Where is the best place to play poker?
The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
Many young and ambitious poker players could probably relate to this story. The film, based on a novel of the same name, depicts the story of a young 1930s poker player – Eric Stoner (played by the legendary Steve McQueen).
The main goal of this man is to become the best poker player, and he intends to do so by defeating the best player, nicknamed “The Man.” Through connections, Eric arranges a match with his desired opponent.
However, the main character unexpectedly discovers that one of the match organizers is trying to unfairly sway the victory in his favor because “The Man” had once severely beaten him at the poker table. Refusing the dishonest help, “Cincinnati Kid” sits at the table to defeat his opponent with his talent and insights alone.
This is a classic film that is over 50 years old, but its visual side and story have held up very well.
Will “The Kid” defeat his more experienced opponent? Watch and find out!
Casino Royale (2006)
The twenty-first Bond film is quite well-regarded and is even called the best Bond film of the D. Craig era.
As the title suggests, the action takes place in a casino. More importantly, one action scene is dedicated to a tense poker game.
Casino Royale takes place at the beginning of James Bond's career as agent 007. The British secret agent is looking for Le Chiffre – the banker of the world's terrorists, who is organizing a high-stakes poker match at Casino Royale in Montenegro, where the winnings would be used to fund terrorist activities.
British intelligence MI6 sends its best agent to stop this villain. Throughout the action, Daniel Craig's character is accompanied by Vesper – a woman he falls in love with. The agent sits at the poker table, but will he manage to stop the villain from executing his plan?
Maverick (1994)
This is one of the funniest and most colorful films centered around poker. The main role is played by Mel Gibson. His character – Bret Maverick is an active gambler in the American Wild West who constantly gets into trouble.
Bret Maverick's goal is to participate in a huge poker tournament and once and for all prove that he is the best player. The cash prize doesn't hurt either.
To gather the money owed to him to cover the tournament entry fee, Maverick immediately faces difficulties. Throughout the film, Maverick encounters other similar swindlers and a charming lady, Annabelle, with whom he travels to the tournament.
Finally, the protagonist finds himself on a steamboat where the tournament will take place. Will everything turn in his favor, or will someone outsmart the Wild West trickster himself?
Rounders (1998)
This film is considered one of Hollywood's best creations about poker. One of the characters – Mike McDermott – is a talented poker player.
He loses all his money, even $30,000, playing Texas hold'em against a Russian gangster “KGB,” who runs an underground and illegal poker room. The blow is too much for the guy, and he focuses on his law studies, promising his girlfriend not to play anymore.
Struggling to get back on his feet, the guy receives help from his mentor and takes a job as a courier.
Everything is going well, and Mike is slowly getting back on his feet, but his friend – Lester “Worm” Murphy, is released from prison. Before going in, he had a large debt that he has to repay within five days, or he faces great danger.
Lester wants to cheat and win the money dishonestly, but Mike is determined to be honest. The guys run around New York, playing at various tables, hoping to recover the borrowed money.
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Another colorful film that may not be directly related to poker but is very enjoyable to watch for those interested in casinos or gambling activities. Danny Ocean is the main character of the film, released on parole from prison.
As soon as he is released, the main character starts looking for old acquaintances and new friends to carry out an ambitious plan – to rob the Las Vegas casino vault of casino magnate Terry Benedict. T
The largest casinos in the gambling capital (“Mirage,” “Bellagio,” and “Mirage”) have a shared vault, and thieves simply can't let such an opportunity slip by. With a highly sophisticated and precise plan, Danny Ocean and his ten accomplices (Ocean's Eleven) get to work!
Casino (1995)
This is a very famous work by director M. Scorsese. This film has received very high ratings from critics and viewers. Its plot revolves around a semi-gangster manager of a Las Vegas casino, a Jewish New Yorker living in Vegas – Sam “Ace” Rothstein.
He was appointed to manage the casino by the mafia that controls it. Since he understands the gambling business very well, he is ideally suited for this job, as he overlooks the fact that criminal organizations launder a few million dollars through the casino.
The film's action revolves around the connection between the criminal world and gambling in the USA at that time. You can see how gangsters try to find personal happiness, even though they have to be cold-blooded and ruthless at work.
21 (2008)
What the protagonist of this film tried to achieve is probably something every poker player has thought about. How to find a formula or strategy that would help never lose at the casino? And how to use that formula to your advantage?
This is exactly the goal of the protagonist in the film “21.” The main character, Ben Campbell, is a young, smart student at the prestigious MIT university in the USA. Ben wants to be successful and desperately wants to transfer to Harvard Medical School, but for that, he needs 300 thousand dollars, as that is the cost of the study program at this higher education institution.
Such an amount of money is unattainable for a boy from a poor family. However, fortune smiles upon him. Unexpectedly, he meets an eccentric math professor and his secretive student club.
In this club, the professor teaches them strategies and tricks on how to count cards at the Blackjack table and beat the casino. Although initially, he just wants to earn enough for his studies, over time, the student begins to struggle with greed.
