game inhigh stakes poker to help your friend pay off his debt. The film provides insight into the underground world of high-stakes poker in New York City. While it received some mixed reviews from critics, card game experts tend to rank Rounders as one of the best poker movies ever.

5. Maverick (1994)

While the Cincinnati Kid and Rounders take poker seriously, the Maverick take a more casual approach to the game. It is a comedy film directed by Richard Donner and based on the television series that bears the name of the film. The plot of this Mel Gibson movie centers around a poker game in which Gibson plays Bret Maverick, a card gambler and con man who raises money to participate in a high stakes game. True pros and poker fans will see how unrealistic certain aspects of the game are (like a royal flush not winning a straight flush), but that doesn't detract from the film's grossing over $183 million worldwide. The film was based on the 1960s TV show of the same name.

6. "Gambler" (2014)

The Gambler, starring James Caan, is a cautionary tale about pitfalls. Caan plays an NYU literature professor who becomes addicted to gambling and goes down the wrong path, borrowing money from everyone he knows, which ends up getting him into trouble and fighting the bad guys. Filmed bybased on Dostoevsky's novel The Gambler. It has a lot of poker, and it will be of interest to all fans of this game. In 2014, a remake of The Player was filmed, in which Mark Wahlberg played the main role. But it's best to watch the original.

7. The Big Game (2017)

The Big Game (2017) poker movie is the true story of Molly Bloom, the Olympic-class skier who ran the most exclusive high-stakes poker game in the world and was targeted by the FBI.

Even with the script, the cast is already amazing: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Michael Cera, Samantha Isler and Kevin Costner, not to mention writer/director Aaron Sorkin. But having such a strong cast doesn't automatically make this poker movie the best.

The Great Game is based on a true story. Molly Bloom's skiing career is cut short by a back injury she sustained in the 2002 Winter Olympics qualifiers. Instead of continuing her studies at law school, she takes a year off, moves to Los Angeles, and takes a job as a waitress at a club. But thanks to her boss, she quickly launches underground poker games for the rich and famous, and then she creates her own games by attracting a famous clientele.

Individually, audiences have certainly seen many similar twists and turns and storytelling before in the genre, but never had the perfect combination of a rich story with top-notch actors like this film has.about the poker game of 2017.

Hollywood took notice of the game long before poker was more widely accepted by the masses. Over the years, various films have included him in their plots. Sometimes there's nothing better than forgetting everything and immersing yourself in a good movie, and these poker movies are a great choice for any fan of this card game.