The movies love cheatin stories. Cheatin at love, cheatin at business, cheatin at poker. Thats OK. Poker does have that reputation and for good reason.

However, much has changed over the years. Used to be that the deal rotated around to each player. This raised the temptation for a skilled card-handler to mark cards or to deal in a cheatin way. And they did.

Now, poker is on TV, it is out in the open, there are neutral dealers and it has gained respectability.

But it is only natural that most movies reflect the cheatin tradition. For example:

One. In The Cincinnati Kid (1965), Steve McQueens friend, Shooter, played by Academy Award winner, Karl Malden, is dealing him great hands of five card stud against Edward G. Robinson (Lancey Howard). McQueen (Eric Stoner) folds a full house, asks for a break, and tells Shooter to knock it off.

Why did you fold a full house? asks Shooter?

I was embarrassed to show it.

When they come together again, Stoner asks for a change of dealers and Joan Blondell (Ladyfingers) deals properly to the improbable conclusion of Stoners full house (Aces over 10s) losing to Lancey Howards gut diamond straight flush to the Queen.

Two. Rounders (1998) updates the poker genre a bit to include No Limit Texas Hold em and the World Series of Poker with an appearance by two-time poker champ, Johnny Chan. Again, cheating on the part of Edward Norton (as Worm). The conclusion, Matt Damons showdown against KGB, played by John Malkovich, is based on a tell, a way that he pulls his Oreo cookies apart.

Three. Kaleidoscope (1966) with Warren Beatty is once again in the cheating genre. Beatty breaks into a United Kingdom card company and marks the metal plates that are used to produce their cards. In other words, he hasnt marked one deck, he has marked them all. Of course he is the only one who can read these marks until the big showdown game. Some servants go to the basement to break new decks of cards out of a shipping crate when they discover old decks (prior to the changing of the plates) and bring them to the game. Again the game is 5 card stud. Can you guess the outcome of this one?

Four. David Mamets House of Games from 1987. Once again the game is 5 card draw. This time the plot is based on the long con, a drawn out, multilayered story, with multiple players all acting against one unsuspecting mark. Another part of the plot deals with a tell.

Five. The Sting from 1973. Paul Newman and Robert Shaw are playing cards (5 card draw) on a train. Each is trying to cheat the other. Shaw stacks the deck and deals Newman four 3s. He deals himself four 9s. At the showdown, Newman shows four Js. What is Shaw going to say? You cheated me better than I cheated you?

Coming up in 2006 is a new poker movie, Lucky You, pitting a son (Eric Bana from Munich) against the old pro, Robert Duvall, who happens to be his father. Lets see if we are in for another cheatin movie.

(c) 2006 Murphy James