Best Gambling Movies About Poker to Watch During Isolation

The casino gambling movie genre is a hugely popular one. The thrill of the win, the tension involved and sometimes the crime elements included have all encapsulated watchers for years.

Many great films will always be left out of a list such as this, with casino lovers from Poland and beyond able to argue about their merits forever and a day. Poker in particular however is a subject that thrills movie lovers and gamblers alike, provoking thoughts and dreams of being that one high-stakes player left in at the end of the game.

Read more from our writer Jacek Michałski on some of the best gambling movies and plenty of other subjects here.

Poker’s Influence on Film

Many, many great poker movies have been made which you can read more about over at Live For Films who will give you a full run-down.

For us though, these five great films are some of the best movies based on gambling ever released, with a specific poker motif attached to them that viewers in Poland absolutely love.

1. Rounders (1998)

A cult classic starring Ed Norton, Matt Damon and John Malkovich. Rounders is about a young former gambler who has to return to high-stakes poker to help his friend pay off some loans.

The movie surrounds the protagonist’s battle to balance his relationship, his friendships and his commitment to finishing law school. On balance, few would disagree that Rounders is one of the best poker films and was once voted the best gambling movie of all time.

2. The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

One of the top gambling movies ever to have hit the big screen, this story follows Eric “The Kid” Stoner who is played by Steve McQueen.

The Kid is a pro poker player in Depression-era America, looking to become the best in the business. Ultimately, he has to play Lancey “The Man” Howard in a climactic scene showing the ultimate poker hand between the two players.

3. Casino Royale (2006)

Part of the genius of the Bond franchise is sticking to the subjects we, and Bond himself, love. For Daniel Craig’s Bond debut Texas Hold’Em poker was central to the plot as the secret agent looks to prove himself worthy of a “licence to kill”.

Bond is never happier than when he is around a gaming table, and in Casino Royale he attempts to use poker to bankrupt a major terrorist fancier known as Le Chiffre.

4. All In: The Poker Movie (2009)

If you’re looking for real life examples of people chasing the dream and using poker to achieve it, then this feature length documentary is one to watch.

All In focuses on why poker has re-emerged as one of the most popular games in the States and Poland in recent years, perhaps because of the online boom and sites such as Betsafe offering poker games while taking a look at the risks players take chasing their dream.

5. Maverick (1994)

Returning to an old character, the 1994 version of this story featuring Jodie Foster and Mel Gibson sees Bret Maverick chasing cash to enter a poker tournament on a boat.

Along the way, Maverick comes up against various barriers in his pursuit including his biggest hurdle; Foster’s charming thief character. Maverick is one of the more frivolous, easy-watching poker movies ever.

Conclusion

For many of us in Poland and the rest of the world, there is little else to do when in isolation other than to watch movies. At least these titles will satisfy our gambling thirst at the same time.