The online poker industry has been booming for the past few years and has slowly been entering every aspect of society and culture.

The game that was previously played in college dorm rooms, dingy basements or at a party has now been exposed to millions through the advent of online poker rooms, poker networks and world-wide poker tournaments.

These tournaments have received an extra level of popularity since the birth of live tournaments being aired on television. Now tournament involvement is not only available to players, but also to millions of spectators who watch the excitement of the developing game. 

It is therefore no surprise that a Hollywood movie was directed and produced with a poker tournament being the main theme. “The Grand”, due to air this week, has been shot like the poker word it is aiming to represent – fast-paced action and no holds barred. The plot is based on an international tournament known as “The Grand” with a winner-take-all first prize of $10 million.  Here is a quick trailer.

The main character in the movie is Jack Faro (played by Woody Harrelson), a casino owner’s grandson, who finds that he has inherited The Rabbit’s Foot – a casino in downtown Las Vegas. After dozens of failed marriages, substance abuse and terrible money management, Faro manages to ruin the casino completely. 

The movie has many colorful characters and this is one aspect that is well represented in the film. The variety of characters well represents the wide range of participants in an international poker tournament from all backgrounds and walks of life. The movie also focuses on some of the more endearing and ridiculous characteristics of the participants as the tournament pressure heats up. 

Poker lovers will be excited to know that there are several poker-famous cameos in “The Grand”. Cameos include Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, Antonio Esfandiari, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Laak, Shannon Elizabeth, Robert Thompson as the tournament director, Jason Alexander, Hank Azaria, and many others.  

One aspect of the movie that might annoy poker lovers is that cheating was part of the plot. This portrayal that poker tournaments are rampant with cheating does not reflect well on the poker industry as a whole. However, the overall feel for the movie was one of enjoyment, relatively realistic portrayal of a poker tournament and an opportunity to catch some poker greats on screen.

Author:  Renee Kingsley