MOLLY’S GAME + SMART MONEY + FINDER’S FEE + CALIFORNIA SPLIT + ROUNDERS – 5 Movies Poker Players Are Obsessed With

Poker has an interesting relationship with the movie industry. The poker table is often used as the setting for the major scene in which the hero meets the villain. 

When the movies are written correctly, they do so much more than showcasing the game in the right light. Great poker movies give viewers the chance to see what the game is all about and how it affects those involved.

There are probably a lot of poker movies out there. After all, it’s one of the biggest, if not the biggest card game in the world. But there are only a few that have really caught the attention of the poker world. If you haven’t seen them yet, now is the time.

Here are 5 movies poker players are obsessed with.

5. Molly’s Game (2017)

Synopsis: as a young girl, Molly Bloom was training to become an Olympic skier until an unfortunate accident cost her dear. Without any direction in life, she finds that organizing high stakes poker games can make her a great deal of money.

Molly’s Game is all about building yourself back up even when life kicks you down and all seems lost. The film showcases all of Molly’s incredible highs as well as her darkest lows, but she manages to find a way through.

Molly’s Game was one of the most anticipated poker movies in recent memory and it did not disappoint. 

4. Smart Money (1931)

Synopsis: Nick is the best poker player in his neighborhood. High on confidence, he decided to play in the big city but ultimately gets cleaned out by some shady professionals. However, he does let this get to him, going on to play heads-up matches against other top players to build up his bankroll. Nick uses this new-found wealth to build underground casinos where great players and those that just want to have some fun can both have a fair chance to win. Everything goes so well until the district attorney gets involved.

Smart Money is not the greatest movie you will ever watch in your lifetime. However, the reason why poker players are obsessed with this movie comes down to the fact that it came out during the Great Depression. This period saw the system screwing the little guy time and time again, but this story is all about beating the system with a special skill: being great at poker.

Now, bear in mind that if you watch it now, the movie is very much dated and you need the context to understand it. Nick the Barber will be remembered as a legend though, having created an empire using his wits.

3. Finder’s Fee (2001)

Synopsis: a group of friends come together every week to play a home game. Each player buys a lottery ticket and the winner of the poker game gets to keep them all. However, the fun stops when one member of the group finds a lost wallet containing the winning ticket and the owner comes looking for it right before the game is about to start.

At the time, Finder’s Fee had a couple of big names in the form of James Earl Jones and Robert Foster. Looking at it now, it also featured up-and-coming actors like Ryan Reynolds and Matthew Lillard, household names for the current generation.

As noted by TheFanCarpet, Finder’s Fee is all about how greed can turn even the nicest group of people and turn them into monsters. The heart of it all is the obsession with getting paid, no matter the cost.

Written by Jeff Probst (who now happens to be the host of Survivor), the film takes you through a series of emotions. The $6 million poker game is excellent and will have you gripped to your seat.

If this movie seems like it’s come a bit out of the blue to you, that’s because it was mostly ignored by audiences and critics when it first came out. Nevertheless, poker players love it and if you have the time to watch it, you won’t be disappointed.

2. California Split (1974)

Synopsis: Bill Denny loves poker but hates his job. While at a card room, Denny Meets Charlie Waters and ends up deciding that Waters’ way of life is better than his own. They team up to embrace the life of being a professional gambler in 1970’s America.

This film dramatizes what it’s like being a full-time degen and it’s not hard to see what makes it so appealing. It makes you think: is this the lifestyle that you want? Moreover, is the person you want to be?

California Split shows that living the degen life can be crazy fun and live the life you’ve always wanted.  But it’s also keen to point out that it takes a lot of energy to keep up with the craziness. If you’re not careful, the dream can turn into a nightmare real fast.

1. Rounders (1998)

Synopsis: let’s be real, is there any chance that you don’t know what Rounders is all about?

According to Lucian Marinescu at OnlineCasinoGems.com, “Rounders is the number one movie that comes to mind when people think about poker movies. It offers something that other films are afraid to do: Rounders doesn’t ask for your approval.”

Other poker movies try to make you understand the game of poker and those that are playing it. Rounders takes a different approach: the only thing you need to understand about the movie is that Mike McDermott wants to be the best poker player in the world.

It’s just like how Rocky wants to fight to the end with Apollo. Not being the best is the same as losing and no one likes being a loser.

This is the main reason why poker players are obsessed with this poker movie and why is captivates audiences everywhere. If there are two things that we all share as people, they would be wanting to be the best as something and respecting all the work and effort that it takes to achieve it.