Bodog Beat

From left: real-life poker-pro Daniel Negreanu, Eric Bana and Robert Duvall in the cheesy poker romance, "Lucky You". (Courtesy Warner Bros)

With a 28% approval rating on rottentomaotes.com, "Lucky You" has failed to impress movie-goers and poker fans. The problem with the movie is that it is trying to cater to two worlds, those who embrace the "chick-flick" genre of Drew Barrymore-esque romantic sap, and those who enjoy the high-stakes thrill of the poker room. The trouble is, the two worlds do not belong together. To make things worse, director Curtis Hanson forces in cheesy poker metaphors to try to force the worlds of sap and poker together with lines like, "You got it backwards kid. You play cards the way you should lead your life. And you lead your life the way you should play cards." Or Barrymore's quote when she dumps her poker-playing love interest, "I'm just making a good fold." Groan.

Movie editor Josh Larsen complains, "'Lucky You', set among professional gamblers in Las Vegas, introduces us to a fascinating world with fascinating characters – and then turns away from it all in favor of a drearily generic romance."

"Lucky You" brought in $2.5 million, a box-office bomb. However, the competition was high as the movie opened the same weekend which boasted record breaking numbers for Spider-Man 3, a boxing showdown in De la Hoya vs Mayweather, the NBA & NHL Playoffs, the Kentucky Derby and notable Nascar and golf events. Perhaps it would have had a chance if it dropped the sap and focused on the good stuff, like poker.

Play in a world without the sap. Visit Bodog's online poker room today.