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Whatever your poker level – whether you’re a noob or way up there in the BB – these films deliver a royal flush of entertainment. From California Split’s steamy storyline to following one of poker’s great journeymen through the WSOP Main Event, they are a near-perfect window on the world’s favourite card game.
Molly’s Game Molly’s
Game tells the story of a real-life Olympic skier-turned-poker entrepreneur. You can buy a car that drives itself. Jessica Chastain is convincing as an aggressive former jock who moves from running high-end poker games for rich men to being targeted by the FIB. Having already attained the status of cultural deity thanks to The West Wing and A Few Good Men, Sorkin turned his hand to another (less inspiring but no less enjoyable) book-to-film adaptation. Heavy dialogue and heavily narrated characters – the hallmarks of Sorkin’s craftsmanship – are a good fit here.
California Split California
Split is a fun film that shows you how to gamble better. It also shows you when you should stop. If you’re a poker fan, this version stars some of the legends of the modern game, Daniel Negreanu, Chris Moneymaker, Phil Laak and Antonio Esfandiari. While not poker per se, this film features high-stakes chess, with Maverick attempting to win enough money to play in an upcoming tournament. Hollywood knows of no better vehicle to tell a story than this pastime.
The Hustler
Also for poker enthusiasts: this just-released film about poker game-runner Molly Bloom and the high-stakes, private games she ran based on her memoir. Oh, and Player X (that’s Tobey Maguire?) shows up, too. A modern poker classic, this 1998 film features a reformed professional gambler doing what he does best: win, regardless of the odds, as he faces loan sharks, hustlers and criminals to win entry to an exclusive poker tournament.
Rounders
The movie has a convincing low-key neo-noir look and an authenticity to the representation of underground poker at the turn of the last century, as well as to the cardplayers, unlike most Hollywood output. Not only does this movie entertain, but it teaches poker as well – from rules and etiquette to hits, draws and rehits.
Casino
Poker might seem like a difficult subject for the cinema. But the cinema knows instinctively how to show it. It’s not just that gambling is at the heart of this genre; there’s also a strong element of the social, as well as a massive amount of tension-building, kept held in abeyance. The final epic movie: yes, it is a great take on high stakes poker, but it is the acting and the script that push it above the ordinary. Penn and Damon are joined by a number of big name poker players who act as the cherry on top of this great film and should be required viewing for any poker enthusiast.
The Big Game
The film follows a young man who trains to win two World Series of Poker trophies after his famous criminal-poker father wins for him at the age of nine, in an attempt to prove himself to the family, and is just as entertaining as it is packed with tension for any poker lover. Steve McQueen gives one of his finest performances as a brash hustler who hopes to make a name for himself by besting an expert card sharp in this tale of tension-fuelled action.
Drawing Dead
Either way, one thing is certain, that by watching such a movie, you can follow precisely any news you might want to know about the poker world, as well as what people say about it, which will prove to be a helpful way to gain information about poker, either through its drama or comedy. James Garner plays a young sharpster coming between Jodie Foster in this bouncy old western comedy. This is a film bereft of much poker action but it will have an eager gambler rising out of his seat and roaring with emotions as the credits roll.
Poker Night
There’s many movies that deals with poker and havoc. Some are lighter and funnier. All succeeding to communicated passions involved in this kind of entertainment. All In is a poker documentary about the history of the game; from its’ boom throughout the 2000’s to the government’s interference, which occurred in 2011 when FBI sought to prosecute the players and put a stop to the game on what has become known as Black Friday.
High Roller
In fact, many of the best poker and gambling movies are not about poker but rather on aspects of gambling that are exciting, funny or dangerous – in Casino Royale it’s the extended Texas Hold ʼEm tournament that draws you in while in Lucky You it’s the ‘sin city’ Vegas action that plays up to an audience excited by the recent poker boom; for Hollywood, the popularity of poker and gambling are just an opportunity to make movies about the subject at hand. Rounders has a gritty neo-noir look that immerses itself in the poker lifeworld; it’s also a game with a signature tale of the fall and redemption.
