Rounders is a 1998 American crime drama film about the underground world of high-stakes poker, directed by John Dahl and starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton. The story follows two friends who need to win at high-stakes poker to quickly pay off a large debt. The term "rounder" refers to a person traveling around from city to city seeking high-stakes card games. Rounders premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 4, 1998, and was theatrically released in the United States on September 11.