Deal Me In! Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Sting

'The Sting' stars Paul Newman and Robert Redford as con artists trying to extract money from high profile mobster target Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw). Their first contact with Lonnegan is when Newman works his way into a high stakes poker game in which he is playing, and Gondorff outcheats Lonnegan to take home the money.

'The Sting' won no less than seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.

Answer: Casino Royale

Although the first 'James Bond' book to be published, 'Casino Royale', had previously been adapted into a film starring David Niven in 1967, that version was not produced by Eon and is typically considered outside of the main 'Bond' series. The 2006 version was the first outing as James Bond for British actor Daniel Craig, who had previously appeared in 'Layer Cake' and 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'.

In the final hand in which Bond plays with Le Chiffre, he takes the pot with a straight flush over Le Chiffre's ace high full house. It wouldn't be poker on film if two incredible hands didn't come across each other against infeasible odds!

Answer: Rounders

Near the beginning of 'Rounders', Matt Damon's Mike McDermott loses all of his money playing poker with Malkovich's Teddy "KGB" and decides to stop gambling and focus on his studies. However, when McDermott's friend Worm (Edward Norton) owes a lot of money to some shady people he is forced to start playing again.

'Rounders' was directed by John Dahl, who also made the somewhat forgotten 'Unforgettable' and the slightly better-remembered 'The Last Seduction' starring Linda Fiorentino.

Answer: Jason Statham

The game played by Fast Eddy and Hatchet Harry is called three-card brag, invented in the 16th Century and sometimes considered a forerunner to the versions of poker that are played today. The scene is notable for the fact that neither player respects the unwritten 'table stake' rule, meaning that you can't bet more money than you have in front of you.

Whilst all three of Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher and Nick Moran are in 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels', Jason Statham was the only one making his debut in a feature film.

Answer: Joanne Woodward

Joanne Woodward and Henry Fonda play a naive couple who are moving to a new town. When they arrive, Fonda's Meredith can't help but get into a game with the local high rollers, even though he himself is awful at poker. After initially losing most of his family's money, Meredith eventually gets a good hand but has no money left to bet. In the argument that ensues, Meredith suffers a heart attack and Woodward's Mary has to take over.

Although the film was originally released under the title 'A Big Hand for the Little Lady', it was later renamed 'Big Deal at Dodge City'.

Answer: Stuart Rosenberg

Luke is sent to prison for two years, but refuses to comply with any of the rules of the institution. In the scene in which the inmates play poker, Luke demonstrates his bluffing skills by offering advice to other players and keeping a poker face when he needs to.

'Cool Hand Luke' won one Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, awarded to actor George Kennedy. Kennedy was a prolific actor, with his acting credits ranging from 1959 to 2014, just two years before his death in 2016.

Answer: Training Day

Jake Hoyte is a rookie L.A.P.D. drug enforcement officer who is being trained by Washington's Alonzo Harris. During the poker scene, Hoyte is playing with a group of intimidating drug dealers who take joy out of making crude jokes at his expense. Losing his cool, Hoyte flips the table they are playing on, a decision that ends badly for him when the dealers proceed to beat him up.

Denzel Washington won his second acting Oscar for his role in 'Training Day', picking up his first for his supporting role in the 1989 Civil War film 'Glory'.

Answer: Cincinnati

'The Cincinnati Kid' is an entire film about poker. The titular 'kid' is the youngster poker player portrayed by Steve McQueen who wants to prove himself by playing and beating an established champion of the game named Lancey Howard (played by Edward G. Robinson).

'The Cincinnati Kid' was directed by Norman Jewison, a filmmaker of broad scope who also directed 'In the Heat of the Night', 'Fiddler on the Roof' and 'Moonstruck'.

Answer: Molly's Game

'Molly's Game' is based on the memoir of Molly Bloom, a former high-level skier who suffered an unfortunate accident during the trials for the Olympic team. After working as an assistant for a producer named Dean Keith she gains access to a private poker game that he runs in which some fairly high-rolling players participate. She gradually starts her own poker games, but as the amount of money being gambled increases, the shadiness of her clients follows suit.

'Molly's Game' stars Jessica Chastain in the title role and was the first feature directorial effort from acclaimed screenwriter Aaron Sorkin.

Answer: Jodie Foster

Set in the old American West, 'Maverick' is an adventure comedy about a man (played by Mel Gibson) trying to gather enough money to take part in a high stakes poker game. Foster plays a con artist named Annabelle Bransford who travels with Maverick to the game. In a scene in which Maverick has a royal flush (the highest possible poker hand), he shows his cards to the table one at a time, something that is typically considered poor etiquette in a game of poker.

Jodie Foster is perhaps best known for her role in the 1991 film 'Silence of the Lambs', hence the photo.