What do you think about the movie - Rounders (1998) now?

[xrisky]

Sure it was a good movie that probably played a huge role in the booming of the poker scene today. But watching the movie again, is it still good?

*Link removed*

A young man (Damon) is a reformed gambler who must return to playing big stakes poker to help a friend pay off loan sharks.

Director: John Dahl
Writers: David Levien, Brian Koppelman
Stars: Matt Damon, Edward Norton and Paul Cicero

 

[Goodwooter]

i still like the movie and watch it from time to time just because i love poker. however, the movie does not help the problems online poker is having now....poker has long been known as a shady, underworld game...and this movie shows just that...meanwhile many of us enjoy playing in the comfort of our homes or in casinos where the games are closely monitored....Teddy is God
"pay him, pay that man his money"

 

[absoluthamm]

It's a good movie, but just as with all poker movies, fairly unrealistic.

 

[orangepeeleo]

Awesome movie, realistic...no, awesome, yes!

 

[gefishy]

I've only seen bits and pieces of "Rounders". This movie is definitely an iconic poker flick, but poker has its own romantic qualities. I think what made poker blow up was games like Texas Hold-em. Games that are relatively easy to learn, difficult to master, and show the "big hands" (full house and up) more often.

gambling is always interesting. You can turn a small amount of money into a lot with relatively small amounts of skill. Poker is romantic because it is gambling that can be enhanced with smart play and awareness. People look at it as an opportunity to show how smart they are and win money doing it. The movie certainly didn't hurt poker's exposure but I think poker would have grown regardless.

 

[absoluthamm]

Gambling is always interesting. You can turn a small amount of money into a lot with relatively small amounts of skill. Poker is romantic because it is gambling that can be enhanced with smart play and awareness. People look at it as an opportunity to show how smart they are and win money doing it. The movie certainly didn't hurt poker's exposure but I think poker would have grown regardless.

If you were to see the whole movie, you might think differently about how it might hurt poker's exposure overall. The main character(Matt Damon) lost his long time girlfriend, his successful career opportunities, and lots of money(albeit he won it back) and got the shit kicked out of him, all because of his poker problem. Great movie, but it doesn't really project poker amazingly...

 

[Lafayette2]

It wasn't his poker problem that made him lose everything.It was his vouching for a friend. His partner set him up and the only way to get even was his poker skill. He had talent that he was not using to take the conservative lifestyle. He was denying who he was and what he was to fit in.

 

[Divebitch]

Very interesting comments, and can see the validity in points made by all absolutehamm & gefishy & lafayette. Hamm, what is this May 28th stuff all about??? Personally, I think the outcome of the movie has to work in poker's favor. In the end, he gets the best of it, serving to glorify it, as not many (???) will think they don't have what it takes to make reads or whatever it takes.

 

[absoluthamm]

Very interesting comments, and can see the validity in points made by all absolutehamm & gefishy & lafayette. Hamm, what is this May 28th stuff all about??? Personally, I think the outcome of the movie has to work in poker's favor. In the end, he gets the best of it, serving to glorify it, as not many (???) will think they don't have what it takes to make reads or whatever it takes.

Haha, May 28th I got married, completely unrelated to poker

 

[danprince10]

I still love it!

 

[arahel_jazz]

Haha, May 28th I got married, completely unrelated to poker

Au contraire... you will find out in due time that it is DIRECTLY related to poker! Or, should I say, the amount of poker you play? LOLz

 

[whatafarse]

I still don't know why Gramma was pissed that Mike won at the end. If Mike lost he wasn't going to get any of the money owed to him. Did he really wanna beat Mike up that bad? I thought Gramma hated worm , but has a sort of mutual respect for Mike McD.
Also funny at the end when they start with 10,000 dollars each, with blinds at 25-50. Mike raises to $1,000 with KK (lol) then KGB re-raises to $5,000 (lol) then mike moves all in and KGB folds (lol). that wasnt a very realistic hand unless KGB really was a complete moron. KGB coulda folded to the $1,000 preflop raise and saved himself 4,950 in chips

 

[Amroth]

I like the movie, obviusly it doesnt reflect the reality, but it is a good way of spending a rainy evening

 

[gefishy]

If you were to see the whole movie, you might think differently about how it might hurt poker's exposure overall. The main character(Matt Damon) lost his long time girlfriend, his successful career opportunities, and lots of money(albeit he won it back) and got the shit kicked out of him, all because of his poker problem. Great movie, but it doesn't really project poker amazingly...

Oh crap, I remember this movie now! No, this did not do a lot for the underground poker scene but when I saw this movie I thought to myself "all I have to do is get super smart... then I can totally play poker!!!"

If there was any life lesson to be learned here it was to be careful where you play and who you play with. I still think this helped poker get more exposure in a time where poker was still on the fringe of pop-culture.

 

[regd87]

Still one of my favorites, however unrealistic.

 

[carroll3]

still very good

 

[fletchdad]

John Malkovich, Edward Norton

what more do you want..............

 

[genleemb]

John Malkovich, Edward Norton

what more do you want..............

Jason Bourne? an asain villain with an orange?

Joking aside ... I still like the movie. Yes its unrealistic at times, but most movies are. The movie is about things other than poker as mentioned above. Grinders have difficult choices away from the tables too.

 

[baudib1]

pretty much all of the actual hands played in the movie were ridiculous.

AA vs. A9 on A9x9x board -- Mike's conversation with Joey implies that he should have been good enough to lay it down, as if.

KK -- as mentioned, the action is absurd.

A5 vs. 42 on A35 flop -- folding then showing and revealing that you know his tell is beyond ridiculous.

 

[carroll3]

anyone know what kgb had in the last hand?

 

[pricecube]

I remember watching the film first time round when I had no idea how to play poker but still enjoyed it. I watched it again recently and found that my newly acquired poker knowledge made it even more enjoyable, despite some of the hands being completely ridiculous, as mentioned above. At least it doesn't have a truly pathetic ending like at the end of 'Deal' where the main character mucks his aces so Burt Reynolds's character can win the bigboy tourney!

 

[RVladimiro]

anyone know what kgb had in the last hand?

72o

 

[TheVerbalist]

still an awesome movie. Damon, Norton, Malkovich, some of my favorites. the movie is very dated, but still very enjoyable

 

[CheckraiseLife]

I personally love the movie, abit dated and doesnt help the image of poker players maybe......but thats why they GOTTA MAKE ROUNDERS 2!!!!

Can you imagine if that became a box office hit...New poker BOOM? come here fishy

 

[CheckraiseLife]

and edward norton MUST BE IN IT!