Big Hand for a Little Lady Released in 1966 about a family that moves into a new town and the husband decides to get in on a high stakes game of poker. He loses almost everything until his last hand when he conveniently has a heart attack. His wife, who has never played poker before, has to finish the game and try to win back her life savings. Quite a nice little comedic western. Kaleidoscope Released in 1966 with Warren Beatty playing a sly, cheating, debonair poker player who has to play in a really high profile game to defend his title as the 'luckiest poker player ever' and win the killer pot. Luckytown Released in 2000. Kirsten Dunst is on a quest to find her father who is a notorious gambler. She picks up a video store clerk with a dream of being 'the' poker player, and heads off to Las Vegas to find happiness, her father, or ruin. Maverick Released in 1994. This simple movie stars Mel Gibson as Maverick. Maverick needs 3,000 extra dollars to enter a winner-take-all poker tournament scheduled in a couple of days. Rounders Released in 1988 and is a great movie. Matt Damon's character is forced back into the world of poker to help pay off a friend's (Ed Norton) gambling debt. It's more of a card marathon near the end as they attempt to get the cash they need. Stuey Shown at the Dances With Films Festival of the Unknowns July 2003 (film release is scheduled for 2004). This is a movie based on the true story of the rise and fall of poker legend, Stu "The Kid" Ungar. Stu was an incredibly gifted card player who went on to win the World Series Championship twice in a row and then once more sixteen years later. He died in 1998. It’s your basic "rise and fall of a legend" tale told extremely well. The movie tagline says it all - "Gambler. Addict. Loser. Legend." The Cincinnati Kid Released in 1954. It's New Orleans and a new kid has come to town to beat the notorious Lancey Howard (Edward G. Robinson), the best poker player in the country. The Cincinnati Kid is all about the poker scene at the end, which is considered one of the best on film. The Gambler Probably Kenny Rogers' most famous role playing poker player, Brady Hawkes, who runs into problems in every town and around every corner. This movie has four sequels that basically have the same plot, but are worth a rainy Saturday night to watch. The title song, released in 1978, is probably the most famous line used in poker - "Know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em". Good advice for any player! The Gambler Directed by Karel Reisz, released in 1974, stars James Caan as Alex Freed. Alex Freed is a literature professor addicted to gambling. He's pretty bad at it too, losing money, begging to borrow cash from those he knows and loved ones, and eventually falling into a $40,000 debt to the mob. Axel as a pretty decent guy who just gets mixed up due to his own faults. He's a quick-witted and intelligent man, but just can't help gambling and doesn't realize what's happening to him. This film is compelling and offers a lot of themes about false hope, addiction and what it brings to not only one person, but those around that person. A superb cast makes this movie all the more intriguing. The Gambler ranks as a very good character study, and shows the effects of dangerous addictions. Very nice film if you're into drama.