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15 of the best poker films of all time
The cinematic world of gambling is often depicted in extremes, from the dazzling casinos of Las Vegas to the disheveled apartment of an unlucky player who's lost it all鈥攁nd in many cases, both.
There are the high highs of winning a big pot and the low lows of loan shark threats. As a result, these types of movies are often full of suspense, action, and oftentimes, despair. However, some directors are able to find the playful side of this lifestyle, producing light-hearted comedies that make you smile and want to sit at the poker table during your next trip to Vegas.
compiled a list of 15 of the best poker movies ever made. To qualify, poker had to be a significant part of the plot, and the film had to have at least a 7.0/10 on with at least 5,000 votes. This list includes everything from silent films and dark comedies to neo-noirs and Westerns. Some of these flicks are so highly regarded they've been added to the of the Library of Congress.
Take a look below and check how many of these movies you've seen.
Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler (1922)
- Director: Fritz Lang
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 242 minutes
鈥淒r. Mabuse, the Gambler鈥 is a German silent film that follows the misdeeds of criminal mastermind Dr. Mabuse. The villain often visits illegal casinos in various disguises and hypnotizes his opponents during card games in order to win big. Clocking in at four hours, the film was split into two parts. During its climax, Dr. Mabuse goes mad and begins hallucinating his victims, who demand he play cards with them, before he鈥檚 eventually caught by authorities.
Destry Rides Again (1939)
- Director: George Marshall
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 81
- Runtime: 95 minutes
James Stewart stars in 鈥淒estry Rides Again,鈥 a Western film that begins with crooked saloon owner Kent ordering the murder of the town鈥檚 sheriff Keogh after he asks more questions than he should about a rigged poker game. When a new sheriff is appointed, he calls on the help of Stewart鈥檚 character, Thomas Jefferson 鈥淭om鈥 Destry Jr. As the new deputy, Destry restores lawfulness to the fictional town of Bottleneck and justice prevails.
The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
- Director: Norman Jewison
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 67
- Runtime: 102 minutes
鈥淭he Cincinnati Kid鈥 stars Steve McQueen as Eric 鈥淭he Kid鈥 Stoner, a rising Depression-era poker opponent hailing from New Orleans who wears his hubris with pride. When Lancey 鈥淭he Man鈥 Howard (Edward G. Robinson) comes to town, Stoner sees it as a chance to dethrone him. They compete in a game of five-card stud that begins with six players and ends with a showdown between the Kid and the Man. The final hand is among the most famous and heavily debated scenes in poker cinema history.
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
- Director: Stuart Rosenberg
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: 92
- Runtime: 127 minutes
鈥淐ool Hand Luke鈥 may technically be a prison drama, but its title comes from a phrase Lucas 鈥淟uke鈥 Jackson (Paul Newman) utters after winning a poker game by bluffing with a useless hand. 鈥淪ometimes, nothing can be a real cool hand," he says slyly, encouraging his friend, Dragline (George Kennedy), to give him the nickname Cool Hand Luke. Newman was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in the film, while Kennedy earned the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
The Sting (1973)
- Director: George Roy Hill
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Metascore: 83
- Runtime: 129 minutes
鈥淭he Sting鈥 features a number of great cons from professional grifters Henry 鈥淪haw鈥 Gondorff (Paul Newman) and Johnny 鈥淜elly鈥 Hooker (Robert Redford). However, the most famous one might be when Shaw out-cheats a mob boss in a . The film was a massive success, both critically and commercially, taking home seven Oscars at the 46th Academy Awards鈥攊ncluding Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. In fact, 鈥淭he Sting鈥 is so highly regarded that it was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2005.
California Split (1974)
- Director: Robert Altman
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 84
- Runtime: 108 minutes
鈥淐alifornia Split鈥 isn鈥檛 just a poker film; it鈥檚 a movie about addiction, friendship, and the human condition. The picture stars Elliott Gould and George Segal as two gamblers who befriend each other. After a wild ride that begins with Bill Denny (Segal) winning big at poker, the pair split their hefty profits, and eventually go their separate ways.
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)
- Director: John Cassavetes
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: 65
- Runtime: 135 minutes
鈥淭he Killing of a Chinese Bookie鈥 is a neo-noir crime film at its core, but poker plays a significant part in its plot. Fresh from paying off his seven-year gambling debt, strip club owner Cosmo Vittelli (Ben Gazzara) immediately racks up $23,000 in poker debt and finds himself in a much direr situation. The film received mixed reviews after its initial 1976 release but has since gained a cult following.
Atlantic City (1980)
- Director: Louis Malle
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: 85
- Runtime: 104 minutes
Susan Sarandon stars in 鈥淎tlantic City鈥 as Sally, a casino waitress with dreams to be a blackjack dealer鈥攂ut she has an estranged husband whose nefarious deeds haunt her. Though the movie is not specifically about poker, a scene that sets the action in motion takes place during an illegal poker game in a hotel room. The film was nominated for the 鈥淏ig Five鈥 Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Original Screenplay); however, it failed to take any Oscars home. Even so, it was eventually added to the U.S. National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2003.
Maverick (1994)
- Director: Richard Donner
- IMDb user rating: 7.0
- Metascore: 62
- Runtime: 127 minutes
鈥淢补惫别谤颈肠办鈥 is an over-the-top Western comedy, and that鈥檚 exactly what makes it so lovable. The 1994 film鈥攂ased on a 鈥50s television series of the same name鈥攃o-stars the show鈥檚 lead James Garner as Marshal Zane Cooper; Mel Gibson as card shark and con man Bret Maverick; and Jodie Foster as a young con artist named Annabelle Bransford. Though many adventures ensue, the movie鈥檚 main plotline focuses on a five-card draw poker tournament that Maverick and Bransford both want to win.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
- Director: Guy Ritchie
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 66
- Runtime: 107 minutes
鈥淟ock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels鈥 is a black comedy heist movie with a story set after small-time criminals and good friends Eddie, Tom, Soap, and Bacon amass 拢100,000 so Eddie (a card shark) can buy into a high-stakes three-card brag game. The game ends up being rigged; the friends end up owing 拢500,000 to 鈥淗atchet鈥 Harry Lonsdale鈥攁nd that鈥檚 just the beginning. In addition to its commercial success, 鈥淟ock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels鈥 is also notable for being the feature film debut of both Jason Statham and Vinnie Jones.
Rounders (1998)
- Director: John Dahl
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: 54
- Runtime: 121 minutes
Anyone who was a poker fan in the late 鈥90s has probably seen 鈥淩ounders.鈥 The movie stars Matt Damon as a talented card player named Mike McDermott who aspires to win the World Series of Poker, but his path to the lauded tournament is not an easy one. The movie鈥檚 all-star cast includes Famke Janssen, Gretchen Mol, Edward Norton, Martin Landau, John Turturro, and John Malkovich.
Croupier (1998)
- Director: Mike Hodges
- IMDb user rating: 7.0
- Metascore: 75
- Runtime: 94 minutes
Clive Owen stars as Jack Manfred, an unsuccessful writer who begrudgingly takes a job as a card dealer at a local casino, in 鈥淐roupier.鈥 The British neo-noir finds just the right balance between action and atmosphere, paying homage to early detective noir films with interior monologues. It also helped launch Owen鈥檚 acting career in the United States.
Ocean鈥檚 Eleven (2001)
- Director: Steven Soderbergh
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 74
- Runtime: 116 minutes
Though poker may not be the focus of 鈥淥cean鈥檚 Eleven,鈥 gambling, heists, and casinos are at its forefront. The 2001 adaptation鈥攁 remake of the 1960 film of the same name鈥攚as a box office hit when it premiered. Its ensemble cast鈥攃onsisting of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy Garc铆a, Bernie Mac, and Julia Roberts鈥攑aired with its exceptional entertainment value gave Steven Soderbergh the opportunity to also helm 鈥嬧媡wo sequels: 2004鈥檚 鈥淥cean鈥檚 Twelve鈥 and 2007鈥檚 鈥淥cean鈥檚 Thirteen.鈥 An equally star-studded, all-female spinoff arrived with 2018鈥檚 鈥淥cean鈥檚 8,鈥 which starred Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Awkwafina, and others.
Casino Royale (2006)
- Director: Martin Campbell
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Metascore: 80
- Runtime: 144 minutes
鈥淐asino Royale鈥 is the first James Bond film to star Daniel Craig. The movie鈥攚hich takes place during the beginning of 007鈥檚 career鈥攕ees Bond assigned to financially ruin the terroristic financier Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) in a high-stakes poker match at Montenegro鈥檚 Casino Royale. This installment led to four subsequent films featuring Craig as 007, concluding with 2021鈥檚 Oscar-winning 鈥淣o Time to Die.鈥
Molly鈥檚 Game (2017)
- Director: Aaron Sorkin
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 71
- Runtime: 140 minutes
Jessica Chastain plays Molly Bloom in 鈥淢olly鈥檚 Game,鈥 a biographical crime drama based on the titular character鈥檚 memoir. After her Olympic skiing vocation comes to an end following a terrible accident, Bloom shifts careers and ends up building an underground poker empire that eventually gets exposed and becomes the focus of an FBI investigation. The 2017 film鈥攚hich marked Aaron Sorkin鈥檚 directorial debut鈥攁lso stars Idris Elba, Michael Cera, Kevin Costner, and Jeremy Strong, among other performers.