The game of poker has given us countless memorable moments; playing late at night, eyes bleary, Redbull at the ready as you blink at the monitor, until finally, a cinch in the armour, and the chip tower comes to you. Sweet indeed, but for even stronger thrills, we need to refer to the countless memorable movie moments poker has given us.
As heroes and villains literally face each other around a poker table, the scene is set for a roller-coaster ride of emotions that takes viewers through the twists and turns that only poker can give.
Here we count down the top five poker scenes in movies, with a list that spans nearly five decades of cinematic history…
#5 – Casino Royale (2006)
Casino Royale is the twenty-first official James Bond outing on the silver screen. Widely seen as a reboot of the franchise, this movie returns to Bond’s literary roots and gives us a darker version of the super-spy that has to think quick on his feet to get himself out of trouble instead of depending on the typical high-tech gadgets we’re used to see him using.
This time, Bond is out to get Le Chiffre, a criminal mastermind who wants to use the grand prize at the Texas Hold’em tournament at Casino Royale to fund terrorist activities. As the best gambler at MI6, 007 has to enter the tournament, give Le Chiffre a run for his money and prevent him from winning.
Interesting fact – the original novel featured Baccarat, whereas in the remake Texas Hold’em poker was used. A pair of Eights is referred to as an ‘Octopussy’, which makes for a great nod to the 1983 Bond film of the same name.
The climax of the film is undoubtedly the poker tournament against Le Chiffre, particularly the scene where Bond and the villain square off around the poker table with huge sums of money on the line. Like the rest of the movie, this scene is tightly shot and conveys the gritty and intense feeling that pervades the latest Bond films.
Naturally, Bond wins the pivotal poker hand with a straight flush, beating his opponent’s flush and full house.
#4 – Big Hand for a Little Lady (1966)
This old-fashioned movie set in the West stars a poor farmer who travels to California with his family with the hope of starting a new page in their life. Unluckily, he is embroiled in a risky poker game along the way and the family’s fortune is on the line.
Just when things start looking up and the brave farmer is dealt a brilliant hand, life plays another of its tricks on the unfortunate fellow and he dies at the poker table of a heart attack! His wife has to play the cards instead of him and win the game in order to support her family.
The highlight of this movie is definitely the final poker game. This scene starts around halfway through the film and is nearly 40 minutes long, yet it somehow manages to keep viewers riveted to their seats till the stunning conclusion of the game.
#3 – Rounders (1998)
Rounders is a classic gambling movie, which tells the story of a talented poker player called Mike McDermott. Unfortunately, Mick crosses the path of a Russian crime boss called Teddy KGB who takes all his bankroll with him and leaves Mike desperate and penniless.
McDermott decides to quit poker for good, but he is fated to return to the tables when his childhood friend Lester ‘Worm’ Murphy is released from prison and asks him to help him pay back his debts.
The final climactic poker game in Rounders, between Mick and Teddy, is a suspense-filled battle between titans which never fails to send a shiver down the spine. Teddy trash talks Mike all throughout the game, but Mike’s focused determination is an inspiration to all poker players.
Arguably, Rounders gained much of its popularity following the online poker boom in 2003 onwards. With the Internet poker scene still going strong today, it’s considered something of a classic cult film in the poker community.
#2 – The Sting (1973)
The Sting tells the tale of Johnny Hooker, a con-artist in old-time Chicago, who accidentally embarrasses a mob boss during one of his schemes. Fearing for his life after the murder of his partner, Johnny flees the city and starts wandering the country.
Things change after meeting master con-man Henry Gondorff, with whom Johnny plots an elaborate scheme to get back to the mobster who killed his friend by steal a large sum of money.
The best scene is unquestionably the high-stakes poker game that’s set about the train. What’s unusual about this scene is that it’s probably one of the dirtiest poker playing ever put on film, with the opponents trying to out-cheat one another at every turn.
#1 – The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
The titular Cincinnati Kid is Eric ‘The Kid’ Stoner, an upstart poker player who believes he has the potential to be a professional poker player and is eager to show to the world his skill.
When Stoner learns that poker champion Lance ‘The Man’ Howard is coming to town, he challenges him to a private game. Stoner gets more than he bargained for this rash decision when he discovers he has unwittingly become a puppet in the rivalry between The Man and his arch-rival Slade.
The final poker hand between The Kid and The Man is considered by many as the best ever filmed. Whilst poker purists might have something to say about the blatant disregard for actual poker rules and etiquette, to the rest of us viewers it’s a beautifully shot spectacle of two proud and expert players who simply refuse to yield and suffer the dishonour of defeat.
Which poker scenes in movies do you consider to be the best? Did we list your favourite one? Let us know below…