The tradition of poker tournaments and poker games drawing all manner of high rollers in high society clientele is as old as the game of Texas Hold’em itself. Presidents, Kings, Queens and other world figures have been known to play in all manner of tournaments and competitions, quite often sponsoring them as well. This tendency for historical figures to view gambling and gaming as less vice and more virtue has waned over the years, as the moral majority has pointed out the evils of gambling and playing in games of skill and chance such as poker and the road to destruction that awaits those who succumb to the evils of gaming, drinking and chasing women. But despite this focus on shouting about the evils of gambling, the romantic allure still exists, as movies such as the James Bond series can easily illustrate. In the famous spy series, the hero almost always plays in some form of gambling or poker match, making huge wagers and subsequently either winning or losing spectacularly, as the plot depends.
Many new poker players cite this romanticized version of the high-stakes gambler that is supported in popular culture such as the James Bond movies and other forms of media. This focus on high entertainment brushes over the realities of the game of poker in a big way. The truth about playing poker and competing in all manner of cash games and poker tournaments is that it requires slow, steady and patient abilities and skills at the poker table and, in any James Bond movie that has ever been made, there is very little about the famous British secret agents playing style that one could call subtle. This is because of the unreality of any Hollywood movie that is predicated on big explosions, larger than life characters and more big explosions as well as big risks. After all the card playing and dramatic sequences, the moviegoer can expect to see some additional big explosions.
The unreality involved in the making of these types of movies can easily desensitize the viewer to the realities of these types of card games. In poker, it is quite easy to lose, and lose big. While James Bond may look very attractive in his dinner jacket and debonair appearance, his playing style would get any casual player sent to the poor house in rapid fashion.

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