Rounders (1998)

Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) loses his money in a poker game against Russian gangster Teddy "KGB" (John Malkovich). Under pressure from his girlfriend, Jo (Gretchen Mol), he promises to quit gambling. This lasts until his friend, Lester "Worm" Murphy (Edward Norton), 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.
Rounders Movie Poster 1998

Rounders Quote: “In my club, I will splash the pot whenever the fuck I please.” – Teddy KGB

Poker talk, smart voice-overs, Matt Damon in gigantic clothes, Ed Norton as Tyler Durden, John Malkovich butchering an accent, and John Turturro showing his deeper side. “Rounders” is the gold standard for poker movies, and listener Greg R. loves it so much he sponsored this review.

In this episode, Roger reveals his gambling addiction. Gene reveals his heartbreaking struggles with friendship, and Big D gets turned on by jargon. Plus, explore the theory that “Rounders” is just “Fight Club” with cards.

Plot Summary: “Rounders” Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) loses his money in a poker game against Russian gangster Teddy “KGB” (John Malkovich). Under pressure from his girlfriend, Jo (Gretchen Mol), he promises to quit gambling. This lasts until his friend, Lester “Worm” Murphy (Edward Norton), 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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