Casino gaming has been here for as long as movies have been made. This means that we have had movies about gambling for decades. The emotion, desperation and high stakes of any casino game are good fodder for a great movie.
From the early 1960s, there have been remarkable titles that have graced our screens, but the real gem came out after the 1990s. Many explore the underworld of casino gaming and offer advice similar to what you would find in a detailed guide of online casino games. Robert Longthorpe from NZ Casino Club explores some of the greatest titles and how they brought out the casino theme.
The Gambler (1974)
The Gambler showcases the brilliant James Caan who stars as an English professor called Axel Freed. Freed has a deep love for literature. However, he also has a deep gambling addiction. This gambling addiction has pushed him into debt, and he owes about $44,000.
On the other hand, his rich family has rejected him for his behaviour and is ashamed of him. Freed travels to Las Vegas with the hope that he can win some money—enough to cover his debts.
The movie takes viewers into the world of casino gaming, big money and compulsive gambling behaviour. It also showcases a frank look at gambling as well as the prospects of winning any significant amounts while doing it. This classic movie has outlived its 2014 remake, which did not turn out to be this great.
California Split (1974)
California Split is a movie about the psychology of casino gaming and what goes on in the minds of the gamblers. In addition to thrilling the audience, the movie also provides a few life lessons that players must keep in mind.
The main character of the movie is an amateur gambler called Bill, played by George Segal. He becomes friends with a professional gamer called Charlie (played by Eliud Gould). These two friends risk everything they have to try their luck in Reno.
Here, they will be required to make some important decisions in order to have any luck making some cash. The movie explores what each of them is thinking and how their friendship increases or reduces their chances of winning. Besides, it provides an important piece of advice, how to know when to quit.
Uncut Gems (2019)
Uncut Gems is one of the most recent depictions of gambling and casino gaming on the movie screen. The movie features Adam Sandler, who moved from his popular comedy roles to take on the role of Howard Ratner. The character is a New York jeweler who has a compulsive gambling habit.
In the course of his gambling, he meets and gets into a professional relationship with an NBA star named Kevin Garnett. The NBA star starts to offer some insider information about the world of NBA gaming, pulling the jeweller into betting on the sport.
The moment of reckoning comes when Ratner sets to bet on the NBA Championship Finals. If this bet comes through, he will deal with all his financial problems. Unfortunately, there are several loan sharks that are determined to ensure that the plan does not work.
Hard Eight (1996)
Hard Eight is a gambling film that features Philip Baker Hall as Sydney. In the movie, he is an aged, quiet gambler who has compassion for a homeless young man named Jack. He takes Jack in and starts teaching him a few tricks to survive in the world.
Even after being taught a few gambling tricks, Jack’s attention shifts to a beautiful waitress. This distraction deals a dent into his character and his chances of making big in the gambling scene. In the course of exploring the life of Jack, the movie explores the world of blackjack card gaming and the minds of the people who gamble. It has various interesting scenes that may teach anyone interested in gambling how to act in several situations.
The Card Counter (2021)
The Card Counter is a movie by Paul Schrader, who has also written ‘The Taxi Driver’. It features acting stars like Tye Sheridan and Oscar Isaac. The main character is called William Tell, a gambler who teaches himself how to count cards in the eight years he spends in military prison.
His mission is to make substantial wins without arousing attention from the casino bouncers or media. To achieve this, the player creates a philosophy of betting small and making modest wins. Besides, despite being a daily gambler, he lives in a low-class motel with simple furniture and without decorations.
The movie also recreates the World Poker Series in great detail, enabling viewers to get insights as to what happens behind the scenes and how winners think through the mind games.
Rounders (1998)
Rounders is a movie that talks of the underground intrigues of high stakes poker. It stars Edward Norton and Matt Damon. The storyline involves two friends who are stuck in huge debts and must win at high stakes poker to pay off the debt.
The story starts when Matt (playing as Mike) stakes $30,000 at an underground Texas Hold’em game that is run by a Russian mobster. He decides to quit gambling. However, a few months later, he meets his childhood friend Edward (called Murphy), who is a cheat in casino games. Murphy promises to help him recover his cash and make much more.
They became rounders, people moving from one city to another in search of opportunities to play in his stakes poker. The movie was released just in time for the poker boom that happened in the early 2000s.
Croupier (1999)
Croupier follows the life of Clive Owen (playing Jack), who gets employed as a croupier at a local casino to make ends meet. Soon, this job takes over his entire life. Soon, he violates several casino policies and is part of a heist to steal from the establishment.
The movie showcases the cheating, betrayal and high stakes of casino gaming. It also shows how friends and family members can set one up to make money at the casino table.
