Loads of people out there like to watch movies to keep themselves entertained, and even learn new things. The current pandemic which has forced people to stay indoors has presented yet another opportunity for people to have more free time, and hence devote it to watch more movies. Amongst some really interesting acts are gambling scenes which range from outright ridiculous to somewhat interesting to both gamblers and non-gamblers. We will look at the 6 best gambling scenes in movies that have been released in the past.
- Casino Royale – It would not be a complete list without the mention of one of the all-time favourite James Bond movies which was released in 2006. This movie has a high rating and features the main cast James Bond played by Daniel Craig on a quest to defeat a terrorist organisation that tries to finance its operations from casino winnings. In the gambling scenes, James Bond makes use of incredible strategies in the game of poker to win a massive amount of $100 million and managing to break down the terrorist organisation Le Chiffre. One might also wonder how much he would be able to win if he had played poker on IrishCasinoHEX.
- Rounders– Released at the end of the 20th century, this is another movie that features one of the top poker scenes. The movie features popular actor Matt Damon who acts as a law school student in the game of Texas Hold’em poker. The scene is remarkable for a few things. Matt Damon, playing the character of Michael McDermott, has to beat a Russian gambling kingpin named Teddy in this game involving high stakes. On the other hand, Michael is himself facing pressure from his girlfriend to call it quits whilst he still needs the winnings to pay for his college fees. The scene is complemented by nice music and well-timed cinematography, and a combination of banter and bluffing skills.
- Rainman – Featuring one of the popular Hollywood actors in the form of Tom Cruise, this 1998 film involves a set of two characters who manage to make a bond in a tilted relationship in which one is taken advantage of. This happens as Tom Cruise is playing tries to take advantage of his brother played by Dustin Hoffman, who has autism. Incredibly, the Dustin Hoffman character manages to make use of remarkable card counting skills, calculation capability and walks away with massive winnings from the table!
- The Hangover– This comedy piece from 2009 contains several gambling scenes and involves 3 friends who decide to travel to Las Vegas for a bachelor’s trip a few days before one the trio’s wedding. Well, it turned out to be both a nice and a not-so-nice idea after all. In a typical Las Vegas style, the trio has loads of fun and is not able to find the location of the groom. The standout gambling scene involves incredible scenes of card counting which amazed a lot of people.
- Cool Hand Luke– Going classical, this 1967 movie release features some incredible shows of bluffing in the game of poker. The movie features a character played by Paul Newman who manages to swing his opponents in the game of poker by saying nothing at all in the game, perhaps showing one legendary poker face! Another incredible feat is that he exposes his King of hearts card, which is often referred to as suicide King in the game of poker. He uses this to trick his opponents into thinking the hand is winning, and continuing to bet heavily and later on winning the game. In the process, he earns himself the nickname Cool Hand Luke. Good bluffing Luke!
- Austin Powers– In this 1997 film, there are several gambling scenes, but what tops them off is a Blackjack scene as it contains some comic episodes. What makes this scene more interesting is that it shows how much confidence some gamblers have when playing the game even if they have not much knowledge of the game. In this scene, Austin powers, whilst not having an absolute clue of what he was doing at all, felt absolutely good with it. One lesson that can be drawn is that perhaps confidence is more important when one wants to have fun!
Conclusions
Hollywood has let out several movies that feature some interesting gambling scenes which range from classical ones to more recent movies. Some interesting lessons can be drawn, whilst others involve incredible feats that are difficult to pull in real life. One almost certain thing is bluffing is involved in a lot of poker games!