...in all the worst ways. Sporting a hackneyed plot (retired pro coaches eager newcomer until they go head-to-head in the big game),pasteboard characters, clichéd dialogue, and some of the most boring poker action ever filmed, "Deal" fails at every level of filmmaking and playing poker (most particularly thanks to its absurd, impossible ending). Burt "Deliverance" Reynolds is embarrassingly wooden, showing every last nanosecond of his age, co-star Bret "Breaking In" Harrison is equally uninspiring, although prettier, and the less said about the rest of the cast, the direction, and pretty much every aspect of this thoroughly pedestrian production, which serves as little more than an extended puff piece for the World Series of Poker, the better. Save yourself the agony of watching this muck hand and go watch "Rounders" again, or even "The Cincinnati Kid." This deal is a complete mis-.

You gotta love birth Reynolds regardless what movies in he always makes a movie better he always makes a movie better than it was believable it was fun to watch Brett Harris spongebob Brett Harrison also played a good partner's film I already recommend this anybody that's a burnt Reynolds fan.

I have just recently read an article about Poker genre films.It was stated in that article that after Rounders was shown,a few movies of the similar genre came along such as Lucky You and Deal.Sad to say,they did not live up to the greatness of the Matt Damon film.Then I got into Walgreens.I was looking for DVD's.I came upon the movie,Deal and it was on sale.Since it was affordable,I decided to buy it.Upon reaching the cashier,it was delighted to find out that I got a cash reward for being a Walgreens card member and got more discount.Overall,I got the movie for just 99 cents.Not expecting much from it,I got home and began watching with this on my mind,"What's the deal with the Deal?" and how bad was it compared to Rounders?

The Deal stars Burt Reynolds,a well-known icon together with Bret Harrison, and Shannon Elizabeth. World Poker Tour commentators Mike Sexton, Vince Van Patten and Courtney Friel play themselves. A number of other professional poker players and poker-playing celebrities, including Elizabeth, Jennifer Tilly, Phil Laak, Antonio Esfandiari, Greg Raymer, Chris Moneymaker and Isabelle Mercier.

Deal tells the story of a former poker player who tutors a younger player.Alex Stillman is a Yale senior with a knack for Texas Hold 'Em. But while Alex dreams of the day he'll be able to dominate the tables out in Las Vegas, he hasn't mastered the art of the cards just yet. Alex's luck begins to change, however, after a chance encounter with legendary poker player Tommy Vinson,who gave up gambling 20 years ago in hopes that he could save his family. Alex agrees to become Tommy's protégé, and together the pair wins every tournament they enter. But Alex's attraction to beautiful Michelle has caused his attention shift away from the tables, and that distraction has opened up a deep chasm between the emerging talent and the undisputed master which led them to call off their partnership.At the conclusion, they find themselves on opposite sides of the table at the fictional World Poker Tour championship.

So going back to my question,"What's the deal with the Deal?".First of all,the plot simply was a rip off of Color Of Money particularly the teacher-protégé relationship. Instead of pool,we have it in the poker setting.Too bad that we don't have the great performances of Tom Cruise and the late Paul Newman in it but the uninspired and wooden acting of Reynolds and Harrison.Also,we didn't have the interesting characters of the Scorcese film.It seems that the people were just going to the motions.What's worse,the relationship between Alex and Michelle lack clarity until the film's end.It even bothers me why her character was even placed into the story and after a few scenes will just be written off?Overall,the movie just less inventive and totally uncreative considering that it employed multiple cinematic clichés which makes it predictable and the viewer is probably just saying,"Haven't I seen that in another movie before?".At the conclusion,we also find it similar to Lucky You wherein the protégé throws a winning hand for his teacher to win.I found it somewhat saying,"What??" I thought that Alex and Tommy had a falling out?Why the sudden change of heart in Alex's heart?That is one question left answered by the movie.

Let's admit that the film is a second rate.But to its credit,it at least manages to cast well-known poker players.But it will definitely not generate more interest in the game unlike Rounders.