As far as poker movies go, The Cincinnati Kid is one of those that you can certainly watch more than a couple of times and enjoy it every time. The movie features a solid plot and plenty of poker drama to keep you interested through the whole sitting.
The plot is nothing new. Steven McQueen is Eric Stoner, i.e. The Cincinnati Kid, one of the best Stud poker players around, but he is still not the best. That title belongs to one Lancey Howard, an elderly gentleman played by Edward G. Robinson).
One day, Lancey arrives to New Orleans, and, unsurprisingly, a match is arranged so that the two can finally sit at the same table and see if Howard is still “the man” or if it is time for The Cincinnati Kid to take unofficial yet very prestigious title.
The movie is set in the 1930s New Orleans, so to really enjoy it, you’ll need to forget about the norms of today’s society and watch it through the lens of that period. The game of choice is Five Card Stud, a variant that I admittedly know very little about, but it seems like a game with rather complete information, with just one hole card dealt face down.
Not having been around backroom poker games in the 30s, it’s hard to say how accurate the depiction of the games is, but, other than the final poker hand, it seems fairly in line with other stories from early and mid-20th century.
Core The Cincinnati Kid Movie Details & Rating
- Title: The Cincinnati Kid
- Year: 1965
- Directors: Norman Jewison, Sam Peckinpah
- Main cast: Steve McQueen, Ann-Margret, Edward G. Robinson
- Genre: Drama
- Duration: 113 minutes
- Overall score: 8/10
| Criteria | Score (1-10) | Reviewer note |
| Poker Realism | 8/10 | Other than the final hand, depiction of the games seems on par with how poker used to be played. |
| Story & Writing | 7/10 | The story isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s interesting enough to keep your attention. |
| Acting & Characters | 7/10 | I’d love it if there was a bit more of a background story on main characters so to make them easier to root for or against. |
| Poker Excitement Factor | 8/10 | Plenty of nail-biting poker scenes in the mix. |
| Entertainment value | 8/10 | Fun movie that you’ll enjoy watching even if you’re marginally a poker fan. |
What We Loved About the Movie
The Cincinnati Kid tells an exciting story of what it was like to be a poker “grinder” almost a hundred years ago. Forget about fancy casinos, cozy chairs, and floor people and dealers making sure everything was by the book.
Making it as a poker player back then was as much about the grift as it was about playing cards. Finding good games was just as hard as getting away with the money when you do win. The movie makes those facts very clear in the first few scenes.
One could say that The Cincinnati Kid doesn’t paint a too positive picture of poker, but from everything we know, including stories from poker icons like Doyle Brunson, the description is pretty accurate, if not a bit too mellow.
Forget about table stakes – you can be raised any amount at any time. I’ve personally never understood the appeal (or the method to that madness), but that was simply how it was.
It is also quite enjoyable to watch an entire movie that focuses on a game that’s not Texas Hold’em. Admittedly, some of the plays depicted in the movie were somewhat dubious, but we don’t know much about other players. It could be that they simply sucked at Five Card Stud.
Lancey vs. The Kid
The focus of The Cincinnati Kid is on the big match between Lancey Howard and Eric ‘The Kid’ Stoner. Lancey has earned his reputation as the best poker player around. Eric is recognized by many as a great card player, but the only way for him to become the number one is to beat the number one.
What’s quite enjoyable about this story is that The Kid is a person of integrity, at least when it comes to poker. While he understands that his particular lifestyle requires certain moral compromises, he is firmly set that he’ll beat Lancey fair and square or not at all.
We don’t get to learn much about Lancey’s character, but from his interactions with Eric, he doesn’t seem to be a bad person. He is proud and cocky, as good poker players often are, but behind the poker face, there seems to be a man who has no ill will toward his opponent.
Of course, the match isn’t just about two of them. There are people betting on the sidelines and looking to get an edge in any way possible. So Slade (played by Rip Torn) tries to get Shooter (Karl Malden), who is the designated dealer for the match, to “help out” The Kid.
Shooter, who is known for his integrity, doesn’t want to do this, but Slade has $12,000 worth of his markers and forces him to agree.
There is a lot more happening behind the scenes, with the two main characters not even being aware of most of it. And you can definitely see how a match like this would lead to all sorts of shenanigans in underground gambling circles. Whether it’s 1930 or 2025, those kinds of circles have never been known for their high integrity.
Shortcomings
While The Cincinnati Kid is a very enjoyable movie, the final scene is a bit melodramatic, and, if you watch it through the eyes of a poker player, a bit funny.
After The Kid has seemingly been crushing Lancey for several days, the whole game gets down to an ultimate cooler. Eric is showing two pair and Lancey has four cards to a flush, with one card, Jack of Diamonds, giving him a straight flush.
As we find out a bit later when hands are tabled, The Kid actually has a full house, as his face-down card is an ace, giving him Aces Full of Tens. Of course, Lancey has the straight flush, and after putting an epic cooler on his opponent, he wraps it up by saying:
“You are good, Kid, but as long as I am around, you’re second best. You might as well learn to live with that.” Yes sir, you played that 45 million to one cooler (according to poker author Antony Holden) perfectly.
I get it. It’s the final hand, it has to be dramatic, but did it have to be 45 million to one dramatic? Plus, I’m not sure Lancey’s postmortem would go over too well even in today’s very safe and well-regulated poker environment.
Final Verdict
Different people approach movies differently. To me, it’s mainly about how entertaining a movie is and if it gets me to feel something special and different. And it’s fair to say that The Cincinnati Kid manages to do both every time I see it.
First of all, it’s a great throwback to a time long gone, and it is a nice escape from the fast-paced lives we’re all living today. For a couple of hours, you’re transported to a world that almost seems impossible to have existed from today’s perspective.
Secondly, it’s a great poker movie. I’d dare call it Rounders before Rounders. There are quite a few similarities between these two, and that alone is more than enough a reason to make some time and check it out yourself if you haven’t had the opportunity yet. Or just re-watch again. There are far worse things you could do with your time!
Overall score: 8/10
