Poker is one of the world’s most popular card games and continues to gain popularity (increasing by 43%) even through times like these. Many people enjoy playing poker because it can be played physically and remotely, making it a very accessible game. Poker also continues to be challenging because it takes a lot of skill to master all of the different cards involved in each hand. Poker has been dominating hearts and winning over the popularity of movie buffs all over the globe with iconic quotes and edge-of-your-seat moments. Many movies have shown poker scenes that have inspired many to learn how to play it, being enthralled by both its difficulty and its fun. The most famous and exciting movie-inspired poker scenes are listed below:

Casino Royale (2006)
Casino Royale breaks away from that mold and shows poker with all its intensity and passion.  The poker games are interesting in terms of strategy because James Bond (Daniel Craig) is using it to win against Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelson). Bond’s poker winnings amounting to 10 million US dollars form an important part of this movie’s plot since they were confiscated by three foreign taxmen due to their criminal origin under European Union laws on finance against terrorism. 

Rounders (1998)
Rounders is a movie about poker, but not just any old poker – No Limit Texas Hold’em Poker. The movie has been widely regarded as one of the most entertaining poker films. In this poker movie, Mike (played by Matt Damon) is a poker genius who is banned from playing poker after having an argument with his girlfriend. To pay off his debts to Teddy KGB (John Malkovich), another poker genius, he takes on some risky missions for him until one day Teddy KGB asks for help freeing Worm (Edward Norton) from jail after Worm gets caught cheating at poker during a game against Russian gangsters. Mike agrees to do so but only if Teddy KGB will let him play again after that.

Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Ocean’s Eleven (2001) “Ocean’s Eleven” is arguably most famous for its cast, which was truly one of the best-assembled at that time. George Clooney plays Danny Ocean – the titular character who leads his gang in robbing three Las Vegas casinos on New Year’s Eve.

At the poker table, Rusty Ryan explains basic poker rules such as showing each other cards, folding, calling bets and raising the bet. He also teaches about one-pocket pool during a break in which he takes almost all the money from Linus. After losing all their money at poker, they had to use their great talents to steal millions from Casino Monaco’s vault inside Bellagio hotel and play blackjack without getting caught by pit bosses after every winning.

The Sting
“The Sting” is almost as well-known as it is for poker movie fans. The poker scene in the film, which has since been parodied numerous times, includes all of the most memorable elements of poker to have ever appeared on television or film; poker tells (or attempts at tells), bluffs that fail miserably and ones that work like a charm, poker analysis that borders on magic tricks – everything works together to make this one of the best poker scenes ever filmed.

Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
The poker scene in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is responsible for the poker boom of the early 2000s. Even though poker had started to gain popularity at that time, watching Ritchie’s quick-witted gangsters play poker like compulsive pros motivated many movie buffs to try their luck at poker tournaments.

Ironically, this poker scene wasn’t even part of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ overseas release. The scene was only included when the film debuted in America two years later. It was so popular that Miramax decided not to include it on VHS copies released in 2001 because it caused them to have a poker boom during the previous three years!

House of Games
House of Games is a movie that can teach you poker and psychology. The poker scenes are meant to be more realistic compared to other poker movies from the time. In both poker scenes of this movie, Joe Mantegna plays against – or rather tries to bluff – Lindsay Crouse’s psychiatry Dr. Ford. There is a lot you can learn from these poker scenes about behavior and psychology. Although initially it seems that Mike is tutoring George to play poker, they actually switch roles later on and we realise that George was just pretending to be an innocent victim while he actually conned them all along – so, playing poker with him was just another trick.

Freeze Out
One of the most successful independent films, Freeze Out features an all-star cast and was financed by director’s own poker winnings.. The plot of the movie revolves around a group of friends who force others to play poker with them every weekend. A frequent poker player is determined to retaliate against his fellow players for their inflicted humiliation and works hard to take on them all in the weekly tournament. The author informs about how the director won money through playing Poker games against Poker-loving producers and actors to finance his Poker movie.