Loved Rounders, what else?

3N1GM4 · #1 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. · #2 01-22-2005, 02:16 AM

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

3N1GM4 · #3 01-22-2005, 02:27 AM

These 2 are books, I assume?

The T.A. · #4 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 · #5 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 · #6 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 · #7 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 · #8 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 · #9 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 · #10 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!