Since the dawn of cinema, gambling movies have provided audiences with wildly unpredictable thrills and spikes of adrenaline like few others can ever dream of. In particular, the poker sub-genre has raised the stakes by adding a level of controlled skill to the game of chance, allowing players to more or less control their own competitive destiny. The balance between skill and chance makes for inherently dramatic storytelling.
John Dahl's 1998 film Rounders, starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton, is widely hailed as the greatest poker movie of all time. While there has yet to be a film to eclipse its status over the past 22 years, Rounders still has some mighty fine company.
The Grand (2007)
Poker films are rarely outright comedies, but in the case of Zak Penn's 2007 film The Grand, he collected an ensemble of poker-loving celebrities to participate in a totally improvised mockumentary setting. Almost all of the dialogue was made up on the spot.
Woody Harrelson, Ray Romano, David Cross, Jason Alexander, and many more star in the film about several colorful characters entering a Texas Hold'em poker tournament called The Grand. While the comedy is emphasized, the poker playing is accurate with several real-life players such as Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, and Daniel Negreanu all appearing.
Shade (2003)
Damien Neiman's 2003 film Shade is a star-studded heist thriller revolving around a high-stakes underground poker game. The nonlinear neo-noir centers on a trio of cardsharps who attempt to rob legendary hustler, The Dean (Sylvester Stallone), who has his own sly tricks up his sleeve.
While the movie focuses on double-crosses and devious grifting, the poker-playing details are advanced, authentic, and genuinely thrilling. Jamie Foxx, Melanie Griffith, Thandie Newton, Gabriel Byrne, and more costar.
5 Card Stud (1968)
The 1968 western 5 Card Stud is a highly entertaining murder mystery that takes place in an ongoing game of poker. Dean Martin, Robert Mitchum, and Roddy McDowall star in the film directed by Henry Hathaway.
When a poker player is caught bilking a game of 5 Card Stud, a lynch mob immediately hangs the man. When the players go back to the game, they begin to die mysteriously, one by one. As the remaining survivors try to identify the culprit, the ongoing poker game continues to be played as a way to draw hints and elicit clues.
High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (2003)
Michael Imperioli gives one of the best performances of his career in High Roller, playing real-life poker champion and self-destructive addict Stu Ungar.
After becoming a gambler at age 10, Ungar went on to win back-t0-back World Series of Poker titles in 1980 and 1981. Dubbed "The Kid" for his youthful appearance and prodigious skill, Ungar fell victim to his own drug-addled demons and self-destructive vices. The film is told in retrospect on Ungar's life day on Earth before tragically overdosing in a motel on the Las Vegas strip.
Mississippi Grind (2015)
Although Mississippi Grind features several gambling games, the level of meticulous poker-playing detail makes it one of the strongest movies ever made about card playing.
Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the film traces the embattled life of Gerry (Ben Mendelsohn), a troubled gambling addict struggling to keep afloat. When Gerry meets the exuberant poker pro, Curtis (Rayn Reynolds), the two set off a road trip through the American south and hit every casino and card game they can find.
California Split (1974)
Much like Mississippi Grind, Robert Altman's splendid California Split also features more games of chance than just poker. However, it's precisely the poker-playing acumen and compelling character study demonstrated in the film that makes it one of the all-time best of the subgenre.
Bill Denny (George Segal) is an unlucky gambler ready to call it quits until he meets the freewheeling Charlie Waters (Elliot Gould). With renewed vigor and purpose, the two men hit several casinos and race-tracks, ultimately ending in a high-stakes poker game in Reno, Nevada.
Maverick (1994)
Adapted from the 1957 TV show of the same name, Richard Donner's Maverick is a comedic confidence movie revolving around a high-stakes Winner Take All stud poker game in the American West.
Mel Gibson stars as Bret Maverick, a conman and skilled grifter who teams up with conniving gambler Annabelle Bransford (Jodie Foster) to raise money and enter a potentially lucrative poker tournament. As Maverick and Bransford make it to the final four, a battle of wits ensues for a $500,000 prize.
Molly's Game (2017)
The most recent poker movie to make the list belongs to Aaron Sorkin's Molly's Game, the superb true-crime thriller set in the elegant world of upscale and illegal underground poker.
Jessica Chastain stars as Molly Bloom, a former Olympic-level skier who, after suffering a career-ending injury, turns to run an illegal high-stakes Texas Hold'em ring. Molly ran the world's most restricted and expensive game for decades that included several high-profile celebrities and luminaries. When the game becomes compromised by the Russian mob, Molly is raided by the FBI and faces severe criminal charges.
The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
Norman Jewison's The Cincinnati Kid features some of the most riveting poker-playing sequences ever recorded for a fiction film. Steve McQueen stars as Eric Stoner, aka The Cincinnati Kid, a budding poker pro in 1930s New Orleans who is dedicated to climbing the ranks of the top players in town.
Stoner sets his sights on Lancey Howard (Edward G. Robinson), the best and most accomplished player around. As Stoner works his way to the top, he finally faces Lancey in a thrilling, heads-up, winner takes all game of five-card stud.
Rounders (1998)
John Dahl's Rounders continues to be the gold standard for all-time best poker movies. In addition to its stellar cast, the level of detail, education, and veracity of the poker playing in the film is second to none.
The film traces Mike McDermott (Matt Damon), who loses his life savings in a game of Texas Hold'em with Russian mobster Teddy KGB (John Malkovich). When his girlfriend leaves him after he loses, Mike reunites with his longtime friend and ex-con Worm (Edward Norton) to hustle exclusive poker games and tournaments along the East Coast. As Mike rebuilds his stack, he looks to avenge his loss to Teddy KGB in a monumental fashion.
