Three small-time grifters come up with an ambitious plan to overcome the ultimate card mechanic - known simply as 'The Dean' (played convincingly by Stallone) - in this story of of L.A.'s underground gambling scene. Gabriel Byrne, Melanie Griffith and the extremely yummy Thandie Newton also star in this stylish film in which sleight of hand and shady alliances keep the viewer guessing right until the final hand is shown down. 'The Cincinnati Kid' meets 'Tilt' meets 'The Sting'. Despite the fact that this one went straight to video IMHO the producers did a pretty good job with this film, the card tricks will definitely impress, and the ending has more than one surprise in store... 

 THE BIG BLIND

'The real poker movie. Made by a real poker player'. That's what their website says anyway. The Big Blind co-stars Scotty Nguyen and Jennifer Harman and features a brief cameo by Daniel Negreanu. It offers its audience a brief glimpse into the lives of various poker players who frequent a run-down poker room in the Lake Elsinore Casino, and to be painfully honest it has something of a B-movie feel to it. You don't develop any real empathy for any of the characters, and it struggles to hold the attention. I fell asleep no less than 3 times whilst watching which is probably not a very good testament to the storyline. Having said that, it was amusing at times, so if you've nothing better to watch, go for it.

Probably best remembered for the sleight of hand scenes (where John Scarne's hands double for Newman's) and the unforgettable honky-tonk ragtime jazz piano sequences, The Sting deservedly won no less than 7 Academy Awards (including the one for Best Picture). Robert Redford and Paul Newman star in probably their most memorable roles yet (second only to 'Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid') as Johnny Hooker and Henry Gondorff, a pair of Chicago con artists who find themselves involved in (amongst other things) a high stakes poker game against New York mob boss Doyle Lonnegan when they set out to avenge the murder of fellow grifter and mutual friend, Luther Coleman. A classic.

 LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS

OK, OK, there's not a whole lot of poker in this film, but it IS the poker right at the beginning of the film which most people remember, and which becomes the driving force for the rest of the film. When Eddie, Soap, Tom and Bacon lose £500,000 in a rigged poker game with London porn king and mob-boss "Hatchet" Harry they find themselves  involved in a race against time to raise the cash before Big Chris (a career-kick-starting performance by Vinnie Jones) removes their fingers. The film also humorously follows the paths of countless other groups of criminals whose paths cross (and re-cross) more than once during the course of the film. All this and one of my mate's brothers is in it (he plays one of Harry's thugs). 

OK, OK, it's the small screen not the BIG screen and it's been soundly slagged off in the 2+2 forums in addition to, well, just about everywhere, but Tilt was (and is) indisputably about poker, so it's worth a mention here for that reason alone. An ESPN offering, capitalizing on the current poker craze and from the same writers who gave us ROUNDERS, Tilt brings poker's underground elements to the goggle box. It's the story of "The Matador" (played by Michael Madsen), who dominates the game more through his alliances with players, casino owners, and the police than through his poker skills. Look out for cameos by Daniel Negreanu, T.J. Cloutier, Phil Hellmuth, David Williams, and more!

Maverick is the story of Brett Maverick, a card-playing gunslinger (portrayed by Mel Gibson, visibly enjoying his role) who meets up with wily gambler Annabelle Bransford (Jodie Foster) and a famous marshal named Zane Cooper (played here by James Garner, who played the original Maverick in the TV series back in the 1960s). Maverick is on his way to a huge poker tournament being held in St. Louis, and the film follows the action - and laughs - that take place as he tries to raise the $5,000 required entry fee for the big game. Look out for the humorous cameo from Gibson's Lethal Weapon co-star Danny Glover when he and Gibson appear to recognise each other and then shake their heads 'Nah'. Quality. 

'California Split' is probably Robert Altman's best film to date, and one not many people this side of the pond will have heard of, but it's well worth a look-see. George Segal and Elliott Gould star as Bill and Charlie, a couple of committed gamblers bouncing off one another as they traverse a landscape of poker rooms, race tracks, boxing rings and high-stakes 7-card poker games in their hunt for action. Sometimes they win, more often than not they lose and sometimes they just get beaten up. If you liked 'Rounders' you'll LOVE this film. Watch out especially for the cameo by the legendary poker player and gambler “Amarillo Slim” Preston. Sadly it's only available in NTSC format at this writing.  

 THE CINCINATTI KID  

   LUCKYTOWN

Kirsten Dunst plays Lidda Doyles, a young woman who hasn't seen her father Charlie (Caan) in many years. On her 18th birthday, however, Charlie sends her a cheque as a present, and Lidda, excited to finally hear from her dad again, heads off to Las Vegas to meet him face to face. On the way, she picks up Colonel (Kartheiser), a convenience store clerk who fancies himself a cool hand with a deck of cards. Once in Vegas, Lidda goes looking for Charlie, while Colonel ends up in a high stakes poker game. He wins, but that turns out to be bad luck on his part when he sees how Tony, the owner of a strip joint, reacts to losing a big hand. An OK fillum if you're a Kirsten Dunst fan, but bear in mind this went straight-to-video.

 HIGH ROLLER - THE STU UNGER STORY