Poker is a sport filled with tension and drama: one minute the cards are showering you with celebrity status and six figure wins, the next you’re down on your luck and out of pocket.
It’s no wonder then that Hollywood has turned its attention to the felt on more than one occasion. There has been a wide array of notable poker movies, following the dizzying highs and crushing lows that the game brings. Here are just some of the best poker titles to have hit the silver screen…
The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
This hard-boiled poker classic stars Steve McQueen as main character Eric Stoner. Directed by Norman Jewison, The Cincinnati Kid follows the story of Stoner as he travels to 1930’s New Orleans to win big on the poker tables. He faces off against veteran card shark Lancey Howard, played by Edward G. Robinson, in a high stakes battle of five-card stud.
Packed with intense action and suspense, The Cincinnati Kid is widely praised as a poker flick classic.
Rounders (1998)
This John Dahl poker film is credited with fuelling the boom of poker at the turn of the millennium. Matt Damon plays Mike McDermott, a law student who swears off poker following a loss of $30,000. However, when his old partner Worm, played by Edward Norton is released from prison, he manages to convince McDermott to get back on the felt.
Revealing the ugly underbelly of gambling and the effect it can have on friendships, Rounders is an atmospheric character study of the game and the players who are dealt the cards.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
Admittedly, poker only plays a small part in this 90’s blockbuster but it is a crooked game of cards that kicks off the ultra-violent, fast-paced plot. Four wannabe high-time crooks find themselves £500,000 out of pocket to a local crime lord. To pay off their debts, the quartet resort to getting in on a neighbour’s heist, diving heads-first into the bloody crime spree.
With a cool set of villains, a rocking soundtrack and a bodycount clocking in at double digits, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a gritty must-see for film lovers everywhere.
Casino Royale (2006)
James Bond shot back into the movie theatres in Casino Royale. Played by Daniel Craig, 007 sets about on his first ever mission as he takes his seat at a high stakes Texas Hold’em table. Entering the most dangerous game of his career, Bond must win back his money to stay alive and keep the cash out of the hands of terrorist criminals.
With all the action, sex and tension you expect from a modern day Bond flick, Casino Royale does not disappoint.
Runner, Runner (2013)
Runner, Runner is the most recent addition in the poker movie market, but it is already set to be the next big title. The cast includes Justin Timberlake as down-on-his-luck college grad Richie. After being swindled by gambling tycoon Ivan Block, played by Ben Affleck, he jets off to Costa Rica to face him.
However, Richie soon becomes tangled in a web of wealth, crime and FBI coercion.
Written by Rounders producers Brian Koppelman and David Levien, the cast and crew are through and through poker fans. Affleck is an avid player, competing at the World Series of Poker and producer Leonardo DiCaprio has often been seen at Hollywood cash games.
Originally published October 18, 2013. Updated November 29, 2022.
