Casino gaming has found its way into every part of our lives – including movies. No matter what way you prefer to play, whether it’s live casino games on Karamba or taking a seat at your local gaming table. To get you in the mood, why not take a look at some of the best casino-themed movies, before moving onto your next game? Read on to find out more.
The Hangover (2009)
Definitely not a how-to guide for new casino players, this R-rated comedy follows an unlikely group of middle-aged men who are just trying to have a successful stag party. Chance would be a fine thing! Their location of choice is Las Vegas, and things quickly take an extreme turn for the worst. Before we know it, the comedy trio finds themselves in debt to a dangerous criminal and one man short – the groom! So, they turn to the casino as a way to make money and settle their newfound debt, in the hopes of retrieving their friend.
They visit one of the many grand casinos in Vegas and decide to try their hands at Blackjack, which is one of the most popular card games of them all. The aim of Blackjack is to beat the dealer, either by reaching a combined value of 21 with your hand or to watch the dealer go bust before you. One of the main characters takes the lead in the game, demonstrating the act of card counting. This age-old strategy is extremely frowned upon, although not illegal, and involves counting how many of each kind of card has been dealt so far, therefore figuring out what is left in the deck. Whilst we don’t recommend this method, it certainly takes a sharp brain to keep up and count the cards successfully.
Rain Man (1988)
Perhaps one of the most famous movies of all time, Rain Man is not just a cult classic, but also a great example of the casino featuring in a hit film. It’s also worth noting that the cast and crew of this film were the first to ever be allowed to shoot scenes in the iconic Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The “Emperor’s Suite” is where the Babbitt brothers spent the night after their wildly impressive win, and is now continuously referred to as the “Rain Man Suite”.
This film poses as another great example of Blackjack in the movies, as well as card counting. The film’s protagonist – Charlie “Rain Man” Babbitt – has a super computer-style brain, and can easily count cards without the use of an aid. Counting cards is not encouraged but isn’t technically cheating unless an external device or helper is used. Once Babbitt sees his brother go bust, drawing a Queen after already having a hand of 18, so our protagonist can easily deduce that there are no more Queens left in the pack, and use this information to his advantage.
Casino Royale (2006)
The iconic James Bond loves a good old showdown at the casino. In this film, Bond sits down at the take with three other men, all four of the players going all in, confident that they are holding the winning hand.
The game that they’re playing is Poker, and is used to demonstrate the use of bluffing as a technique. This is when a player acts as if they are already holding the winning hand, regardless of what they’re actually holding. This is to coax the other players into backing down, folding or making needlessly risky decisions. This is a key part of any thrill-seeking Poker game, and the perfect choice for Bond to bamboozle his opponents.
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