Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1999)
Directed by Guy Ritchie, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was released in March of 1999. This popular British film depicts the lifestyle of a group of friends heavily involved in illegal gambling and organized crime in London, England. Although a few of the characters are seemingly involved in a situation with which they have no understanding and a limited interest (Soap, for example), the friends are faced with a challenging situation after collectively losing a great deal of money on a poker game.
They turn to even more illegal and dangerous activities to attempt to get our of their mess and end up getting into even more trouble because of it. The film stars Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Nick Moran, Jason Statham and Steven Mackintosh. The title of the movie relates to a famous pair of antique shotguns that end up playing a major role in the resolution (used loosely) of the problem.
Plot Summary of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
The protagonist of the poker movie, Eddy (played by Nick Moran) has a familiar history when poker movies are concerned. Since he was very young, Eddy has been known for being particularly talented at the game of poker. When he and three friends (Bacon, Tom and Soap) learn of a high stakes poker game taking place in an adult entertainment peddler’s dank boxing club, they each raise $25,000 to make the buy in required of Eddy for the game. Eddy arrives at the game and meets the main antagonist of the poker movie named Hatchet Harry.
Eddy does not realize that the game is rigged with Harry employing the help of a hidden thug using a Morse code device to tap out the other player’s hands on an ankle device worn by Hatchet Harry. Eddy makes a normally reasonable call but then makes a foolish mistake by borrowing money from Harry to match a raise made by the man. Eddy looses to a particularly crushing hand and is thrown into a debt of $500,000 with one of the most feared men in London. When Eddy’s father is alerted to the situation with threats of losing his business he is understandably upset at his son’s foolishness and leaves him to settle his own debts. The four friends band together to come up with a plan to raise the money to pay back Harry and avoid losing their fingers.
After learning of a marijuana ring from a group of thieves that lives next door, they plan to beat the thieves to the punch by stealing their money and marijuana holdings before the thieves have a chance to implement their plan. In a whirlwind of unfortunate coincidences and conflicting plots, the boys eventually pull off the heist only to be discovered by the thieves next door and stolen from in turn. The poker movie culminates with a string of bloody gang fights that end up taking the lives of not only the thieves but a group wishing to purchase the marijuana and Hatchet Harry himself. In the end, the four friends find that their poker debt has been literally erased with Harry’s death and the last item linking them to any crime, two double barreled antique shotguns that they plan to dump in a river are their only remaining chance to come out with at least their $100,000 buy in returned.
The movie ends with one character, Tom (played by Dexter Flemyng) struggling to dispose of the shotguns over a bridge while juggling his cell phone (ringing as his friends call him to not dump the shotguns, only then finding out that they are worth several million pounds). The viewer never finds out whether he successfully dumps the shotguns, ruining them, or answers the cell phone as he is dangling over the side of the bridge.
What Can Poker Players Get from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels?
Obviously, the main consideration for poker players watching Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is the amount of trouble the game can get them into if they make bets with money that they do not have. In addition, it shows the dangers of playing illegal poker in the presence of evil opponents. Finding a safe and reputable online poker site can prevent such cheating from occurring but such big money games are always tempting to poker sharks. In the case of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Hatchet Harry would have likely folded in the face of such terrible odds unless he had some indication of what his opponent was holding. In this movie, he knew exactly what Eddy had in his hand and was able to clean him out with a truly unexpected win. Following the crushing defeat is a powerful scene showing Eddy (blurred and slow motion) reacting to the loss, a scene that hopefully no poker player reading this article will ever have to experience.
Another benefit of this poker movie is the depiction of how dangerous it can be to use illegal or foolish activities to make up for a mistake. Indeed, they had little choice and reacted in the only way they knew how, but in less stressful situations such as losing a large pot in online poker, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels can help poker players react appropriately and shake off the loss to make a reasonable come back.
Other Movies to Watch if You Like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
From the same director, Guy Ritchie, the film “Snatch” does not involve poker but does center on illegal gambling, in this case on bar knuckle fights. Once again, Ritchie points to how dangerous illegal gambling can become and the cost of betting money that you cannot afford to lose. Starring Jason Statham and Brad Pitt, “Snatch” is a wonderful companion film to Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Notice one scene where the main antagonist sends his thugs to destroy a casino owned by Statham’s character. Indeed, gambling (especially of the illegal variety) is a major consideration in the films of Guy Ritchie.