With online poker still not a thing and New York being a place where no legal casinos operate, poker players in the city were forced to play in private poker clubs that were often run by mobsters. Rounders came out several years before the poker boom, which means that players like Mike McDermott were still few and far between when it was filmed.
However, I want to talk about another character altogether, the movie's main antagonist, Teddy KGB, who is played by the legendary John Malkovich. Mike McDermott, who is played by Matt Damon himself, is the main protagonist of the film and a character that many young poker players saw glimpses of themselves in. Filmed in 1998 and starring Matt Damon, Rounders may not be on too many Hollywood top lists, but to this day, it remains the most popular mainstream movie about the world of poker players.
