Movies Blackjack Players Will Love
Casino games have always made for unforgettable movie moments. After all, there’s nothing quite like seeing suave men dressed in tuxes, and glamorous women decked out in flowing cocktail dresses, all taking on a smooth-talking dealer.
Sure, it’s a classic movie cliche, but you have to admit, it’s cool. So, let’s take a look at some of the best films that capture the excitement of the casino, where the stakes can get much higher.
Rain Man – A Casino’s Worst Nightmare
Long before professional card counting teams were trying to beat houses in places such as Las Vegas, Nevada, Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman were doing it with a fraction of the resources in Rain Man.
As well as featuring some exciting blackjack scenes, Rain Man is also a real tearjerker, as both Cruise and Hoffman deliver career highlight performances. While card counting is now pretty much impossible when it comes to online casinos, not to mention very much frowned upon in traditional casinos, it’s interesting to see how players can potentially get an edge over the house.
Rain Man Made Card Counting Look Easy
The card counting techniques used in the film are simplified and dramatised for the big screen. The pros are more subtle and less flashy, so they don’t get spotted by watchful floor staff.
Croupier – Style in Abundance at the Blackjack Table
It was the movie that put Clive Owen’s name on the tip of every Hollywood director’s tongue, before he then somehow disappeared without a trace, and it is still a modern casino movie classic.
Infused with wonderful noir stylings and sparse dialogue, no other film has done as much to explore the psyches of the men and women who deal cards at land-based or live online casinos.
Croupier Became a Cult Classic
While Croupier is now considered a cult classic, it actually flopped in the UK. In the US, however, it became a surprise indie hit.
The Cooler – Keeping Things In-House
Coolers are not used to the same degree these days as they once were on the gaming floors of brick-and-mortar casinos, but back when Wayne Kramer’s movie was set, the practice was still pretty common.
A cooler’s job was to latch on to a casino player who was on a hot streak, with the express intention of making sure their winnings were swiftly poured back into the house. Thankfully, those days are gone, and regulations stop these kinds of dirty tricks happening – well, in respectable businesses anyway!
The Cooler Is All About a Loser
The Cooler was really unique when it came out, as it focused on a casino loser, not a high-flying winner. This earned William H. Macy a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the 2004 Golden Globes.
The Gambler – It’s Always Fun, Until It Isn’t!
Mark Wahlberg plays a literature professor who has an unhealthy relationship with blackjack. He’s the type of character you don’t know whether to root for or shake. The casino classic plays a huge part in his high-risk lifestyle and gives viewers an insight into the importance of responsible gambling, which can be applied to live casino games. The film also mirrors the darker tones of the aforementioned films, Croupier and The Cooler.
The Gambler Was So Good, It Was Made Twice!
The 2014 version of The Gambler is actually a remake of the 1974 classic with the same name. It starred James Caan (who also played Sonny Corleone in The Godfather).
Molly’s Game – Shady Dealings of an Underground Casino
While it focuses more on the shady dealings of underground casino games, Molly’s Game starring Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba throws you into the high-roller gambling world. Sure, blackjack isn’t the main focus of the film, but the casino culture is there, although it’s far rawer than a typical casino!
The Real Life Molly’s Game
Molly’s Game is based on the real-life story of Molly Bloom, the former Olympic skier who ran exclusive underground casino games for Hollywood A-listers, CEOs, and billionaires.
Casino Royale – License to Kill and Thrill on the Felt
This list would not be complete without some mention of the world’s favourite secret agent, because over the years, James Bond has come to epitomise what casino style and culture are all about.
I think it’s fair to say that Casino Royale might just be the most stylish, high-stakes casino movie in recent years. The excitement, glamour, and tension are a visual representation of how it feels when you’re on a winning streak during a live casino session – only it’s unlikely you’ll find yourself playing alongside an international criminal.
Casino Royale was influenced by Online casinos
In the original books and the earlier films, James Bond plays baccarat. But for the Casino Royale, the director decided to go with Texas Hold’em poker instead. Why, you may ask? Because Poker became far more well-known after the online poker boom in the early 2000s.
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