Rounders (1998)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

John Dahl

Writers (WGA):

David Levien (written by) &
Brian Koppelman (written by)

Release Date:

11 September 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

You've got to play the hand you're dealt.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Loan Shark | Poker | Narration | Judge | Russian Mafia

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Matt Damon	...	Mike McDermott
Edward Norton	...	Lester 'Worm' Murphy
Paul Cicero	...	Russian Thug
John Turturro	...	Joey Knish
Ray Iannicelli	...	Kenny
Gretchen Mol	...	Jo
Famke Janssen	...	Petra
Merwin Goldsmith	...	Sy
John Malkovich	...	Teddy KGB
Martin Landau	...	Abe Petrovsky
Sonny Zito	...	Tony
Michael Rispoli	...	Grama
Melina Kanakaredes	...	Barbara
Mal Z. Lawrence	...	Irving
Josh Mostel	...	Zagosh

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive strong language, some sexuality and brief drug use.

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hebrew | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

Despite the rise in No Limit Texas Hold'em interest in conjunction with this film's release, the characters play a wide variety of poker variants: No Limit Hold'em is played with Teddy KGB at the beginning and end of the film, the Judge's game is a 7 card Stud game, the College Boys are playing Stud variants (notably Chicago), when Worm and Mike go the Chesterfield the first time the game is Forced Rotation (alternating hands of Hold'em, Omaha, Razz, Stud usually), Worm plays 7 card Stud later at the Chesterfield, the Taj Mahal game is Limit Hold'em, the Union game is a Draw or Stud game, Mike plays Draw or Stud (it appears in the short scene)with the Greeks, the Cigar Club game is 7 card Stud Hi-Lo, the Golf pro game is a Pot Limit Omaha/Stud game, and the State police game is 7 card Stud. By the way all the games played are part of the World Series of Poker competition (though the main event is No Limit Texas Hold'em)

Goofs:

Continuity: The baseball cap jumps on and off the bed when Mike is talking to his girlfriend after the judges' game.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mike McDermott: Listen, here's the thing. If you can't spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you ARE the sucker.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: John Malkovich/T.I. (#34.10)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Chitlins Con Carne

Interesting story, great acting

Have to first mention the great performances by Matt Damon, Edward Norton, John Malkovich, and Martin Landeau. Good story, although Worm was one the biggest jerks I've seen interpreted on film lately. Really liked the narration of what's going on during high stakes poker matches. Talked to poker playing people who thought the game was represented well. The one-on-ones between Damon and Malkovich were terrific.