In 2008, poker was still red hot and going strong. Online hadn't got shutdown in the US yet (Black Friday), WSOP, WPT were doing a ton of tournaments with heavy tv coverage, fanfare & press. Everyone wanted to jump on the bandwagon, cash-in on the action - Hollywood included - leading to this relatively low budget entry "Deal". It has some moments card fans will enjoy, but also a healthy helping of funny cheese.
Alex (Bret Harrison) in his last year of university studying law likes to play poker, but it's his success online that allows him to be a part of a final table as played on national tv. Inexperience gets him eliminated, but he catches the eye of the once legendary poker player Tommy Vinson (Burt Reynolds) who thinks he can make the kid into a champion. He shows him the ropes, teach him lessons to be a better player in a 50/50 arrangement, but a blowup sees the two separate only for a showdown at the final table of a WPT tournament.
Burt sporting an obvious wig, getting up there in age is still fun to watch as Tommy - a man who hasn't played a hand in "over twenty years" after going busto and nearly losing his wife - wants back into the game. Harrison holds his own and Shannon Elizabeth provides eye candy and a rather silly, but unpleasant surprise.
Made in collaboration with the WPT, 'Deal' feels cheap at times given it's budget. Purports to take place in big US gambling cities, but obviously shot all in one place. However if you enjoy the game of poker there's a few things here to enjoy. They don't do a bad job of capturing the game of no limit hold 'em and many pros & a few celebrities show up doing cameos. There's a few unintentional laughs and no getting over the fact the last second reveal is ridiculous though. No one would do that.
