Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Well,IMDb states that Rounders 2 is on development.Matt Damon have already stated numerous times that Rounders 2 is going to happen.He already said in an interview that he has talked to the writers about it and that the popularity of poker will definitely increase interest in it unlike when the prequel - Rounders - was released back in 1998.What was Rounders all about?Rounder is a 1998 film about a Law student named Mike McDermott who also happens to be a poker prodigy. It stars Damon and Edward Norton together with talented cast that includes John Turturro,Gretchen Mol,John Malkovich and the late Martin Landau.The film begins when Mike McDermott decides to change his gambling habits and decided to play in high stakes poker in the underworld casino that is connected to the Russian mob named Teddy KGB.He decided to gamble all his winnings - $30,000 - but unfortunately lost everything to the owner.This made him stop gambling and focus in finishing his Law degree and his relationship with his girlfriend Jo,who happens to be a fellow Law student.Then things change when his friend Lester "Worm" Murphy,played magnificently by Edward Norton, was released from prison.Their activities brought Mike back into poker and he definitely started to get his back life into it.With more time playing cards considering that Mike has vouched for Worm's gambling debt from loan sharks,Mike's passion for playing poker was definitely reignited to the point that he could no longer escape it. Then it came to a point that Jo broke up with him and he was no longer interested in pursuing Law School as he wanted to play in Vegas particularly the WSOP (World Series of Poker) at the conclusion of the film.No wonder that it definitely was a great film.I am aware that the story is definitely incomparable to other great films like "The Godfather" as its film was more about Mike and Worm's activities on card tables playing poker and how Mike regained his winnings from Teddy KGB which just gave the viewers a simple story.But what made it great are many other things.No question that the performances on the cast was great.Damon and Norton have given life to their characters as Mike and Worm respectively.They kept the movie going from the time they met until the time they were punched by the state troopers.The rest of the cast were also good enough like John Malkovich,who was a scene stealer as Teddy KGB,despite his awkward Russian accent; and the late Martin Landau,who played the Law Dean that pursued Mike not to escape from his identity.Another reason is poker.No question that the film revolved around poker particularly with Mike's experience in the card table from beginning to end.The viewer gets to learn more about the game as well as the familiar terms that are involved in it.It also tried to move poker away from gambling in a sense that it is a definitely a game of skills and not a game of luck.This was obviously was the central argument between Mike and Jo which ended their relationship.Aside from that,it was also presented that Mike's experience with Teddy KGB at the beginning when he lost and the end when he regained his winnings back.Finally,it also presented that poker is indeed worthy of one's time as it was presented in Mike and Worm's characters and their activities.No question that it never earned a lot of money - $22 million - when it was released back in 1998.Aside from the fact that both Matt Damon and Edward Norton aren't yet established actors when it was released,poker hasn't yet became popular unlike today with the many online poker sites existing in the internet.But when poker became popular,it became a cult poker film. I expect interest to be renewed in it after almost 20 years when it was released when Rounder 2 is about to be released in the theaters.

Rounders 2 is actually on development.When Matt Damon was interviewed,he stated that he has already committed to the project and so has Edward Norton.He also said that he has already talked to the writers about it.This new movie serves as a sequel to the 1998 movie known as Rounders.The 1998 film stars Damon and Norton together with John Turturro,Gretchen Mol,John Malkovich and the late Martin Landau.It tells the story of Michael McDermott,a poker prodigy who intends to complete in Las Vegas,got himself cleaned out in the underworld casino by the owner Teddy KGB.After losing all his winnings,he decided to become a full-time Law student and a truck worker.He also never played poker for 9 months.But things began to change when his friend Lester "Worm" Murphy got released from prison.They started playing cards and this reignited his passion for poker.Then he found himself playing more after Worm got into more gambling debts from loan sharks.In the process,he became a full-time poker player until he got another poker match with Teddy KGB.This time,he was able to beat him.This led him to pursue his dreams in Vegas and left being a Law student.No question that storywise,this movie cannot never be considered a masterpiece despite giving it a perfect 10/10 rating.It is just a typical underdog sports film.What made it deserve that rating are many other reasons.First,we have great performances from Damon and Norton as well as the rest of the cast particularly Malkovich, Landau,Turturro and Mol.They gave life to their characters.Second,we get to see more of a sports film rather than a gambling film as the movie tried to make poker more a skills game and not a form of game of gambling.They made the characters support it from Landau's Abe Petrovsky,who encouraged Mike McDermott to pursue becoming a poker player.Anyone who isn't is somehow painted as a bitch particularly Mike's girlfriend Jo,who left him abruptly after she discovered as she once again is playing cards.Third,the writers definitely made Mike extremely passionate towards poker.Passionate in the sense that Mike was able to overcome negative situations in life - losing his winnings,getting dump by his girlfriend,failing in his Law class particularly his mock trial,getting used and manipulated by his sycophant friend Worm,being unable to sleep for 2-3 days, and many others - as long as he is playing poker.The movie really painted that there is joy in playing cards.It was definitely a pro-Cards or pro-Poker movie. No question that even professional poker players competing in the WSOP (World Series of Poker) have made this film a reference as far as what led them to becoming poker players.After saying these things,it would be safe to conclude that a person would be motivated to play poker after watching this film.After watching it once again after many years,I definitely look forward to the sequel - Rounders 2 - now that they probably would have the setting -as Damon stated - at the WSOP in Vegas.

John Dahl's Rounders is the premier poker movie, an utterly charming, never too serious and surprisingly slight look at the lives of several very different individuals whose lives revolve around the game in New York City. The main focus lands on two young men who are fast friends, yet reside on somewhat opposite sides of the responsibility coin. Poker prodigy Mike (Matt Damon) has since given up his art after a soul crushing loss to local Russian bigwig Teddy KGB (John Malkovich). He's content to simmer in solitude with his perky girlfriend (Gretchen Mol, who never fails to convince me that she's Samantha Mathis until I double check on IMDb). Right in time to disrupt his quiet life is cocky street rat Worm (Edward Norton), fresh out of prison and looking for the type of trouble that landed him there in the first place. It's to long before he's racked up some serious debt to dangerous people with ties to Teddy KGB, and Mike is forced to come out of retirement and risk everything he has once again, this time for his friend. The poker scenes are staged with meticulous eye for detail and mannerisms in attempt to put you at the same table as the players, and it's nifty to see each acting style played to the microscopic hilt as Dahl maintains patient focus on his work. Norton is appropriately scuzzy with just a dollop of endearing, scrappy charm and Damon fills the protagonist's shoes very well. It's Malkovich, however, who pulls the stops out and is my favourite character of the piece. With a muddy Russian accent that rivals his french one from Johnny English, a lazily snarky streak with just a hint of intimidation and a bag of oreos at his side without fail, he's a hoot, holler and a half as the life of the poker party. Sexy Famke Janssen has as great bit as as shady chick with eyes for Damon and connections with dodgy folks, expertly playing the half sweet and seductive, half menacing game. Watch for topnotch work from John Turturro, Josh Pais, Michael Rispoli, Josh Mostel, Adam Lefevre, David Zayas, Goran Visjnic, Lenny Clarke and Martin Landau in an earnest turn as a kindly professor who looks out for Mike. It's short, sweet, concisely paced, tightly written, flawlessly acted and wonderfully entertaining stuff.

If you don't spot the sucker within the first half hour your the sucker.Matt Damon a law student puts his life on hold for his best friend Lester Murphy AKA (Worm)who's getting out of jail and has debt to the Russian mob Teddy KGB (John Malkovich) who wants his money and the good friend Mike McDermott (Damon) is helps Worm by playing high stakes poker to get Worm out of the hole. Putting his career, relationship and his life on the line. Which he ends up fighting for when Worm takes off on him.Watch Mike battle for what he has left against Teddy KGB.One of my all time favourite's .So get some cookies and Enjoy!!!