The Coolest Poker Hero in Cinema

How many movies can you think of where the climax is not a shootout, or a romantic moment, but a battle of wits over a game of cards, over a serious poker game with stakes so high that you hold your breathe for the duration of the entire scene?

Card games are a part of our culture and definitely a part of our history as one of the oldest pastimes, so naturally Hollywood has made quite a few films about fantastic poker games, where unlikely opponents face each other across a table and try to outdo one another.

One of the best films centring round a poker game has got to be The Cincinnati Kid made in 1965 starring Steve McQueen. Fans all over the world flocked to the cinemas to see the tough sexy star play the cool and collected Kid who pits himself against the “The Man” in order to win the reputation of the best. He plays poker coldly, you can focus on his eyes which never reveal any emotion and see how he always seems to be in control.

Ever seen such cool bright blue eyes? Well McQueen’s got them and never have you seen such power being projected as he sits down and faces a very experienced player aiming to beat the pants off him. Despite the fact that he doesn’t win, McQueen’s cool demeanour in this role of the Kid, puts him down as the coolest poker player in the history of American film.

Well, about thirty years after McQueen’s famous film, Mel Gibson starred in a poker film but the two films couldn’t possibly be more different — chalk and cheese! Maverick, made in 1994 is a Westernised version of a poker film, filled with comedy, punch lines and a hilarious cast, unlike The Cincinnati Kid which is more about drama and tension then anything else.

Maverick is full of adventure and ends with a twist you wouldn’t believe, which means that while the poker games played are fantastic, the comedy of this film means that poker isn’t the central theme. Still if you like a laugh, this is the poker film for you!

In 1998 another poker film came out that was originally not so loved but later got a lot of attention — Rounders starring a young Matt Damon playing Mike McDermott. This film is closer to The Cincinnati Kid in that it is also a drama rather than a comedy, and the plot line is about earning back some money rather than to take down “The Man”.

Of course it does involve beating an experienced opponent, but in this case Mike does beat him, coolly, calmly with a confidence worthy of the Kid. However, there is something cocky about Mike where the Kid was simply a cool player, serene and self assured.

The truth is you can’t really compare anyone to McQueen, especially as the Cincinnati Kid — He is a cut about the rest!