If you think about it, a lot of poker players lived out a kind of Rounders sequel themselves during the 2000s, going to Las Vegas to play in the WSOP after having watched Mike McDermott arrive at his decision to so in the film. After all, the film ends with protagonist Mike McDermott leaving New York City for Las Vegas to pursue his dream to play in the World Series of Poker - seemingly inviting a continuation of the story. Speaking of desiring more, fans of Rounders, the 1998 film that inspired a generation of poker players during the poker “boom” of the 2000s, have long pined for a sequel. Poker players do the same sometimes, such as when they pick up a big hand and don’t bet too much right away so as to increase their chances of winning a bigger pot. Writers sometimes talk about how “less is more,” meaning that occasionally being succinct and learning how to subtract what is unnecessary can actually add to what you already have. It’s not a sequel, but a draft of the screenplay to Rounders nonetheless provides fans more poker to contemplate and enjoy.

Rounders poker hand analysis