
2007-05-02 17:07:41
Eric Bana, who stars as poker player Huck Cheever in the new gambling-based film Lucky You, has revealed that his role in the film encouraged him to get involved in the game.
Speaking to the USA today, Bana detailed how he fell in love with the game through practising for the scenes in the film where his character attempts to win the World Series of Poker (WSOP).
And the Troy star advised that he was able to come up with a strategy for reading other players.
"I got pretty good at poker. You can tell when someone is bluffing by how they place the bets more than any mannerisms or tics. It's whether they are confident or not when they're placing them. That's how you can really tell," he told the newspaper.
Bana also admitted that the joys of the game sometimes saw him get caught up in his own desire to win.
"I can get pretty competitive when I'm in the moment, yes. But this is a father-son love story. I like the scene where he lets his father win. It goes against the mythology where the father lets the son win," he added.
Lucky You is released later this month and will be looking to follow the success of other gambling films such as Matt Damon vehicle Rounders, which became a cult hit once released on video and DVD.
© Adfero Ltd