Memorable poker scenes are used to add dramatic tension, kick off a film and sometimes are the entire basis for a movie. We take a look at some of the best 'poker scenes' on the silver scene.

The british gangster movie directed by 'Mr. Madonna' Guy Ritchie, the film starts with four average Joe's who club together to fund a mate in a high rollers game against the biggest crook in East London. The main character loses all the original stake money, in desperation he chases the loses with a £500,000 I.O.U! Who can forget the scene when main character main character leaves the poker table after losing £500,000 in a state of shock and terror and the room starts to spin uncontrollably. The group of friends then have 3 days to come up with the £500,000 or their going to get covered in Claret!

A young man is accused of a murder during a poker game, when all the lights suddenly go out. His sister enlists the help of Gene Autry to prove his innocence and hide the brother until the poker game can be recreated to discover the real killer and clear her brothers name.

Pretty boy Leonardo di Caprio wins a ticket on the doomed ship Titanic in a game of poker at the start of the film. Director Cameron knew little about poker and someone else had to set up the scene. It is unclear which version of poker Leonardo and the gang are playing and many will say it is very unlikely that any type of poker was played by Irish peasants at that time.

A Martin Scorsese classic, how could we leave ‘Casino’ out of the list? This absolute gem of a movie follows Sam 'Ace' Rothstein through his world of greed, deception, money, power, and murder. Throw in the mob, a trophy wife and a gambling empire and you’ve got a cracker to keep you entertained for hours. Outstanding performances from Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, James Woods and Sharon Stone should have been recognised by the ‘Academy’ but 1995 was not their year. Shame.

Less about actual gambling and more about the greatest heist in casino history, Oceans Eleven, the 2001 version, was a visual feast for those of us who love a great robbery movie. Slick, cool, and very well written, Clooney and his buddies gave us hours of viewing pleasure as we settled down with our popcorn. We couldn’t take it seriously but who the hell cares it was great fun!

When a mutual friend is killed by a mob boss, two con men, one experienced and one young, try to get even by pulling off the big con on the mob boss. The story unfolds with several twists and last minute alterations. Paul Newman and Robert Redford shone in this '73 classic which laid down the gauntlet for other movies of its genre with a resounding 'Follow that', sadly, though many have tried few have succeeded. The Sting is a real piece of movie artistry and a must for all poker buffs.