Photo by Jeremy Yap on Unsplash

The poker table is a great way to build cinematic tension. Involving psychology, elements of luck, and very often, high stakes, lots of movies from spy thrillers to comedies have used the game as a narrative device. However, creating a great scene from a card game is not easy. Below, we give the best poker scenes in cinema history. 

Maverick

This movie takes the casino back to the old west, where Mel Gibson stars as poker player Bret Maverick. He works his way throughout the frontier towns, making enough money to take part in a huge high-stake game onboard a steamboat. 

The game he plays is five-card poker, making it unique as most modern movies employ the texas Hold'Em variation. This was one of the many variations that existed during this time and have grown in popularity since. Even today, many of these classic games, such as Seven Card Stud, Omaha, and High Low Chicago can be found online. You can even play live casino games with real dealers from the comfort of your own home as they aim to provide something similar to the in-person experience. With a huge selection of games on offer and welcome bonuses, the stakes can be as high or low as you want. 

Eventually, the player gets his game with the assistance of Jodie Foster, who plays Annabelle Bransford. With lashings of comedy, the film was a huge commercial success. Part of this was down to its nod to westerns of old, with a cast that also included stalwarts of the genre like James Coburn and James Garner.

Casino Royale

Casino Royal was Daniel Craig's first outing as James Bond and heralded a new era for the character. He took on a more realistic update for the modern day, getting rid of his gadgets and delving into new areas. The gritty, dark take on the character also led to some large changes from the original Ian Fleming book, which was written back in 1953.

The biggest change was Bond’s game of choice as it was baccarat in the book. This changed to poker in the 2006 movie, after a boom in popularity for the table game. The scene shows Bond going up against Le Chiffre, someone who had dealings with the shady Spectre organisation. The climax is a huge pot of over $100 million. The top poker hands get revealed at the end and after the tense finale, Bond ultimately walks away from the tournament victorious. 

The Sting

The Sting is important in the history of cinema and gambling, as many of the cuts, edits, and camera shots associated with great poker scenes originated in this one. It tells a complicated plot in which two characters played by Paul Newman and Robert Redford try to take on the mob. 

The culmination is a fantastic poker scene played out on a train. The players try to outwit each other, believing all the others are bluffing and are keeping bad hands. The film was so successful it won the Academy Award for Best Picture in its year of release.