Poker is an exciting game that speaks to the imagination. The movie business has taken notice of that, too. Movie directors openly draw inspiration from this immensely popular game. And it’s a good thing that they do! Poker movies guarantee suspense and unexpected twists until the end credits start rolling. Here are six classics you absolutely must check out!
Casino Royale
James Bond and Le Chiffre, the villain of the movie, sit down for a thrilling game of poker in Montenegro. The stakes are high and the tension is palpable. Bond eventually wins the game and Le Chiffre is out for revenge. What follows is a rollercoaster ride with special effects and a surprising climax in Venice.
Rounders
Matt Damon and Edward Norton shine bright in this poker movie from 1998. They are true poker enthusiast who play the game in order to clear Norton’s debt. He has just been released from prison and is being chased by a gang of brutal creditors. The poker games follow each other in rapid succession and you’re constantly on the edge of your seat. Will the duo be unmasked?
Maverick
Maverick, played by Mel Gibson, is a gambler who wants to enter a famous riverboat championship. It’s a ‘Winner Takes All’ poker game with high stakes. He needs $25,000 to participate. With $3,000 yet to scramble together and to increase his chances of winning, he forges a pact with a female poker player (portrayed by Jodie Foster).
The Cincinnati Kid
The Cincinnati Kid, set in New Orleans in the 1930s, is a true classic. Notorious poker player ‘The Kid’ (played by Steve McQueen) takes on legendary champion ‘The Man’ in a highstake poker game. What follows is a very exciting game of poker to determine who will become ‘the poker king’ of New Orleans.
Shade
Can legendary poker star ‘The Dean’ be defeated? That’s the key question in Shade, a movie running rampant with deception and distrust. Vernon is The Dean’s opponent and recruits a number of scammers to take him on. Who is to be trusted?
Deal
A former poker players teaches a young talent the tricks of the trade. Their relationship becomes clouded and eventually they participate as rivals in the same Las Vegas tournament. The duel is finger-licking good.
