Rounders

Well, that is actually true. If you are gambling and can't see what you are supposed to, then you blow up your game. The movie is a good shot of John Dahl, who is so good in preserving suspense. The plot is predictable but we cannot call it rusty and taken from the back room of the warehouse.

It is that kind of movie that catches you and keeps some underskin tension till the very end. The set of actors is impeccable, where Matt Damon and Edward Norton are together with the legendary John Malkovich. Everything flows in the film.

Plot

Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) lost his whole bank roll of $30,000 when he played one-on-one with Teddy KGB (John Malkovich) Texas Hold'em. Teddy KGB has an underground poker room, where Mike is a regular visitor.

He quits the world of poker and walks a decent path of a good guy. He finds a girl friend and has a happy life being a law school student. Then his best friend Les "Worm" Murphy (Edward Norton) is released from prison and he talks Mike to come back to the previous way.

Worm has a debt to pay and a friend to save him. Mike caves in and starts playing again. So he plays, plays and plays some more. Of course his girlfriend is "excited" about this idea. But Mike finds himself in a situation he turned out to be, when he played against Teddy KGB. This time he wins the money to pay the debt and even $30,000 more. Just exact sum that he lost last time.

His girlfriend dumps him and he goes to Vegas for World Series of Poker.

The movie is quoted very frequently by the poker players. And they find it helpful, especially the thinking and foreseeing part.

Sequel

Rounders' Sequel is planned for 2012. The makers keep the suspense just like in the first Rounders. The negotiations with Matt Damon and Edward Norton took place and we will see the outcome of the attempts to shoot a good movie. It's harder to make the second part better than the first one.

If you want some action movie, it is good to watch Casino Royale.