Justin Timberlake stars as Richie Furst, a Princeton grad student who believes he’s been swindled by online gambling tycoon Ivan Block, played by Ben Affleck. Determined to confront the owner of the corrupt gambling site face to face, Richie travels all the way to Costa Rica. However, once there Richie becomes seduced by Block’s promises of riches and becomes his right-hand man.
After uncovering the disturbing truth behind Block, Richie’s relationship with his rich benefactor becomes strained, as FBI agent Zbysko (played by Anthony Mackie) tries to recruit him in their attempts to bring Block down.
Runner, Runner seems like a thrilling poker movie offering and one with a cast and crew up to scratch with the casino classic. Producer Leonardo DiCaprio is a regular of the game, playing in high stakes poker at casinos in Las Vegas. Ben Affleck’s exploits on the felt are even more impressive, with poker.co.uk calling him “one of the best celebrity poker players in the world.”
Although good poker movies have been a bit thin on the ground, 'Runner, Runner' with its star cast and high stakes action is well worth hedging your bets on.