The game of poker has captivated the minds of filmmakers, with many of them creating films that feature the game. From the Old West to underground games, to the World Series of Poker and online poker boom, there are plenty of stories to tell about this popular gambling pastime.
There are a few poker movies that have become cult favorites and are worth checking out, including Rounders.
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A Big Hand for the Little Lady
Adapted from a TV play, A Big Hand for the Little Lady is a Western that’s much more about comedy than the usual shootouts and stare-downs. Director Fielder Cook assembles an all-star cast to bring you an Old West poker game that’s more about knee-slapping laughter than any gunfire.
In a small Texas town, five rich men gather for an annual high-stakes poker game. They’re joined by a humble family: Meredith (Henry Fonda), his wife Mary (Joanne Woodward) and their young son Jackie.
Once at the game, the family loses most of their savings and soon finds themselves in a tight spot. Then, the family’s luck changes when they are dealt an incredible hand that they feel is a sure winner. They decide to take their chance and put down their life savings.
As the game progresses, the other players raise and reraise until more than $20,000 are in the pot. The players get so desperate that they begin to sweat and keel over, even causing Meredith to collapse under the strain. His ailing wife is forced to play out the hand on her own, but her lack of experience in this type of game causes her to be confused by what she’s seeing.
After a while, the players start to fold. One of them, Barrington (Paul Ford), offers to lend her $500 if she shows him the hand she has. She agrees to this, and goes across the street to get the money she needs.
At first, the regulars are reluctant to lend her money for the hand; however, she persuades them to. Then, she gets the money from the banker P.L. She plays the “clueless housewife” angle and asks how they play their game.
It’s a great film and it should be watched. It has a lot of laughs, but it also delivers a surprising message that women can compete with men at the poker table, and match their wits more generally.
This is a fun, fresh and enjoyable classic that will have you laughing all the way to Dodge City! Featuring an all-star cast, A Big Hand for the Little Lady is one of the best poker movies.
Molly’s Game
When Olympic skier Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) is forced to abandon her dreams of competing in the Olympics because of a freak accident, she finds a new way to make money. She runs a high-stakes poker game for Hollywood elites, athletes, business titans and Russian mobsters.
There are a lot of themes running through this Aaron Sorkin film, including questions about business ethics. Sorkin, who has written many of the most successful screenplays of our time, has a reputation for writing complex and thought-provoking stories about power and loyalty, and he does a wonderful job of layering them into this tale.
For all her success, Molly’s character is not without flaws. She loses her Olympic dreams to a bad fall, is cheated by her male associates, and even gets beaten up by Russian mobsters, but she refuses to sell out her clients for a better deal. It’s a tough character to like, but Chastain does an excellent job of selling it, capturing the spirit of the woman who broke federal laws and turned her life upside down.
The film is a fast-paced, stylish drama that never fails to entertain. Sorkin’s dialogue is incredibly sharp, and the film’s energetic production values are top-notch.
But the most compelling aspect of Molly’s Game is the way it demonstrates resiliency. It’s a lesson that everyone can learn from. It’s not about winning or losing, but about sticking to your principles and fighting back against all of the forces that would try to thwart your dreams.
While there’s no question that Molly has some bad habits, she also has a great work ethic and a solid understanding of the game of poker. It’s these qualities that enable her to turn her rocky career into a profitable one.
Sorkin’s script isn’t perfect, but it makes for a compelling and entertaining movie. The characters are well-developed, the pacing is tight, and the acting is superb.
The film is a smart, stylish and fast-paced romp through the world of underground poker for the wealthy elite. It has all the ingredients for an instant classic, and it is directed with a sure hand by Aaron Sorkin, who does a remarkable job of guiding the story.
Maverick
The 1986 original is a cheesy fist-pumper that’s all about flying and action, but it’s also a genuinely patriotic film. As Maverick (Tom Cruise) flies into battle, he’s accompanied by Kenny Loggins’ Danger Zone soundtrack.
As a rebellious Navy captain, Maverick has always been on the edge of getting demoted. He’s been trying to climb the military ladder since he was a young boy, but his cocky attitude and recklessness have cost him plenty of opportunities. When he takes a piece of state-of-the-art aerial hardware out for an unauthorized joyride, the Navy yanks him back to flight school and assigns him to train a group of new pilots.
It’s a ragtag group, but they share a fondness for aerial one-upmanship and team-bonding games on the beach. Phoenix (Monica Barbaro), Hangman (Glen Powell) and Bob (Lewis Pullman) all wear crisp flight suits and call-sign nicknames that suggest coolness without actually expressing it.
But when he meets up with his former flight-school rival, Iceman (Val Kilmer), and Cyclone (Jon Hamm) at NAS North Island, he learns that a rogue nation is using their base for storing enriched uranium, a toxic substance that could be used to make bombs. Maverick’s mission, which would be difficult to complete on his own, is to train the recruits and teach them how to destroy the uranium facility before it can be used.
There are some pretty touching moments, including a flashback to when Maverick cradled Goose Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards) in the first film, and an air-to-ground attack during training that hits harder than it did in the original movie. In fact, it’s a scene so moving that it even earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for Edwards.
Maverick and his crew are sent on the mission despite the fact that their F-18s haven’t been tested against fifth-generation fighter jets. As a result, they must destroy the uranium plant in under two minutes and thirty seconds or else it will be obliterated by enemy aircraft.
The movie has a few perfunctory romances, too, centered around the local bar where all of the pilots hang out. Jennifer Connelly is Penny, a bartender who’s been Maverick’s former love interest. But her role is only tangential to the rest of the story. She doesn’t get much screen time, but she does serve as a foil for Maverick’s teenage daughter Amelia (Kirsten Storms), who is angry after the way she was treated by her father.
Tangiers
The entertainment industry has glamorized the game of poker more than any other, and there are many movies that revolve around it. Whether you are a poker player or not, there is sure to be a movie that you’ll enjoy!
The first movie on our list of the best poker movies is Casino, a classic Martin Scorsese film that stars Robert De Niro as Sam “Ace” Rothstein, who oversees the daily operations at the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas. The film is full of action and drama, and you’ll definitely want to see this movie if you are a fan of poker or gangster movies!
It’s a great movie that will give you a taste of what life is like in Vegas, and you’ll probably find yourself rooting for Sam Rothstein after watching the film. It’s also a good movie for those who are interested in the world of gangsters and crime, as it will introduce you to some of the most famous criminals in history.
In the 1970s, sports handicapper and Mafia associate Sam Rothstein is sent by his Chicago boss Remo Gaggi to run the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas. His plan is to skim cash directly from the count room and deliver it to his Mafia bosses, but he soon starts to draw too much media attention and law enforcement scrutiny.
He ends up with his childhood friend and mob enforcer Nicky Santoro, who helps him keep everyone in line. He starts to turn his attention to other criminal activities, however, and things start to get out of hand.
Another great film that is based on real-life events and poker players is Molly’s Game, which was released in 2017. This film focuses on the story of Molly Bloom, who ran a high-stakes poker game for years that attracted the highest level of players from Hollywood royalty to business magnates and even the Russian mob.
This film is a must-watch for poker fans and anyone who wants to learn more about the history of poker. You’ll be able to learn a lot of interesting facts from this film, and it will give you a new perspective on how the game evolved into what it is today.