Steve McQueen stars as a stud poker player nicknamed the Cincinnati Kid in this film. The Kid is rising in the poker world, and as the rebel, he takes on the champion William Jefferson played by Rip Tom. Lancey Howard, played by Edward Robinson, creates tension as the card-dealer and a friend of Kid. Howard's wife Melba, played by Ann-Margaret, spends most of the film trying to get together with Kid through flirting & sultry behavior. Kid already has a girlfriend, played by actress Tuesday Weld, to whom he doesn't give enough attention or time because of his focus on poker. More than half of the film is a buildup to the game, which takes place in the last 30 minutes of the movie.

The buildup and some scenes seemed to drag on occasionally. Having said that, McQueen stole the show in every scene with his cool, arrogant, and calm personality. Nicknamed the "King of Cool", McQueen always stood out with delicate facial expressions, personality, and charming aura. The beautiful Ann-Margaret held her own here from an acting perspective, despite being mostly used as a sex symbol. Her charismatic elegance, sexy behavior, and seductive way of talking with her eyes make it difficult to not focus on her. Robinson masterfully showed the inner conflicts of his troubled character.

Would I recommend this? It's an entertaining film with intriguing filming in 1960s New Orleans with classic Jazz music, but not a must-watch. If you are a fan of poker or Steve McQueen, it's a movie you will watch. McQueen wasn't in many movies because he spent his early days on television and died young, near the peak of his Hollywood career.

People will sit down at the table with you, just so they can say they played with The Man

Blah blah blah is the feelings I get when I see comments about this being McQueen's answer to The Hustler, the Newman film is firmly ensconced in the hall of classics and rightly so, but this is a different animal that stands up on its own two feet as a great film regardless of comparisons of leading men or films they respectively delivered.

"It's a pleasure to meet someone who understands that to the true gambler, money is never an end in itself, it's simply a tool, as a language is to thought"

Steve McQueen is The Cincinnati Kid of the title, a young man who has an enviable reputation as the pretender to the throne of king stud poker player. Standing in his way of claiming the crown is the holder of said crown, Lancey "The Man" Howard (a wonderfully sedate yet dominant Edward G. Robinson), both men are in New Orleans for the big showdown across the card table.

The film does suffer slightly from a meandering script, though, because you can't help feeling that there is so much more to these characters that needed fleshing out before the big tense showdown arises. However, the cast and director manage to steer the film home with a glorious final third. Suspense and drama start to boil to the surface, the tight knit editing bringing claustrophobic clarity to the enormity of the game.

McQueen is perfect here, cocky and cool in equal measure, yet still infusing the role with stoic heart and honest endearment. Tuesday Weld & Ann-Margret are playing second fiddle in the acting stakes to a delightful turn from Joan Blondell (a little under used though), but both Weld and Margret bring their respective girls' traits to life, with Margret positively smouldering with femme fatale sex appeal.

Karl Malden is solid and safe, whilst Rip Torn gives an acting lesson in dialogue driven menace. Yet in all honesty it's director Norman Jewison who has the trump card here. Once the game commences, even those who know nothing about a good game of poker are firmly watching every frame, such is the intense way that Jewison has brought the finale together.

No cop outs here, a film about egos, ambitions and personal satisfaction is gloriously laid out for a very enjoyable viewing experience. 8/10