Poker Night Ending Explained

The Film's Ending Versus the Play's Final Moments It is important to note that in the Elia Kazan film, Stella seems to blame and reject Stanley. The movie adaptation implies that Stella will no longer trust her husband, and might actually leave him. PokerStars streams its major live events on YouTube, and “Poker Night in America” streams occasional cash games on Twitch. But “Live at the Bike” is the only poker show running five days a.

In the superb 2006 James Bond reboot Casino Royale, Daniel Craig’s still-wet-behind-the-ears 007 faces off against terrorist financier Le Chiffre in Texas Hold ’Em. Fifty-three years earlier, in Ian Fleming’s franchise-launching novel, it was baccarat. While updating the tale for the 21st century, the screenwriters also changed the game to one a larger audience could conceivably follow while they waited for Bond to kill two would-be assassins in a stairwell, or restart his own poisoned heart with his cell phone. (Message and data rates may apply.)

At least the convoluted, poison-hearted thriller Poker Night never asks viewers to keep track of anybody’s cards. Greg Francis’ writing and directing feature debut plays like a thoroughly mundane mashup of grim David Ayer cop movies like Training Day, neo-noirs like The Usual Suspects, and green-tinted, subterranean torture flicks like Saw for long enough that when Francis turns out to have an ace up his sleeve, it’s a genuine surprise. Not enough to put the movie into the black, but enough to mark him as a talent to watch.

Poker Night Ending Explained Ending

Francis’ prior credits are all in true crime or reality television—most intriguingly, something called Wives With Knives. (Let’s hope there’s a title song.) That’s probably why Poker Night has so much voiceover narration that it sometimes feels like a feature-length trailer for at least three different movies. The majority of it runs at the speed of the last five minutes of a Christopher Nolan film, when entire story beats are compressed into a shot or a line.

Set in Warsaw, Indiana, but shot (like so many films that aspire to Warsaw’s gritty milieu) in Canada, Poker Night is expository enough to work as a radio play—or as well as it works onscreen, anyhow. Its premise is that a masked serial rapist drugs rookie police detective Jeter (Beau Mirchoff), abducts him, and chains him up in a basement. To free himself, he travels deep into his memories of yes, poker night, a traditional gathering wherein Warsaw’s Finest—mostly graybeard detectives imported after earning their pensions in tougher towns like New York and Chicago—swap war stories for the rookie’s edification. They reiterate the point that poker night is only intended for educational purposes often enough to raise the question of whether they only play poker when a new detective joins their ranks. (That probably doesn’t happen often in Warsaw, Indiana.) Maybe they tell stories because they’re all terrible at poker. As titles go, Poker Night is no The Unbearable Lightness Of Being, but Sharing Night wouldn’t be empirically worse.

These digressions reflect Francis’ discursive style of yarn-spinning. He frequently flashes back from Jeter’s present-day escape attempts, and gets into scenes at the poker game. But the game itself contains at least four flashbacks, as each old-timer at the table tells the story of his career-making bust: It’s sort of The Grand Budapest Connection. Wes Anderson’s 2014 movie used a similar nesting-doll structure, but with far greater symmetry and elegance. The gimmick makes more sense in a film that’s actually about storytelling, memory, and loss than in what’s trying to be a pulse-quickening thriller. Francis recasts Mirchoff in these flashbacks as an older cop telling the story, even dressing him in a regrettable but period-appropriate turtleneck-and-sport-jacket combo for a flashback to 1979.

That cleverness comes at a cost, because the old cops are played by Ron Perlman, Giancarlo Esposito, Titus Welliver, and Ron Eldard—guys whose faces are more expressive than the overly familiar material Francis gives them. They’re certainly more interesting to look at than the blandly handsome Mirchoff, who isn’t a terrible actor, but who seems to have been cast to attract a demographic that would sooner read Crime And Punishment in the original Russian than sit through Poker Night. Pink-faced and unburdened by thought, he looks like he wandered in from the set of the Twilight sequel next door, which does provide a perverse thrill when the generic, masked psychopath villain Krazy-Glues him to a basement wall. Nobody’s seen that before in a movie, probably. 007 had to grimace and quip when Le Chiffre whipped his scrotum with a length of rope while complimenting him on his toned physique in Casino Royale. But he never had to contend with an enemy that Bonds in seconds.

Note: Poker Night is availble on VOD now, and will expand to theaters on December 20.

There’snothing like Poker Night—playing cards, having a few drinks, and sharing laughs with friends. What if no one inyour life has a regular Poker Night? Maybe it’s time you started one. We haveall the tips you need to host the bestPoker Night!

7 Tips to Planning the Best Poker Night

1) Invitations

Hostinga Poker Night gives you an opportunity to gather a different mix of peopletogether—colleagues, old friends, family, and neighbors. It’s important, though,to be mindful of how the group will mix together, especially if there isalcohol involved. Discreet invitations by mail, especially for your first pokernight are a nice touch. Creating a Facebook group is also a fantastic way toconnect with everyone ahead of time, share video tutorials, and answer guestquestions easily.

Include inyour invites:

• Gamestart and ending time
• Ifyou’ll serve dinner
• Whethersmoking is allowed
• Ifguests are allowed to bring anyone
• Thebuy-in and re-buy
• Dresscode. Poker night can be a casual affair, or an excuse to get dressed up.

2) Playing the Game

Priorto the main game time, have an hour of open play to help new players learn allthe rules while other guests get to know each other. This will help all of yourguests feel more comfortable.

Ifyou’re newer to Poker, ask one of your friends who plays more frequently tohelp you explain the rules efficiently.

Tohelp keep things civil, set a modest buy-in, around $20. Decide on a re-buybased on your invitees, maybe a bottle of alcohol or more cash; it’s up to you.

3) Entertainment

Thegame itself is the main event, of course, but prior to the game, play somemusic while everyone enjoys drinks and gets acquainted. Jazz or cocktailstandards are perfect. Once it’s time for the game, it’s best to turn the musicdown or completely off.

Another entertainment option is to play a classic action or suspense movie, especially on a projector screen, on low volume. Guests that want to sit out a game can still relax with a drink with some easy entertainment. There are inexpensive projectors that can be purchased for laptops or phones that turn a blank wall into a movie theater.

Othergames, like darts can provide some easyentertainment between Poker games.

4) Supplies

While you don’t need to completely refurnish your home to host Poker Night, there are a few things that make the game much more enjoyable. At GameTablesOnline.com, we pride ourselves in carrying the best in home game room furniture, at a fraction of the cost. Get your ultimate game room started with a table set or a few comfy chairs.

Toset up for the game, you’ll want to make space for gaming tables by movingsofas, dining tables, and other large furniture pieces against the wall. If youhave card tables, utilize them. Make sure you have a chair at the card tablesfor every player, plus a few extra.

Forthe game itself, make sure you have plenty of poker chipsand high-quality playing cards.

Ifyou’re allowing guests to smoke indoors, be sure to provide stylish ash traysfor each table. If you’re requesting that guests enjoy cigars outdoors, place afew ash trays outside where guests can easily access them.

5) Food and Drinks

Every good poker night party has delicious food. You don’t have to cater or spend hours in the kitchen to have Poker Night be a smashing success. A good guideline is to have hot appetizers for the beginning of the party, and provide crunchy, salty snacks in bowls in the middle of the table. If you’re into cocktails, you can whip up some signature drinks at the bar or keep it simple with beer and wine. Always be sure to have some non-alcoholic beverages on hand as well, like iced tea, ginger ale, and water.

Poker Night, the start of a new tradition

Withthese tips, your first Poker Night will be one for the books. The best thingsabout hosting your first Poker Night is that it can become a regular thing.Gather friends monthly, seasonally, or whenever you feel like a good, old fashionedcard game is in order. For more gaming ideas and supplies visit our full catalogue or contact one of our experts.

Poker Night Ending Explained Meaning

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