This little stunt allows Mike to establish himself with the judges and the professor as an intelligent man. He impresses them by guessing what each of their hands are and earning his professor a big pot. Mike’s professor is a part of this game, which allows him to enter the room when the judges are playing. Here, the rich magistrates of the city gather to play cards and gamble their wealth.

One of the biggest poker games in town is the judges’ poker game. This is the kind of poker player that deserves to take all of Mike’s savings. Finally, someone eats the food at the table in a movie poker game instead of just staring at the cards. I related to KGB in this scene because instead of focusing solely on the card game, he was eating Oreos. I could see that Mike was trying to intimidate KGB, but it didn’t work. It’s helpful to see how Mike can almost perfectly guess what everyone’s hand is and what they’re thinking. Matt Damon narrates Mike’s inner monologue, giving the audience some context for what’s happening. He hits rock bottom and has to take a blue-collar job to make ends meet and pay for law school. He’s cocky and thinks he can beat the stoic Russian - he is wrong. Rounders begins with Mike getting in on a high-stakes poker game with KGB. Take a look at some of the most iconic scenes through the eyes of someone who thinks a full house is a beloved 90s sitcom. You don’t necessarily need knowledge of poker to enjoy the film, but it sure helps. I watched Rounders with a wide-eyed curiosity. Every time I watch a movie or TV show with a poker game, my mind goes blank and all I can think is, “Is anyone actually going to eat the snacks on the table?” When I think of playing cards, I’m thinking Uno and maybe a game of Gin or two. You have to know what your opponents are holding while masking your hand.

The games are all about subtlety and attention to detail. Rounders is about a poker genius, Mike McDermott ( Matt Damon), on a mission to regain the money he lost to Russian gangster, Teddy “KGB” (John Malkovich).

Poker movie rounders