Poker Secrets and Great Advice are in Rounders

Rounders is probably one of the best poker movies ever made. There hasn't been a decent one made since. The film came out in 1998 and undeniably contributed to the poker boom that was to follow. Not to long after the movie there were Internet poker rooms popping up all over the place and people decided they would actually watch it on television because of the introduction of the hole cam.

To be honest, I was amazed that people actually were deciding to sit at home and watch other people play poker on TV. If it wasn't for that hole cam, I don't think it would have ever taken off the way it did. I can assure you that Rounders made watching poker at home interesting for spectators.

I really enjoy watching that film for so many reasons and it is amazing how it never seems to get old or dated in any way. You can't really lose considering the cast. There is Edward Norton and John Turturro, the two of them have to be two of the best working actors today. They step into a film and you are guaranteed something amazing. I think John may be one of the most under rated actors of our generation. I don't know many guys who can take on as diverse a range of roles as he does.

Matt Damon is good too. Although, I don't think the producers of Team America would agree. He does a great job of depicting the conflicted Mike McD. The other thing that made the film great was the dialogue and the way it captured the living breathing culture of poker players in the big city. The exchanges between Damon and Norton are classic. I remember after I saw it for the first time, I wanted to watch it again immediately to catch some of the language they were using.

What is even more interesting is how there are countless bits of advice littered throughout the film that are great for any budding poker player or seasoned pro. Right from the beginning, McD introduces the audience to the notion of spotting the sucker at the table. If more people accepted his truism, there would be a lot less money out there considering the volume of players that would get up and run within the first half hour.

There are two bits of advice that come out sort of indirectly. The first is Turturro talking to Damon in the poker room the first time he is contemplating playing the no-limit game that ends up costing him his bankroll. The advice is simply, play the game where you have an edge. McD is presumed by Knish to be outclassed at the no limit game he is considering. On that night, he was right. The notion of putting your whole bankroll into play is a little crazy and unnecessary but if you're going to go for it, that is definitely the ultimate. Ultimately, not a good decision.

The other piece of advice that comes up throughout is to take your time. This is great advice. You should always think of your poker career as a marathon and not a sprint. You just have to win a reasonable amount most of the time. This can and is done by career players all the time. By not putting all your hopes into any one hand, you will have a much more balanced game and come out ahead more often. Remember, there is always another hand.

There are a bunch of other great things to pick up from the film but you should really check it out again for yourself. There's no telling when another great poker movie is going to come along.