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Rounders

Play trailer Poster for Rounders R 1998 2h 30m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
63% Tomatometer 81 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Mike McDermott loses his money in a poker game against Russian gangster Teddy "KGB". Under pressure from his girlfriend, Jo, he promises to quit gambling. This lasts until his friend, Lester "Worm" Murphy, gets out of prison and needs to pay off an old debt. The pair come close to earning the money back but are caught cheating. Then Mike finds out the debt is owed to Teddy and makes one last-ditch effort to beat the Russian.
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Rounders

Rounders

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Critics Consensus

Richly atmospheric and colorful performances contributed to the movie's entertainment value.

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Critics Reviews

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Jason Bailey Flavorwire 06/19/2016
The most vivid and most enjoyable movies immerse us in a world, and show us how that world works. The screenplay by David Levien and Brian Koppelman does that; Dahl's direction closes the deal. Go to Full Review
Rita Kempley Washington Post 03/25/2008
The wholesome pup's poker face alone, however, hardly accounts for the film's failure to thrill. Damon's character doesn't really have that much stake in the story's outcome. Go to Full Review
Todd McCarthy Variety 03/25/2008
Intermittently engaging but dramatically slack. Go to Full Review
Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal Jan 28
2.5/5
It is certifiably insane for "Rounders" to anchor its narrative with two generational talents in the lead and then trample over their excellent efforts to convey context, or sometimes even just text, without incessant narration. Go to Full Review
Rob Gonsalves Rob's Movie Vault 09/02/2022
C-
This is tired, tired stuff. Go to Full Review
Mark Jackson Epoch Times 08/31/2021
4/5
"Rounders" is basically "Good Will Hunting 2." I'll go so far as to say that it's even more entertaining. I've seen "Good Will Hunting" twice. I've seen "Rounders" at least nine times. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Chris S @Janomi 1h Rounders is one of the smartest gambling movies ever made because it understands that poker is really about the people playing it. The screenplay blends strategy, crime, and character drama into a story where the emotional stakes always matter more than the cards on the table. Even if you know very little about poker, the tension comes naturally from the difficult choices and psychological battles between the players. Matt Damon gives a quietly confident performance as Mike McDermott, while Edward Norton nearly steals the film as the reckless and unpredictable Worm. John Malkovich is unforgettable as Teddy KGB, and the supporting cast helps create a believable world of underground poker. The film occasionally spends a little too much time explaining poker strategy, and some supporting characters receive less development than the leads. Even so, the intelligent screenplay, outstanding performances, and authentic portrayal of high-stakes poker make Rounders one of the genre's best. See more Forrest M @RT32281296 6d "If you can't spot the sucker in the table, then you are the sucker" as Mike McDermott narrates in the movie. Well, this is a predictable, cliched and a typical Matt Damon's character who can't let go his gambling past and decides to give everything up from a lovely girlfriend, Law school, and a possible law career, to pursue a high-risk gambling career. See more Lucile F @lucile_fl Jun 3 A good story of addiction, friendship and perseverance. See more R W. @tomatolicious May 2 One of the greatest 90s movies. Eminently rewatchable See more Chris R @RT65687312 Apr 29 This is easily one of Edward Norton's top 5 best performances in a movie, the fact it's only ranked #20 on here is extremely disappointing. The script for the movie was pretty well done for it's time, despite some of the poker scenes being a little unrealistic based on our understanding of no limit hold em now. As an avid poker player, this is easily the best poker movie that's been made, and a sequel would be amazing. Poker players have been wanting a sequel somewhat similarly to how gamers have been wanting GTA 6. See more Ray C @RT17651982 Mar 30 Edward Norton plays a character named Worm in this movie and he's literally the worst person ever. Also John Malkovich Russian accent and oreo's. See more Read all reviews
Rounders

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Movie Info

Synopsis Mike McDermott loses his money in a poker game against Russian gangster Teddy "KGB". Under pressure from his girlfriend, Jo, he promises to quit gambling. This lasts until his friend, Lester "Worm" Murphy, gets out of prison and needs to pay off an old debt. The pair come close to earning the money back but are caught cheating. Then Mike finds out the debt is owed to Teddy and makes one last-ditch effort to beat the Russian.
Director
John Dahl
Producer
Joel Stillerman, Ted Demme
Screenwriter
David Levien, Brian Koppelman
Distributor
Miramax Films
Production Co
Miramax Films, Spanky Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 8, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 21, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$22.9M
Runtime
2h 30m
Sound Mix
SDDS, Dolby Digital, Surround
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)