Presignify

Rounders is a film that resides in the hearts of poker enthusiasts everywhere. You’ve got to love it. Even if you’ve sworn poker off after a series of bad beats, one glimpse of that film and you’re ready to make a go of it. My friends and I would actually put it on to pump us up before we headed out to a tournament or a home game. If you’ve seen it you’d understand.

Rounders revolves around a pair of poker studs played by Edward Norton and Matt Damon, and (of course) they fall into debt to some dangerous folks and are forced to gamble their way out of it. Throughout their quest to save their butts from their debtors, we get treated to a cornucopia of poker wisdoms and strategies.

The nods to famous players and well-known hands, as well as the knowledge of the game make it apparent that the film was written by someone who loves the game. The game play scenes have all the action of a WSOP game on ESPN, and Damon’s narration gives the action an extra dimension. Throw John Malkovich and John Turturro into the mix, and you’ve got a solid movie that appeals to everyone, especially us poker nuts.