Rounders (film)

Roundersis a 1998 Americandrama filmabout the underground world of high-stakespoker, directed byJohn Dahland starringMatt DamonandEdward Norton. The story follows two friends who need to win at high-stakes poker to quickly pay off a large debt. The termrounderrefers to a person traveling around from city to city seeking high-stakes card games.
Roundersopened to mixed reviews and was moderately successful at the box office. Following thepoker boomin the early 2000s, the film became acult hit. Anovelizationof the film was written byKevin Cantyand released byHyperion Books.
New York Citylaw student and giftedpokerplayer Mike McDermott dreams of winning theWorld Series of Poker. At an undergroundTexas hold 'emgame run byRussian mobsterTeddy "KGB", an overconfident Mike loses his entire $30,000 bankroll in a single hand. Shaken, he promises his girlfriend and fellow student Jo he has quit poker, and concentrates on law school. His mentor Joey Knish offers to stake him to rebuild his bankroll but Mike declines and accepts a part-time job to make money.
Months pass and Mike stays true to his promise until his childhood friend Lester "Worm" Murphy is released from prison. While Mike is an honest player, Worm is a hustler and unapologetic cheat. To help Worm pay off a debt, Mike sets him up with games across town and reluctantly sits in on one, interfering with his studies and his relationship with Jo. Mike allows Worm to play on his credit at the Chesterfield Club. After being loaned $2,000, Worm gets up to $10,000 and cashes out for the full amount which starts a tab in Mike's name. Worm runs into Grama, a dangerouspimp, who reveals he is working for KGB and has bought Worm's debt, now totaling $25,000 with interest. Grama takes Worm's $10,000, threatening him to pay the rest. As Mike returns to his poker lifestyle and friends, Jo ends their relationship.
Mike learns from Petra at the Chesterfield that Worm has racked up a $7,000 debt in Mike's name. Worm tells Mike about Grama but withholds the KGB connection. Mike vouches for Worm to Grama but Worm and Grama insult each other and nearly come to blows. Grama gives them five days to pay the remaining $15,000. Mike decides to help Worm win the money by playing in several games in and around the city.
Mike wins $7,200 in three days, but still needs to more than double it in forty-eight hours. Worm drives Mike toBinghamtonfor a game hosted byNew York state troopers, where he comes close to winning the $7,800 needed before Worm unexpectedly joins the game. Soon after, a trooper catches Wormbase-dealingto help Mike; they are beaten up and relieved of their entire bankroll. Worm confesses that Grama is working for KGB and decides to flee; Mike returns to the city alone.
Mike asks Grama for more time, to no avail. He asks Knish for the money but is refused out of principle. Knish chastises him for poor decisions and Mike finally reveals why he took the ill-fated risk at KGB's club: he once beat poker legendJohnny Chanat a single hand in Atlantic City and thinks he can compete and possibly win the World Series of Poker. Desperate, Mike goes to his law professor, Petrovsky, who loans him $10,000. Mike challenges KGB to a secondheads-upno-limit Texas hold 'emgame for the remaining debt, with winner-take-all stakes, which KGB accepts. Mike beats KGB in the first session, winning $20,000. KGB offers to let Mike's winnings "ride" and continue the game, but Mike – with enough to pay off most of his debts – declines. As he is about to leave, KGB taunts that he is paying Mike with the money that he won from their previous game. Mike changes his mind and decides to continue playing.
Mike doubles the blinds at the risk of losing everything, and possibly his life, to KGB. As the night wears on, he spots KGB'stelland folds a crucial hand. Irate at missing a chance to bust Mike, KGB begins to play on"tilt". In the final hand, Mike baits a boastful KGB into going all-in and defeats him with anut straight. KGB throws a tantrum at having been lured into a mistake. The rattled KGB calls off his goons and admits that Mike won fairly, allowing him to leave with his winnings.
With over $60,000, Mike settles Worm's $15,000 debt to Grama, the Chesterfield's $6,000 credit, his professor's $10,000 loan, and restores his original bankroll of "three stacks of high society". He drops out of law school, bids Jo goodbye, and leaves forLas Vegasto play in the World Series of Poker.
Principal photographyforRoundersbegan in December 1997; it took place mostly in New York City. Exceptions include the law school scenes (filmed atRutgers School of Law-Newark) and the State Trooper poker game and parking lot scenes (filmed at theB.P.O Elks LodgeinRidgefield Park, New Jersey).
The soundtrack features the song "Baby, I'm a Big Star Now" byCounting Crows. The song plays during the end credits, and appeared a bonus track in the UK version of the albumSaturday Nights & Sunday Mornings.
Rounderswas released on September 11, 1998, in 2,176 theaters and grossed $8.5 million during its opening weekend. It went on to make $22.9 million domestically.
OnRotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 64% based on 81 reviews, with an average score of 6.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Richly atmospheric and colorful performances contributed to the movie's entertainment value."Metacriticgives the film aweighted averagescore of 54 out of 100 based on 32 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".Audiences polled byCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.
Roger Ebertof theChicago Sun-Timesgave the film three stars out of four and wrote: "Rounderssometimes has a noir look but it never has a noir feel, because it's not about losers (or at least it doesn't admit it is). It's essentially a sports picture, in which the talented hero wins, loses, faces disaster, and then is paired off one last time against the champ."In her review forThe New York Times,Janet Maslinwrote: "Though John Dahl'sRoundersfinally adds up to less than meets the eye, what does meet the eye (and ear) is mischievously entertaining."USA Todaygave the film three out of four stars and wrote: "The card playing is well-staged, and even those who don't know a Texas hold-'em ('the Cadillac of poker') from a Texas hoedown will get a vicarious charge out of the action."Entertainment Weeklygave the film a "B" rating andOwen Gleibermanwrote, "Norton, cast in what might have once been theSean Pennrole (hideous shirts, screw-you attitude), gives Worm a shifty, amphetamine soul and a pleasing alacrity ... Norton's performance never really goes anywhere, but that's okay, since the story is just an excuse to lead the characters from one poker table to the next."
Peter Travers, in his review forRolling Stonesaid of John Malkovich's performance: "Of course, no one could guess the extent to which Malkovich is now capable ofchewing scenery. He surpasses even his eyeballrolling as Cyrus the Virus inCon Air. MunchingOreocookies, splashing the pot with chips (a poker no-no) and speaking with a Russian accent that defies deciphering ("Ho-kay, Meester sum of a beech"), Malkovich soars so far over the top, he's passing Pluto."In his review for theSan Francisco Chronicle,Mick LaSallesaid of Damon's performance: "Mike should supply the drive the film otherwise lacks, and Damon doesn't. We might believe he can play cards, but we don't believe he needs to do it, in the way, say, that the 12-year-oldMozartneeded to write symphonies. He's not consumed with genius. He's a nice guy with a skill."In his review forThe Globe and Mail, Liam Lacey wrote: "The main problem withRoundersis that the movie never quite knows what it is about: What is the moral ante?"
Despite an unremarkable theatrical release,Roundershas a following, particularly among poker enthusiasts.
There are pro poker players who credit the film for getting them into the game.The film drew in successful players such asBrian Rast,Hevad Khan,Gavin Griffin, andDutch Boyd.Vanessa Roussohas said of the film's influence: "There have been lots of movies that have included poker, but onlyRoundersreally captures the energy and tension in the game. And that's why it stands as the best poker movie ever made."