The Best Poker-Inspired Movies of All Time
Of all the varieties of movies that have were produced over the years, there are only a few that have been associated with poker in some way. This is not all that surprising, especially when considering how ingrained the game of poker is in popular culture. Poker is played all over the world in an astounding number of variations and formats, in private homes and clubs, to brick and mortar casinos, online casinos, and dedicated online poker sites. And, while we all love to play the latest video games, getting stuck into a juicy game of poker can be the best way to spend a few hours, either with friends or online.
Playing poker online is becoming hugely popular throughout Canada in particular, as players of all levels of experience discover just how easy it is to get started. Signing up with a top online poker site such as 888Poker can be even more rewarding since the site now gives a cool $88 free bonus for Canadian players to get started with. This effectively means that you can either learn the ropes of popular poker games, or get started on building a solid bankroll without having to use your own money, at least initially anyway. In the meantime, here’s a list of the best poker-inspired movies of all time to get you inspired to kill it at the poker tables, wherever you choose to play!
Top 5 Poker Movies of All Time
While there are way more than 5 great poker-inspired movies to choose from, we rounded up the nominees eligible for this status. We start with our number one pick and work our way down from there, of course these are just numbers and every one of the picks here are must-see movies in their own right!
- Rounders – 1998
Rounders is arguably the best poker-inspired movie ever made and features a stellar cast including Matt Damon and Edward Norton. While Matt Damon is great as the central protagonist, props must go to his leachy friend played by Edward Norton, who has no problem landing him in a heap of trouble with the local Russian mob. Damon is the best poker player around and Norton uses him to get into the most notorious game in the city, run by a sinister Russian mobster played flawlessly by John Malkovich. Rounders is an interesting look at underground poker games and poker psychology which needs to be seen by all poker players.
- Maverick – 1994
While not nearly as intense as Rounders, Maverick is nevertheless a great romp through the Wild West as seen through the eyes of card shark Bret Maverick, played by Mel Gibson and lawman Zane Cooper, played by James Garner. The movies is tons of fun with plenty of great action sequences as well as a glimpse into what poker games may have been like back in the Wild West.
- Casino Royale – 2006
Casino Royale is the twenty first edition of the legendary James Bond saga, with the legendary British spy played this time around by Daniel Craig. The plot revolves around Bond on a mission to defeat an evil (obviously) private banker, played brilliantly by Mads Mikkelsen. This is a great movie for poker players who also love James Bond, although poker itself isn’t the central theme.
- The Poker Club – 2008
This movie went a little under the radar when it was released in 2008, mainly because the cast were all relatively unknown actors. However, the movie does feature some great poker scenes as this is the central staging point for the movies story line. Four friends get together every week to play poker and, on one fateful get together, accidentally kill a burglar.
- All In: The Poker Movie – 2009
While All In: The Poker Movie is more of a documentary and not a Hollywood blockbuster, it nevertheless deserves a place on our list of top 5 poker-inspired movies. The documentary focuses on how one of the oldest games in America has enjoyed a ‘renaissance’ lately and is a must-see for any poker fan.