Four friends in a weekly poker game. A burglar breaks in. They kill him. It looks bad (they tied his hands; he tried to escape and one of them baseball-batted him). They don't report it and dump the body.Then things get really bad.From a novel by Ed Gorman, Johnathon Schaech produces, co-screenplays and stars in the tight thriller, THE POKER CLUB. If you're looking for poker action, go watch ROUNDERS or 21. Despite its title, in this movie, you'll get exactly five minutes of poker as an establishing shot, then the movie concerns itself with how the burglar's death affects the four friends of The Poker Club (quaky Loren Dean, beanstem Michael Risley, dynamic Johnathon Schaech and Chippendaler Johnny Messner).Part psychological thriller, part gore-fest, all indie film-making.A couple of twists you can see coming and a couple you can't, some good acting and some bad acting, motivations which seem untidy and some which we can buy; all in all, the most fun you can have watching a poker movie without actually watching a poker movie.--Review by Poffy The Cucumber (for Poffy's Movie Mania).

"The Poker Club" is truly a well-done film, providing a dynamic cast of characters, a gripping tale, great diversions, and the actors do a wonderful job in each of their roles. Kudos to Johnathon Schaech for his capable writing and smooth character portrayal. Oooo I love that guy! Kudos to Judy Reyes, playing her character so very well. She met this challenge!The story unfolds holding your interest because of the actors' capable performances. I'm not much on dramas but this captures your interest and holds your attention. I watched is several different nights and each time I found myself as interested as the first time. WONDERFUL FILM!

"The Poker Club", which I saw at a film festival, examines the bad choices we make when we take our life for granted, and shows how they can come back to haunt us. It is a thriller that, for the most part, keeps a strong momentum going, and has a lively cast of characters (although it is an unrealistically good looking group). It's a lot of fun to watch, is not going to strain anyone's braincells, but is much more emotionally involving than most films of this kind. Judy Reyes, who is from the TV show Scrubs, plays a detective. It's a much different role for her, and she gives a standout performance. Also, Lori Huering is very impressive.

Johnathon Schaech has definitely got talent, writing and acting in this although it was a mediocre film. The plot seems all too easy and done plenty of times before, but it still somewhat keeps your interest. It was obviously not a Hollywood hit with a huge budget, but for what they had, I believe it turned out OK.The story follows a lead character Aaron(Johnathon Schaech)and his response to him and his friends killing a burglar on their poker night. They make a commonly used film move and dump the body and get rid of the evidence. Things begin happening to the people involved in this murder and evidence points to our lead character as a determined and suspicious detective (Judy Reyes) investigates Johnathon's character. The plot leads us to an interesting, but non-surprising twist in the end which leaves the audience questioning elements about Aaron's wife and her actions. Johnny Messner once again plays an obnoxious character who is not too likable, for reasons explained in the film. Overall, wasn't too bad considering, but there's definitely better straight to DVD features out there to watch.Obvious why it's a DVD feature, but still have to give credit to Johnathon Schaech for his drive and determination to adapt this screenplay and get it made.