Poker Scene

Hi guy's,

I'm doing a little research for a screenplay.

Can anybody reccomend some films to check out with good "poker playing" scenes in them?

Preferably your backroom, underground kind of game, not big casino scenes (although I'd take a peek at them too).

Cheers Smile

Adam

The Cincinnati Kid is the grandaddy of all poker films

All about Poker. Also Lucky Me with Eric Bana.

rounders has to be mentioned
also im working on becoming a pro player so post any specific questions here and i can help

_________________
AIM me!

Rounders and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels feature tilt (and vertigo) as the main feature of poker scenes, I think because of a laser focus on the stakes, instead of the game.

I'd add the beginning of Kingpin because of a similar focus on gambling stakes, even though it's not a Poker film. The Cooler is also worth mentioning for its focus on stakes, telling more of a psychological Mel Gibson style story of fear and breakdown of safety.

In Maverick (I haven't figured out why I like this movie so much, but I do), player strategy seems to be the main story element. They rarely rely on actual game logic or process. Montages almost exclusively tell the stories of the games.

I barely remember Cincinnati Kid, but think the mechanics of the game (how it works, not the other meaning for "mechanics" with cards) were more prominent.

Very little nuance or gameplay is used in most of these to show leader/winner status in either individual hands, or overall. Most of the time "bigger is better" is as far as the story of the game goes.

A good poker scene will be just as difficult as a good dinner scene. Continuity is incredibly difficult to nail with so many small, important, actions and discussions happening at once around the table. I think that helps explain why montage is usually used to show games.

Casino Royale

Cheers guys.

I have a few of the films mentioned there available to me so I'll check them out Smile