As all Unibet casino and online poker fans will know, ever since Westerns made a place for poker in cinema the game has been used as both a cameo activity and a main theme for films.

The most famous poker flick beyond any doubt is Rounders starring Matt Damon, Edward Norton and John Malkovich as the film’s Bond-style villain: Teddy KGB. The story tells of a young man, Mike McDermott (played by Matt Damon), who returns to poker in an effort to make it to the WSOP and pay off his debts.

Throughout the film poker scenes feature heavily, including a clip of the Johnny Chan defeating Erik Seidel heads-up for the World Series of Poker Main Event title in 1988.

Aside from Rounders there have been a variety of poker-based movies to hit the shelves: Maverick, starring Mel Gibson; Casino Royale, starring Daniel Craig and the classic Paul Newman film: The Sting.

Arguably the most high profile poker film to be released in modern times is: All In. Focusing on the rise of the game across the world, the documentary speaks to the industry’s leading figures in an effort to ascertain why the game is so closely linked with the American Dream.

Poker’s appeal to mainstream movie audiences is clear from the sheer number of films centered on the game. Indeed, many professional poker players often cite Rounders as being one of their first exposures to the game and the reason for learning it.

Big money, psychology and an altogether air of cool have made poker a firm success at the box-office. Moreover, the knock-on effect of having poker played to audiences across the world has helped the game immeasurably.

While the Moneymaker effect had the largest impact on the game in modern times, poker films have always helped keep the game’s popularity and reputation afloat during leaner times.

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