If there’s one thing Hollywood loves, it’s drama, tension and the powerful pull of the unknown. Filmmakers often depict elements of poker and the psychological aspects of players in their projects.
These elements are all present in poker and you’ll experience them whether you play poker online or offline. They make scenes featuring the game a potential winner for anyone making a movie. Film directors have thrilled audiences with some highly memorable poker scenes throughout the decades. Below is a look at some of the most iconic ones and how they have portrayed the game.
Casino Royale (2006)
In Casino Royale, James Bond takes on private banker and terrorism financier Le Chiffer in a high-stakes poker game at Casino Royale, in Montenegro. His mission is to defeat the banker. The scene reveals all the intensity of poker. Especially dramatic is the moment Bond is poisoned and only just manages to save his own life. Memorably, he returns to the table, much to the villain’s surprise and quips “Oh I’m sorry. That last hand… nearly killed me.”
The Sting (1973)
In The Sting, two con men Johnny Hooker and Henry Gondorff (Robert Redford and Paul Newman) team up to take financial revenge on gangster Doyle Lonnegan who has murdered the partner of one of them. Newman poses as obnoxious drunken bookmaker Shaw and cons the gangster out of $15,000, amazingly while both are cheating at the game (Gondorff by bringing his own deck, and Lonnegan by arranging the deck to produce four of a kind for himself).
Despite Gondorff’s jovial nature and lack of respect towards the gangster, the atmosphere at the table is incredibly tense and, towards Gondorrf, hostile. Lonnegan tries to wriggle out of paying, but then Gondorrf threatens to spread news of the potential default around the city, forcing the gangster to settle the debt.
The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
The Cincinnati Kid is one of the best poker movies ever. The film stars the ever-cool Steve McQueen as Eric Stoner, an underdog in poker who wants to establish a reputation as being the best. This quest brings up against the man considered the best, Lancey “The Man” Howard.
Typically, one of the poker scenes takes place in a dreary, dimly lit room. The atmosphere is tense. In the showdown against one player, Stoner clears up and his opponent, unable to hide his anger at his loss, accuses Stoner of marking the cards. He then follows Stoner out of the room and demands the money back while brandishing a knife.
In a scene, against “The Man” Stoner clears up. As well as tension, the scene also features some slick dealing, reinforcing the image of poker players as card sharks. The close ups in this and other scenes bring an understated, believable drama to them.
Maverick (1994)
Maverick stars Mel Gibson as Bret Maverick, who experiences various comical mishaps and adventures as he pursues his need of money for a poker tournament. The film, a Western comedy, serves up one of the most dramatic poker scenes in movie history as he and another player reach the showdown.
Maverick’s opponent reveals a seemingly unbeatable straight flush, prompting gasps and applause from the crowd. Maverick takes his time to reveal his cards, creating drama as he slowly lays them out one by one, showing everyone he has a potential royal flush (the strongest possible hand in poker). Feigning disappointment in his final card, Maverick sighs before flipping an ace, face up, onto the table and completing the royal flush.
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
You’d be forgiven for thinking of Paul Newman as the king of poker scenes, as the poker scene in this classic movie also features the veteran actor, this time as prisoner Lucas “Luke” Johnson in a sadistic prison camp who refuses to conform to the rules. It’s a highly theatrical scene and, since the game is taking place in a prison, the players are surrounded by other prisoners who are putting pressure on players to match bets or raise them.
Nevertheless, some consider this scene an accurate depiction of poker playing. In this case, it’s all in the bluff. Luke is somewhat turned away from the other player, showing total confidence in his cards, almost to the point of appearing disinterested in the game. The bluff pays off as, to the amusement of everyone around watching the game, he beats the other player with what one prisoner describes as “a handful of nothing.”
The incorporation of a poker game into a movie can really add to the drama of a movie, which Hollywood likes nothing more. Other films to have featured memorable poker scenes include Goodfellas (1990), which sees Joe Pesci’s character, Tommy, shoot a waiter dead at the poker table; and Rounders (1998), where Matt Damon’s character, Mike McDermot, experiences a violent outburst from his opponent, Teddy KGB (John Malkovich), at the table.