Synopsis

After losing his entire bankroll in a high-stakes poker game, law student Mike McDermott promises to quit gambling. When his childhood friend Worm is released from prison and quickly accumulates a dangerous debt to an underground club owner, Mike returns to New York's poker rooms. To protect his friend and settle the debt, Mike must risk everything in a final showdown against the ruthless Teddy KGB.

Factoids & Trivia

• Principal photography took place from December 15, 1997, through February 25, 1998.

• Most of the movie was filmed in New York City, with additional locations in New Jersey, including Rutgers School of Law-Newark, East Jersey State Prison, Atlantic City, and an Elks Lodge in Ridgefield Park.

• The poker chips used for the underground games were custom-made by Atlantic Standard Molding, a company that produces casino and home-game chips.

• The film helped popularize no-limit Texas hold 'em with mainstream audiences. Its reputation grew substantially after the poker boom of the early 2000s, turning the movie into a cult favorite among poker players.

• The poker footage includes the famous 1988 World Series of Poker showdown between Johnny Chan and Erik Seidel.

• The two screenwriters later continued their creative partnership on projects including the television series Billions.

• A novelization written by Kevin Canty was published by Hyperion Books.

• "Baby, I'm a Big Star Now" by Counting Crows plays over the end credits and later appeared as a bonus track on the UK edition of the album Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings.

• The film's poker language introduced or reinforced terms such as "rounder," referring to a player who travels between games seeking profitable action, and "table stakes," which means players cannot add money during a hand.

• Edward Norton declined to have his character smoke, despite an earlier version of the character being written as a smoker.

• On the DVD commentary, the filmmakers noted that several of Worm's lines were improvised, including one that references Chinatown.