Loved Rounders, what else? [Archive] - Two Plus Two Older Archives

3N1GM4

01-22-2005, 01:44 AM

Hi, I guess this is the right section for this, although I get the impression discussion here is more directed towards instructional books and videos.

Anyways, I just got round to watching Rounders (it's been on my to-do list for a while) and I really enjoyed it. Whether the portrayal of poker and the lifestyle surrounding it is accurate or not, I thought the film was really engrossing.

I just wondered if there are any other good poker-based films (or heaven-forbit, books) that I could check out? Like I say, I'm not after instructional material to improve my game as such, just fiction based around the world of poker...

Any suggestions welcome, hope I've posted in the right place!

Thanks.

The T.A.

01-22-2005, 02:16 AM

Positively Fifth Street by James McManus and The Biggest Game in Town by A. Alvarez.

3N1GM4

01-22-2005, 02:27 AM

These 2 are books, I assume?

The T.A.

01-22-2005, 02:45 AM

[ QUOTE ]
These 2 are books, I assume?

[/ QUOTE ]
Yep.

There aren't too many good poker flicks out there.

BradleyT

01-22-2005, 02:59 AM

TJ Cloutier and Tom McEvoy's book Championship No Limit Holdem has some nice "road gambler" stories in it as well as poker advice. I think it was $30 though.....see if you can find it used.

bdk3clash

01-22-2005, 03:42 AM

California Split is my favorite poker/gambling movie (and one of my favorite movies, period.)

It just came out on a Criterion edition DVD and is definitely worth checking out.

Bill Murphy

01-22-2005, 03:51 AM

King of a Small World by Rick Bennet, & Shut Up & Deal by Jesse May are the two best poker fiction books. KOASW is the more rounderish of the two. Biggest Game in Town & Big Deal are the two best non-fiction ones, but Cowboy Wolford's is great as well, tho most of the best stories are rodeo based.

California Split is prolly the only other movie w/notable poker content that is even watchable.

MicroBob

01-22-2005, 03:51 AM

I only caught part of it on TV one time....but I actually kind of enjoyed the cheezy "Big Hand for the Little Lady" with Henry Fonda.

MicroBob

01-22-2005, 04:03 AM

Shut up and deal is amusing for it's relative cheeziness and for how badly written it is.
However, it is a fast and reasonably enjoyable read in spite of it's (many) flaws. Hardly a literary masterpiece but it does capture a certain 'flavor' of high-stakes play at Foxwoods and what being an addict is all about.

BUD

01-22-2005, 11:02 AM

KING OF A Small world was fun, and shut up and deal. For movies : I have not seen it but the Stu Ungar story will be on jan 30th at 9 pm on starz network ( i think it is called high roller ). From what i have read about him I couldn't make a bad movie about him. I really enjoyed Amarillo slim's book for entertainment value. Another good book for people who love gambling excitement and a edge at gambling is ameriacan roulette, i enjoyed 24/7, poker nation,Bringing down the house by ben mezrich ( bestseller )and also available in audio form.Herbert Yardley's book from forever ago hada good story : education of a poker player (get it through amazon it is not published in the US). I do not recall if big deall anthony holden's book was mentioned, definitiely worth a read, or the biggest game in town. And the man with 100, 000 breasts was entertaining. I sure I have many others, but probably my biggest poker/ banroll leak ( i have a smallish banroll) are books!

k8as8ey

01-22-2005, 11:37 AM

You have got to see "The Cinncinati Kid" starring Steve McQueen and Edward G. Robinson, 1965.

3N1GM4

01-22-2005, 01:57 PM

Wow, thanks for all the replies guys, loads of stuff to check out there, if you think of any more, keep em coming.... Cheers.

cowboyzfan

01-22-2005, 02:10 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I only caught part of it on TV one time....but I actually kind of enjoyed the cheezy "Big Hand for the Little Lady" with Henry Fonda.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree, it is really a good movie. Is it realistic poker? no

and I have seen the whole thing. It helps to like Westerns of course.

beyeond

01-22-2005, 03:08 PM

Not too many people have heard of "Shade", but i thought it was a good movie, with alot of star actors. (Jamie Foxx, Sylvestor Stallone, Gabriel Byrne, Stuart Townshend)

It's centered around poker, and has some good twists. Here's the trailer...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0323939/trailers

jakethebake

01-22-2005, 11:30 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Not too many people have heard of "Shade", but i thought it was a good movie, with alot of star actors. (Jamie Foxx, Sylvestor Stallone, Gabriel Byrne, Stuart Townshend)

It's centered around poker, and has some good twists. Here's the trailer...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0323939/trailers

[/ QUOTE ]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I can only hope this was a joke. Even Tilt is better than that piece od crap.

Steve McQueen

01-22-2005, 11:49 PM

[ QUOTE ]
You have got to see "The Cinncinati Kid" starring Steve McQueen and Edward G. Robinson, 1965.

[/ QUOTE ]

I second the recommendation.

beyeond

01-23-2005, 12:50 AM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Not too many people have heard of "Shade", but i thought it was a good movie, with alot of star actors. (Jamie Foxx, Sylvestor Stallone, Gabriel Byrne, Stuart Townshend)

It's centered around poker, and has some good twists. Here's the trailer...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0323939/trailers

[/ QUOTE ]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I can only hope this was a joke. Even Tilt is better than that piece od crap.

[/ QUOTE ]

He didn't ask for recommendations for movie of the year. Actually, here's what he said:

I just wondered if there are any other good poker-based films (or heaven-forbit, books) that I could check out? Like I say, I'm not after instructional material to improve my game as such, just fiction based around the world of poker... Like I say, I'm not after instructional material to improve my game as such, just fiction based around the world of poker...

I was just trying to help the guy. It's a fiction-based movie based on poker. Whether or not it's a blockbuster movie, or even realistic is obviously open to debate.

jakethebake

01-23-2005, 01:28 AM

[ QUOTE ]
He didn't ask for recommendations for movie of the year. Actually, here's what he said:

I just wondered if there are any other good poker-based films (or heaven-forbit, books) that I could check out? Like I say, I'm not after instructional material to improve my game as such, just fiction based around the world of poker... Like I say, I'm not after instructional material to improve my game as such, just fiction based around the world of poker...

I was just trying to help the guy. It's a fiction-based movie based on poker. Whether or not it's a blockbuster movie, or even realistic is obviously open to debate.

[/ QUOTE ]
I know what he asked for and the word "good" obviously precludes that piece of [censored]. And it's not open to debate. Do you see why?

pryor15

01-25-2005, 04:51 AM

"Croupier", staring Clive Owen is a very cool movie, that's only somewhat about poker. There's lots of gambling, though, (he works as a casino dealer) and he's fantastic in it.

kiddo

01-25-2005, 12:44 PM

If u like Amarillo Slim, his biography "Amarillo Slim in a world full of fat people" is very funny.

They (maybe) gonna make a movie of it with Nicolas Cage.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000770085

Patrick del Poker Grande

01-25-2005, 02:28 PM

[ QUOTE ]
If u like Amarillo Slim, his biography "Amarillo Slim in a world full of fat people" is very funny.

They (maybe) gonna make a movie of it with Nicolas Cage.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000770085

[/ QUOTE ]
OH MAN! Please ANYBODY but Nicolas Cage. I think this could be a great movie, but I can't stand Nicolas Cage.

edpsu92

01-25-2005, 03:12 PM

No one has mentioned The Cincinnati Kid.

DenverPokerClub

01-25-2005, 03:52 PM

Shade sucked but it has a lot of poker in it.

I know you are looking for poker material but a movie you out to check out is "owning mahoney" - great flick about a gambler who steals from a bank in Canada - based on a true story i believe

jakethebake

01-25-2005, 05:51 PM

[ QUOTE ]
OH MAN! Please ANYBODY but Nicolas Cage. I think this could be a great movie, but I can't stand Nicolas Cage.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed. 100%. He's a no-talent assclown.

jakethebake

01-25-2005, 05:52 PM

[ QUOTE ]
No one has mentioned The Cincinnati Kid.

[/ QUOTE ]

Or maybe they have...more than once. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Moyer

01-26-2005, 01:26 AM

Super System 2 has some good stories from Doyle Brunson and a section on the history of no limit holdem that are entertaining.

You can catch "Tilt" on ESPN thursday nights. Some people like it.

Also, in SS2, Doyle mentions that a movie script of his life story was just finished. There's some real potential there for an amazing movie if they can get the right people involved.

mjqualls

01-26-2005, 04:59 AM

High roller the Stu Unger story will be on starz on sunday at 9:00 pm. Here is what there site said about the movie. Michael Imperioli stars in the true story of Stuey Ungar, the youngest and three-time champion of the World Series of Poker, whose personal demons would always, overshadowed his achievements.

Dan Mezick

01-26-2005, 03:03 PM

Here you go...

http://www.pokertop10.com/poker_movies.html

pastabatman

01-26-2005, 03:26 PM

It always bugs me how some folks have such a visceral reaction to certain actors, and smear them mercilessly at every opportunity. I'll admit Cage has done some sucko movies that are pure poo. But I also think 'Leaving Las Vegas' & 'Adaptation' are among the finest movies I've seen in the last decade.

<now applying flame-proof undergaments ...>

DenverPokerClub

01-26-2005, 04:03 PM

what about Raising Arizona - classic

sgw

01-30-2005, 12:36 AM

shade is worth a look

not because it is a great movie...B movie average at best.
not for the poker, which is hollywoodized.

but for the card manipulation stuff. all of the card tricks in the movie are real, there is no cutting in and out. watch the special features and see some of the best "mechanics" in the world. amazing but scary.

cheers,
the Real Macoy

snowmen

01-30-2005, 12:49 AM

What about High Roller??

Shoe

01-30-2005, 05:42 AM

The Big Deal is a great book, by Anthony Holden.

sgw

02-01-2005, 07:02 AM

hey jakethebake,

had to comment on the avatar
when i saw that clip a few years ago now i laughed for days and days. have you seen the one where a cat gets its paw stuck on a string and is swung around for awhile by a ceiling fan? also very funny stuff. if not i can send it to you.

cheers,
the Real Macoy

BigBluffer

02-01-2005, 09:57 AM

"Winner Takes All" certainly won't win any awards (it didn't), but if you're looking for a movie with a good amount of poker content in it, this is one. The story is about the life of a stereotypical degenerate compulsive gambler and how she ruins her marriage, then makes a turnaround. She haunts the California card rooms and race tracks. Don't expect this to be a classic, but it's a movie with some mediocre (at best) poker content.

"The Gambler" - the one starring James Caan, not the Kenny Rogers movie - doesn't have any poker content as I recall, but I think it is one of the best movies ever made about compulsive gambling.