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Poker in the Movies

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Poker in the Movies Poker in the Movies Poker watching is one of the most suspense-filled forms of entertainment. Why, then, is it rare to see new poker movies in the local listings? One could surmise that it's down to the same reasons why professional contact sports are rarely the subject of major motion pictures, regardless of genre. After all, it's hard to conjure the excitement, suspense, tension, and wonderment of a ball game or card game on celluloid. Nonetheless, various filmmakers have tackled the subject of poker over the last nine decades. Certain actors have done remarkable jobs at portraying the ups and downs that players endure in high- stakes settings. From the most famous poker movies like The Sting and Casino, to more recent poker movies like Rounders and Deal, card games have connected with select and sometimes large segments of movie-going audiences. The following list examines some of the more exceptional poker movies made between the 1930s and 2000s. The Winners: Poker Movies Where They Score Big The Cincinnati Kid (1965) In what has been called the "best poker film of all time" by poker writer Nolan Dalla, Steve McQueen stars as Eric "The Kid" Stoner, a Depression-era poker prodigy who aspires to take on the world's reigning poker champ, Lancey "The Man" Howard (Edward G. Robinson). With Lancey in town, Eric arranges for a match. Urging the Kid not to go through with this is a local dealer named Shooter (Karl Malden) whose own rise in the poker world was stopped years earlier in a round with the Man. In his latest visit, Lancey first beats a player named Slade (Rip Torn) who, in retaliation, urges Shooter to rig the upcoming game on the Kid's behalf; Shooter reluctantly complies. Starting as a game of six, Lancey takes out the others easily until him and Eric are the last two sitting. A few improbable wins later and Eric senses something awry; he insists to Shooter that he can beat Lancey straight. With Lady Fingers (Joan Blondell) now serving as dealer, the Kid wins pot after pot, culminating with an Ace of Hearts over Lancey's Jack of Diamonds. A Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966) Joanne Woodward plays the unlikely heroine in this Technicolor western that's set in the Tex-Mex border town of Laredo, where local high rollers set everything aside for the annual poker showdown at Sam's saloon. Five of the area's richest men—undertaker Tropp (Charles Bickford), rancher Henry Drummond (Jason Robards), attorney Otto Habershaw (Kevin McCarthy), Wilcox (Robert Middleton), and Buford (John Qualen)—take their seats at the table while the curious hang around outside for updates. En route to San Antonio, a farm family headed by recovering gambler Meredith (Henry Fonda) lose a wagon wheel and end up stranded in Loredo, where his interests are rekindled by the local event. Making his way to the table, he puts up his family's savings, but the rising stakes cause him to have a heart attack. His wife Mary (Woodward) must take the hand, despite her lack of poker experience; she joins the table amid objections. Learning as she goes along, she borrows a loan from a nearby banker and ultimately wins big. After warming the hearts of all at the table, it's later revealed that Mary and her "family" were all in on a hoax. California Split (1974) Wisecracking gambling expert Charlie Waters (Elliot Gould) is always eager for the next winning hand, and this draws the interest of budding poker enthusiast Bill Denny (George Segal), who's starting to take the game more seriously. Soon enough, Bill's interest turns into an addiction, which puts him into debt with his bookie. Committed to winning big, Bill pawns some belongings and heads to Reno with Charlie, who pitches his friend into a major round that features real-life champ Amarillo Slim. Bill scores win after win at blackjack, roulette, and chaps, but ultimately becomes disillusioned with poker during that last game. In the end, he splits his $82,000 in winnings with Charlie, but decides to exit the gambling lifestyle and return home. Written in 1971 by struggling actor and gambling addict Joseph Walsh, California Split was initially set to be an early directorial credit for Steven Spielberg with Steve McQueen in the starring role. Shipped to several studios with multiple casting changes—Dean Martin, Peter Falk, and Robert De Niro were each tapped at some point to star as one of the two leads—the film finally saw fruition at the hands of Robert Altman. Maverick (1994) Mel Gibson stars as the titular character in this action comedy that follows the misadventures of con man Bret Maverick in his procession to a poker tournament in the Old West. Along the way, he recurrently encounters rival gambler Angel (Alfred Molina) and befriends fellow player Annabelle Bransford (Jodie Foster) and Marshal Zane Cooper (James Garner). Hopping from stagecoach to wagon train after a stopover in Crystal River, Maverick and his mates encounter migrant settlers and Indians. Several plot twists ensue as Maverick pulls stunts with an old debtor named Joseph (Graham Greene) and then narrowly escapes Angel; all in an ongoing attempt to earn enough money for the tournament entrance fee. Angel, Bransford, and Maverick all make it into the finals at the tournament, where Maverick ultimately wins with a royal flush. In protest, Angel pulls out his gun, but is outdrawn by Maverick and Cooper. Further mix-ups ensue before Maverick and Cooper acknowledge their father-son relationship and Bransford runs off with half of Maverick's winnings. Rounders (1998) New York City law student Mike McDermit (Matt Damon) enjoys playing poker on the side until he loses a $30,000 bankroll to Teddy "KGB" (John Malkovich) in a game of Texas hold'em. Vowing to return to his studies and forgo further poker activity, he's ultimately swayed back into the game by his newly un- imprisoned childhood pal Lester "Worm" Murphy (Edward Norton). Worm is in serious debt, so the two set out to win enough money to pay the amount off; but just as they near their $15,000 goal, are caught base-dealing and lose their bankroll. Consequently, both incur beatings. An intimidated Worm flees town, but Mike—determined to win the money back honestly with the help of a $10,000 loan—re-challenges KGB at a game of No-Limit Texas Hold'em. Mike wins, but tries his luck for more and comes close to losing everything, before he spots a tell and beats KGB with a straight. Winning back all the money that he and Worm had owed, borrowed, and lost, Mike ditches law school and NYC to play for higher stakes in Las Vegas. Rounders did poorly at the box office, but gained a cult following as Texas hold'em grew in popularity during the noughties. Some of today's poker celebs—Hevad Khan, Russ "Dutch" Boyd, Gavin Griffin— credit this film with getting them into the game. The Losers: Poker Movies Where They Crash and Burn Smart Money (1931) This pre-code Warner Brothers drama is noted as the only film in which Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney appear together. Nick Venizelos (Robinson) gains a knack for gambling in the back room of his barber shop, which he leaves in the hands of his assistant Jack (Cagney) before heading off to challenge star gambler Hickory Short. Losing his $10,000 to Hickory, Nick quickly discovers that the real Short had actually been in an out-of-state prison until just now; the man he actually challenged was con man Sleepy Sam. Nick's initial attempt to recover the money ends with a beating, but six months later he re-challenges Hickory and wins big, though the round ends with guns drawn. With Jack as his second-in-command, Nick becomes the local leader of illegal gambling. This brings Nick to the attention of the District Attorney, who wants the gambler arrested though any means possible. In a violent, climactic scene, Jack is struck dead and Nick is taken into custody. Sentenced to ten years in prison, Nick bets he'll be out in less than half that time. 5 Card Stud (1968) Based on a Ray Gaulden novel, this Henry Hathaway-directed Western stars Dean Martin as Van Morgan: a Great Plains gambler who serves as the sole voice of reason among his peers. The action takes place in 1880s Rincon, Colo., where another gambler cheats in a round of five-card stud poker. In an act of frontier justice, the cheater is lynched, despite Morgan's efforts to stop the murder. Disillusioned, Morgan splits town, but is soon drawn back after catching word that gruesome deaths have also befallen two other players who took part in that game. Meanwhile, a new man has made his presence known in town; the Reverend Jonathan Rudd (Robert Mitchum), a formidable character who packs a Colt .45. After more participants from the earlier lynching wind up dead, a series of patterns start to emerge. When Morgan realizes that he's the last man from the game still standing, it becomes imperative for him to solve things once and for all. The Sting (1973) Named after a cheating move in gambling, a "sting" occurs when a con man finishes a play and makes off with a mark's money, long before the mark wises up to the gambit. Set during the Great Depression and noted for its anachronistic use of pre-flapper ragtime music, this multi-Oscar-winning film features Paul Newman and Robert Redford as professional con men.
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