Top Poker Movies

I was conducting some market research the other day for LTDPoker.com and as an opening question I asked what the group thought was the ultimate poker movie. As you can probably imagine a lively debate followed where a top spot could not ultimately be decided on.

There's probably more poker in the movies than any other game or sport, from the western bar, to high stakes tables in casinos film makers use the game to spar two characters without any actual fighting. Good acting and clever angles are a lot cheaper than a special stunts effects scene and creates more tension and insight into the character.

The unquestionable increase in popularity for the game can be traced to the resounding images we have of some of the best poker scenes on screen. Here is a list of the ones which resonate in our memories.
Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) Essentially this is not a film about Poker but the direction by Guy Ritchie ensures the poker scene generates all the glamour of its underground reputation and brings it bang up to date. Whilst not the most realistic of actual game play its influence in the style of subsequent marketing of poker is clear.
Rounders (1998). Starring Matt Damon, Ed Norton and John the movie is not Oscar winning but it has plenty of table action, some ludicrous poker scenes, and an absurd lead character. Best quote: ‘Mr. Son of a bitch, let's play some cards!'
Run (1990). Starring Patrick Dempsey, run has got a great pace with great twists and original scenes. The film depicts an illegal card game in New Jersey prior to legalization of the game.
Maverick(1994) Wise Cracking gambler played by Mel Gibson tries on James Garner's worn in leather boots as the greatest card sharp of them all in this slick comedy set in the old American West. More Wild Wild West than the OK Corral but entertaining and light hearted.
A Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966). If you swallow the fact that a player can walk across the street carrying her cards in the middle of a hand, you should enjoy this movie with Henry Fonda, Joanne Woodward and a roster of fine character actors. The action centers around a poker game climaxing with "a big hand for the little lady."

The Croupier (1999) This British film starring Clive Owen in his breakthrough role focuses on the ‘House’ more than the gambler. The movie is particularly atmospheric and contemporary. Owen's performance as the alienated croupier portrays a thrilling profile of the life of a dealer and shows how real casinos operate.
Casino Royal ( 2006) The most recent of the list, starring Daniel Craig in the Bafta winning portrayal of the high end of Poker. The poker game scenes are expertly shot and filled with humorous asides and some violent escapades during breaks in the table action. Unfortunately features card combinations highly unlikely to grace the table of a player in their lifetime.

The Cincinnati Kid (1965). An up-and-coming poker player tries to prove himself in a high-stakes match against a long-time master of the game the finale scene let it down. However definitely an all time classic for poker fans the world. Best quote: "That's what it's all about, doing the wrong thing at the right time"
The Sting (1973). Staring Paul Newman and Robert Shaw The Sting features a poker game on board a train where Newman out hustles Shaw ‘All it takes is a little confidence' this film was a big hit in 1973 winning 7 academy awards.
California Split (1974). George Segal & Elliot Gould play Gardena poker players in search of a rush in the casinos and the backroom poker rooms. This is a rare attempt for a movie to show the day to day life of card-playing, sports-betting, sleep-till-noon gamblers.
The growing number of online gaming sites such as LTDPoker.com has reinvented the perception of a game that has been around for over 200 years from an after-hours past time into big business and an international phenomenon. The smaller stakes available online and the provision of free bankroll anyone can enter a game win big money pots at major tournaments; it's like the lottery, but with better odds