Poker Movies

Hollywood has always loved to romanticize poker on the big screen.  The game has been glamorized in movies for years, going back as early as 1965’s the Cincinnati Kid.  Unfortunately, there’s something I have to tell you…most poker movies are terrible.

They are especially bad for real poker players who cringe every time they see a poker movie featuring grossly misplayed hands, ridiculously unrealistic hands or hacked up poker lingo.

Lucky for you, I’ve come to save the day with a list of poker movies that aren’t atrocious!  Yes, you heard (read?) that correctly.  There are non-sucky poker movies out there.  Read on for a non-exhaustive list of poker movies that won’t make your eyes bleed. Or, check out my poker on TV page for popular poker TV shows.

Rounders (1998)

I bet you didn’t see this one coming!  Ok, so some of the poker details are painfully over the top (the cookie tell, for one) but the movie isn’t that bad!  Edward Norton and Matt Damon play a couple of friends who get themselves a little too deep into the poker underworld. I definitely recommend watching Rounders.

Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

A crooked poker game serves as the catalyst to get this movie going.  Four buddies pool their money together to stake a poker genius in a get-rich-quick poker game.  Before they know it, they’re in for half a million quid to a frightening mobster.  This movie is highly entertaining and full of memorable quotes.

Rory Breaker: If you hold back anything, I'll kill ya. If you bend the truth or I think your bending the truth, I'll kill ya. If you forget anything I'll kill ya. In fact, you're gonna have to work very hard to stay alive, Nick. Now do you understand everything I've said? Because if you don't, I'll kill ya.

The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

Steve McQueen plays an up and coming poker player who wants to prove his skills against the best poker player in the world.  The Cincinnati Kid encounters a couple of shady characters along the way who test his moral fortitude.  Set in a 1930s New Orleans, this movie has more class and quality than most poker movies.

Casino Royale (2006)

Daniel Craig plays the latest James Bond and he does a magnificent job of it.  The poker scenes were surprisingly accurate, all things considered.  I don’t want to spoil anything too important, but it’s a little stupid to imply anyone needs to use a fake tell to get the opponent’s stack when holding quads vs. that person’s full house.  Other than that, the movie is great.

Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

There’s not a whole lot of poker in this movie, but that doesn’t matter because Ocean’s Eleven is a classic.  The poker scene happens early in the movie with Brad Pitt teaching a bunch of young actors how to play poker.  If you haven’t seen this movie yet, you are really missing out.  If you haven’t seen this movie at some point during the last year, you are really missing out.  Go rent it!