In recent years poker has become an established part of our culture, both for those participating and as a spectator sport.
The rise in popularity is due in no small part to its depiction in the movies, with several high-profile films either based on poker or boasting scenes that have helped accentuate its rise in popularity.
Statista claims that over 22 million people are playing online worldwide, with many of those without doubt influenced by one of the following four movies.
High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zkO-EOmwcw
Based on a true story, this 2013 release covers Stu Ungar’s journey from a teenage card prodigy to world-renowned gambling superstar. It includes cameos from some of poker’s most famous names, including Vince Van Patten, Andy Glazer and Al Bernstein.
Despite the tragic ending to the story and Ungar’s life, the epic scenes in which he won big at the World Series of Poker events truly captured the agony and ecstasy of the game itself.
It vividly charts a hugely successful career which saw Ungar win over $2m (£1.6m), according to the World Series of Poker website.
Rounders
This 1998 film opened the eyes of a generation of poker players. Starring Matt Damon as Mike McDermott, it tells how two friends enter the world of high-stakes poker to pay off a large debt.
Whilst it didn’t perform well at the box office, it has subsequently become a cult hit due to the rise in popularity of poker. It was one of the first films to introduce the mainstream to several key poker terms such as all-in, bluff and fold. It became a tutorial of sorts for the modern-day player. This in turn, led to a whole new approach on how to educate budding poker players looking to mimic their onscreen heroes. The ‘How to Play’ guides on PartyPoker show how online tutorials have become extremely popular nowadays, with modules on every area of the game. This allows players to quickly get up to speed with the tactics needed, so they can be as accomplished as Mike McDermott at the table.
Casino Royale
Whilst not a film as much about poker as the others, the scene in the James Bond movie ‘Casino Royale’ stands out as one of the strongest in modern times.
In Daniel Craig’s first outing as 007, we see a different Bond, one Craig himself described in a BBC interview as adapted for the times. He is still effortlessly cool but with a new, modern-day twist.
That’s evident in the scene where he takes on super villain Le Chiffre and bags himself $120m (£97m) despite being poisoned during the match.
Molly’s Game
This 2017 film was written by Aaron Sorkin, who also penned Moneyball and West Wing. It’s the true story of Molly Bloom, a former Olympic Skiing hopeful who suffered an injury that kept her from competing in the Games.
She takes to running high stakes poker games and the stylish biopic delivers several powerful and relatable poker scenes. One, in which a player called Harlan gets bluffed, examines the need to know and understand your opponents just as much as the game itself
