The Poker Movies "The Music of Chance" and "The Man With the Golden Arm"
There are poker players who participate in poker games and tournaments unprepared of the battle they are facing. It is important that players know the different skills and techniques used in playing the game. The poker movies that will be featured in the section do not present these strategies but they focus on the possible outcomes if a poker player fails to enhance one's knowledge of the game before engaging in poker sessions.
"The Music of Chance," directed by Phillip Haas and starring James Spader and Mandy Patinkin dealt with the story of a rebel man named Jim Nashe and his gambler friend Jack Pozzi. Nashe has an inheritance and decided to leave his family because he was afraid of his responsibilities to his family.
His friend convinced him to bet his remaining inheritance amounting to $10,000 in a poker game with two lottery winners. Since the two men are not well-prepared when they engage in the game, they lost and were in debt to the lottery winners. To pay the debt, the two parties agreed that Nashe and Pozzi will create monuments of the winners in their mansions. Nashe and Pozzi's fates did not end with them serving the millionaires, but the conflict continued which resulted to murder and cheating.
On the other hand, "The Man With the Golden Arm," is a story of an ex-convict who wanted to live a clean life. As soon as he was released from detention, he decided to stop his addiction to using illegal drugs but his wife does not let him stop his involvement in gambling activities such as poker games. A mob boss convinces the ex-convict to play against him in a high stakes poker session. He agreed to play and to boost his confidence he again used narcotics.
This movie only shows that the people around us play an important role in the decisions that we made. To clear things up, it is significant to know that playing poker is not a bad habit. Poker playing also makes a bad habit when a player became involved in other illegal activities as a result of loses experienced from playing the game.
These poker movies only remind players that just like any other form of entertainment, poker games will not yield negative outcomes if they are done in moderation. Players are also warned that it is important that they efficiently manage their stakes while in a poker game to avoid being indebted to other players.