Poker Movies

[N.D.]

Missing the point but...

"The Way Of The Gun" is a bad ass poker movie. Not that there's any poker in it...

There is a lot of hip-shot, quick on the draw, tactical thinking in it though. Lot's of Roshambo-like, levels of thinking, problems with characters playing for blood and money. That's like poker...

It get's a little slow but has a killer car chase and LOT's of guns.

They do play hearts at one point.

Hehehe it's in my collection. Juliette Lewis who looks like Gavin Smith's twin sister shot the moon in it.

Got a Howard Lederer DVD for a buck, hell that's cheaper than Amazon. Just can't get the cover photo to watch it.

If we can expand to television, apparently Star Trekk The Next Generation has a running poker theme. There's an article about it somewhere on the web. Interesting read. Funny I never really thought about the two as going hand in hand before.

Oh hey why hasn't anyone mentioned "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch"? Since we're apparently talking gambling and strategy movies, and not solely poker films, they're must adds. Though three card brag does look a lot like poker.

The Stu Ungar biopic mentioned isn't half bad even though the guy in it doesn't look nearly enough like Stu to keep me believing it's him. I mean, way too much nose + doesn't really look like a kid in the beginning.

Better is the one that I think was made for espn and features interviews from the pros. You can watch it on pokertube. "One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stu Ungar " it's way better than the "dramatized" version and includes interviews with the guys who actually played with him.

 

[N.D.]

Help, I can't find two movies I really want to see. I want to see this biography special that was on ESPN or Fox Sports Net again. I saw it b4 I got a dvr, and I really wanna see it again. It's all about Doyle Brunson, Barry Greenstein, and if I remember correctly, Jennifer Harman was in it as well. It was really cool but I only got to see it the once.

Also, where do I get this http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0423096/ Apparently it profiles Gus Hansen, and it's the sort of poker movie I've been more or less dying to watch. Not because it's Gus mind you, adorable or not, it's the concept of following a great player around and picking their brain on camera that has me intrigued.

 

[Ernster86]

Just watched "Deal". Awesome movie highly recommended for a poker movie

 

[absoluthamm]

I just watched it. Man McManus sucked, lol. The way they showed it he just looked like a lucky calling station. He turned 1k into 250k!!! Good for him, however was all due to luck from what I saw in the show.

Yea, the way that they portray it, it makes you think that just about anyone can have a good run of luck and make it deep at the wsop just by reading one poker book, lol. I have played against McManus on Tilt before a while back, he is always playing the low limits and he isn't the best. I also downloaded Positively Fifth Street on audio and listened to in on my way to and from work, and that was pretty good. It's the same story, only in way more detail(and you can tell a couple places where the History Channel got it mixed up or wrong.)

 

[LarkMarlow]

Speaking of TV shows, a friend of mine mentioned the Deadwood series that used to be on HBO. Did anyone watch those? Worth buying the series on DVD?

 

[LarkMarlow]

Also, I wanted to mention that if anyone is looking for the poker-based "The Big Blind", remember to go to the website rather than a rental place or Amazon. Reason? There is another movie also called "The Big Blind" which is a "16mm freestyle snowboard film shot on location around the world". Who knew?!

 

[TPC]

I watched "The Grand" last night. OMG, it's funny as sh%*!!! Must watch, if you like "A Mighty Wind" or "Dog Show" or "This is Spinal Tap" it's a movie like that, only with poker!!!

 

[Poof]

While I liked the movie, I don't recall any actual poker being played in it.

Actually there was more of a plot to it, but there was poker, they sat at the tables and had the signs they would use.....but more to get that villian, its been a while, this may not really be a poker movie but it was an awesome flick


I guess check it out but not a total poker flick. The poker was a side note. I will have to watch it again.

 

[LarkMarlow]

I watched "The Grand" last night. OMG, it's funny as sh%*!!!

I'm laughing so much again, just reading your post Trigga! Yep, that one is definitely a keeper. When I am feeling bluesy about life at the tables I watch that flick to lift my spirits.

I'm looking forward to hearing what you think about "All In". Definitely entertaining as well but in an entirely different way. For some reason I really, really, really like that movie.

 

[pantin007]

didnt read thru all the posts so excuse me if this was posted before but the cincinnati kid is the second best poker movie behind rounders

 

[LarkMarlow]

pantin007, you know what? I suspect "The Cincinnati Kid" was actually the inspiration for some of the scenes in "Rounders", particularly the one where the action is heads-up. Don't have any proof, of course, just my intuition talking....

 

[TPC]

I'm looking forward to hearing what you think about "All In". Definitely entertaining as well but in an entirely different way. For some reason I really, really, really like that movie.

I set "All In" to be the next movie shipped by Netflix, I should have it on Mon or Tue!!! I'll let you know what I think afterwards!

 

[ckingriches]

Just my opinion, but I really thought "All In" was a terrible movie... Mediocre plot, bad acting, lame poker content. It seemed more like an after school special than something worth putting on the big screen.

Also just my opinion, but "21", while about blackjack instead of poker, was also pretty bad. It was based on the true story novel "Bringing Down the House" by Ben Mezrich. My wife had given that to me because she knew I liked blackjack and other games of chance, particularly the underlying mathematics (I guess I'm a pretty dorky Actuary - or is that redundant?). In any case, the book was really disappointing - not the story, but the author's storytelling. Frankly, I felt the same way about the movie. It just wasn't nearly as good as it could have been. And not a whole lot like the book either, for whatever that's worth. It would be interesting to hear what Kevin Spacey thought about it, because he's such a good actor.

Lastly, I wondered if anyone else noticed the following about "The Grand", which is simply histerical from start to finish... the actual poker playing, and even the hand analysis, was simply awful. Was this on purpose? I mean, on the hand where "The German" cheats, Phil Gordon even says only the A of diamonds will save him and beat Jack Faro's K-high flush, despite the fact that the board has a pair on it, not to mention the straight flush possibility as well. Players make ridiculously bad calls for all their chips or to double someone else up on a number of occasions, too. Considering how great the cast was, and how many pros did cameos, I just don't understand the substandard poker, unless intentional. If so, I don't get the humor.

 

[LarkMarlow]

ckingriches:

I know, I know... Most people feel the same way about "All In". As I said, there's just "some reason" I like that movie. I don't think it even made it the the box offices.

Maybe because the protagonist is a woman, making it singular in the genre with the exception of the much earlier "Big Hand for the Little Lady".

Maybe because of the very sentimental story line.

Maybe because the villain is so simply the quintessence of evil--no shades of gray there.

Maybe because it's so bad!

I am generally more discerning--I just like it!!!

 

[N.D.]

"The Grand" is hilarious and the actors captured a lot of well known personas for comedic effect very well.

Notice how people don't nitpick "Rounders"? It's not without flaws. But it's the holy grail of poker movies. Gimme a break. "Rounders" is great, don't get me wrong, but sometimes the inaccuracies and stupid situations send me into a tizzy.

I do think you have to watch movies, even poker movies, and not expect absolute perfection in every detail. A glaring mistake to you is something that a million other people won't even notice. That's just it, a movie company wants to make money...

Not just with poker players but everybody. If the film makers screw up on the details, I don't hold it against them, so long as everything else works for me.

Besides poker players are such a tiny sector of society. Like random nobodies could easily have their photos taken with all their favorite pros if said pros were nearly as famous as we seem to think they are .

BTW if you love movies about gambling, you have to check out "The Pickup Artist". It's one of the cutest date movies from the 80's. By the end Molly Ringwald will be your dream girl and Robert Downey Jr. will have given you a lesson in how to pick up chicks the Gus Hansen way. I'll give you a clue. Volume, volume, volume. Cast a wide net guys. Cast a wide net.

 

[MsDonkDonk]

I am surprised there are so many that I have not seen. Some I have not even heard of. Thanks for the list.

 

[LarkMarlow]

You're welcome, MsDonkDonk!

Back to "All In" just one more time and then I promise to stop.

Maybe I like the movie so much because I wish my daddy had taught me not only how to play poker but how to figure out odds and implied odds when I was a little girl....

 

[N.D.]

You're welcome, MsDonkDonk!

Back to "All In" just one more time and then I promise to stop.

Maybe I like the movie so much because I wish my daddy had taught me not only how to play poker but how to figure out odds and implied odds when I was a little girl....

I wish my daddy bought me a pony when I was a little girl.

Did your dad actually know how to figure out odds and implied odds back then? Not meaning it as a dis, just knowing that those things haven't been made all that big a deal of until pretty recently. Just wondering is all. It's not fair to wish for him to have taught you something if he didn't know that something himself.

 

[LarkMarlow]

Oh wow I guess I didn't express my "daddy wish" clearly enough.

Here's the deal--my father disdained poker or any other game involving cards when I was growing up and still does to this day. So he never taught me poker, much less odds or implied odds. I know for a fact that he would be extremely upset about my passion for poker so that's something I just don't share with him and likely never will.

He's a wonderful man in so many other ways, and we are so close. I just wish....

 

[N.D.]

No problem, my situation's the same but with my mom. My dad would be the coolest to have around. Looking back to being very small there are all these clues that say he'd be very supportive when it comes to poker or anything else having to do with gambling.

Luckily my big brother's a hearts fanatic, so I've got him if I really need familial support in this department.

BTW noticed your book list and I have to find this one throwaway vampire book in my collection. Poker's not the main focus but it does play a part. There's this awesomely cheesy line about a fat poker player. It goes something like "He was a gambler through and through. The sort of man who would rather play cards than make love." I remember laughing out loud when I read it. I still haven't met that kind of guy, gambler or not .

 

[PoKeRFoRNiA]

I didn't see you list the movie "21" with Kevin Spacey and that one blonde chick can't remember her name though. It was mostly about counting cards but its still poker right? Anyways it was a good movie..

From the list you have I would say my favorite was the Stu Ungar movie and the worse was Lucky you, I love Drew Barrymore but that dude could not act if his life depended on it.

21 is a blackjack movie, not a poker movie. You don't get beat up for winning lot of money in poker but you do get beat up for winning lot of money from blackjack by counting.

 

[N.D.]

21 is a blackjack movie, not a poker movie. You don't get beat up for winning lot of money in poker but you do get beat up for winning lot of money from blackjack by counting.

What? You don't get beat up for counting cards these days. Threatened sure. Asked to leave and never come back, you bet. Banned for life? That too. But beat up? Yeah right.

However, you play in the wrong live game and win a heap of loot in a single hand and try to bolt? You'll probably get beat up.

Oh and if you push it, 21's sort of a poker movie because it's about the same team Andy Bloch played on way back. He's banned from blackjack from counting cards and teamwork.

 

[TPC]

You're welcome, MsDonkDonk!

Back to "All In" just one more time and then I promise to stop.

Maybe I like the movie so much because I wish my daddy had taught me not only how to play poker but how to figure out odds and implied odds when I was a little girl....

Lark, I watched "All In" tonight, and I'm sorry to say it, but it's terrible. It was like they half assed making the movie. It could have been good, but they dropped the ball on this one. Reminds me of watching crappy B movies on HBO as a kid hoping to see some boobies, However I would have been a very disappointed 13 year old after watching this movie. They even play strip Holdem, however the girs win. And thank god they don't show the dudes that lost

 

[LarkMarlow]

I'm not surprised, Trig! I watched it again too from a less sentimental, more objective perspective and and is my face ever red--that movie is really, really bad. I really appreciate your straightforwardness. And yes, it could have been good. What a shame.

The good news is that all the others you rented will certainly be better!

 

[paumarhas]

thanks for the heads up. i've seen most of the poker movies, but you have some listed that i never heard of so thanks i'll check it out.
gl and peace