Rounders is a 1998 film about the underground world of high-stakes poker. Directed by John Dahl and starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton, the movie follows two friends who need to quickly earn enough cash playing poker to pay off a huge debt. The term "rounder" refers to a person whose sole means of earning a living is by playing cards.

The movie opened to mixed reviews and made only a modest amount of money. However, with the growing popularity of Texas hold 'em and other poker games, Rounders has become a cult hit.

Plot

Young hotshot poker player Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) loses his entire bankroll of $30,000 in a hand of Texas hold'em against Teddy "KGB" (John Malkovich), a Russian Mobster, who runs an illegal underground poker room Mike frequents. Stunned by the loss he decides to concentrate on his law school studies, and makes a promise to his girlfriend and fellow law student Jo (Gretchen Mol) not to play cards anymore. Fellow rounder Knish (John Turturro) offers to bankroll Mike, after watching his utter defeat at the table; depressed, Mike instead takes a part-time job driving a delivery truck for Knish to make ends meet.