Casino games, roulette, cards, and chips have always attracted fans of excitement. Moreover, players go to online or offline casinos not only to quench their thirst for gambling but also to devote their leisure time to watching movies about the casino. There are a lot of films that touch on the topic of gambling clubs. We offer to watch the best of them, which has impressed a huge audience of viewers.
The best gambling movies always have a dynamic plot that makes you excited, incredible energy, and memorable characters. Movie heroes manage to realize the dream of many fans of excitement and get a large sum. Gambling movies inspire you to visit the Nostalgia flash casino, where you can hit the big jackpot.
Cincinnati Kid (1965)
This is one of the best films dedicated to the classic gambling game – poker. New Orleans player Cincinnati Kid decides to become the best poker player of all time. To do this, he needs to win against the current holder of this title – Lancy Howard. And now he has a chance to meet with the legend one on one. So, who will be the best of the best?
Events take place in the 1930s, during the Great Depression. The story tells how to play the classic five-card stud poker with high bets. It teaches that the one with the best card does not always win, often the outcome of the game depends on luck and the ability to bluff. Legendary scenes about how each card can determine who will become the king of poker tickle the nerves of the audience.
Such casino movies show that one game can be decisive, so they easily resonate with gambling fans all over the world. Not just in 1966, the picture was nominated for the Golden Globe Award. It contains everything that ensures the love of the audience: two strong players who are fighting for the title of the best, romance and betrayal, blackmail, betrayal, and bribery. But the main thing is that until the very end, it is not clear how the story will end.
Sting (1973)
This is a brilliant scam film by director George Roy Hill, awarded seven Academy Awards. The action takes place in the 30s in gangster Chicago. The protagonist of the picture is Johnny Hooker, who, along with his friend, robbed the powerful mafia boss Doyle Lonnegan. Mafiosi does not forgive such insults and organizes the pursuit of crooks. As a result, Hooker’s partner dies, and he has to turn to the well-known swindler Henry Gondorf for help. Together they develop a complex scam that can help get revenge on the mafia. In the event of a successful implementation of the plan, friends will not only smash the mafia group to smithereens but will also be able to hit the big jackpot. If the scheme is unsuccessful, then its developers face death.
Gondorf and Hooker are aware of Doyle’s poker addiction. Mafiosi is a real sharpie, and he finds those who want to play on trains. On one of his trips, he meets with Gondorf and loses fifteen thousand dollars to him. According to legend, Henry is a major bookmaker, and Hooker is sent to the embittered Lonnegan, who offers the mafia leader to bankrupt Gondorf’s office. As a result, the crime boss loses five hundred thousand dollars, and the allies take the money and fake their death.
Sting is not just a movie about gambling, it is about the psychology of players, about friendship, about the fact that trust between players is a chance to outplay even an authoritative mafia boss.
Gambler (1974)
An ordinary college teacher, Axel Fried, is addicted to gambling and got into huge debt. He plans to win back on sports bets, but he has no money and he borrows it from his mother. Instead of implementing the planned plan, the teacher, along with his girlfriend, goes to the Las Vegas casino and here he is lucky. But basketball betting makes him bankrupt again. The girl leaves Fried, the creditors put pressure on him, the desperate teacher organizes a fixed basketball game and he manages to close the debt.
After that, Freed decides to go to the Negro quarter, where he finds a new adventure. He gets into a violent fight with one of the local pimps. The transformation of a modest professor of literature into a desperate gambler once again reminds us of how expensive it can be to get rich quickly on gambling.
Movies about casinos and gambling are always exciting stories with unpredictable endings. Dramatic tape Karel Reish was no exception. James Caan, who plays Freed, was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. And forty years after the release of the tape, a remake of it was filmed.
Maverick (1994)
Considering the top gambling movies, one cannot help but recall the brilliant film by Richard Donner “Maverick”. This is an amazing comedy western filled with adventure, love stories, and gambling. The main roles went to the star duo – Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster. The film will appeal to fans of Westerns, action movies, and gambling themes.
Bret Maverick is the main character. He is a successful professional gambler and sharpie who dreams of entering a poker tournament. To become a member, you need to deposit twenty-five thousand dollars, but Bret is missing three. While the main character is trying to collect the required amount, he is pursued by the beautiful and cunning thief Anabel. The girl’s goal is to steal the gambler’s wallet. Another problem for Bret is his constant rivalry with the sheriff. Despite all the obstacles, Maverick finds the money and becomes a participant in the championship.
The picture was created in compliance with all the laws of the genre and immediately draws the viewer into the plot. The combination of action, comedy scenes, and gambling does not let you get bored. The atmospheric film became one of the best and most unusual westerns, and its box office receipts amounted to more than two hundred million dollars.
Rounders (1998)
Student and future lawyer Mike loves gambling and dreams of participating in major poker championships. But after he loses all the money to a crime boss, the guy refuses to take cards into his hands. However, Mike breaks his promise by meeting up with his longtime friend Lester. The worm just got out of prison, has huge debts, and has many serious enemies. Mike decides to help his friend and sits down at the card table again. But it ends badly. Friends are accused of fraud, beaten, and their money is taken from them.
Frightened, Lester goes on the run, and Mike has to start playing in underground casinos. Having the right motivation to play, the guy wins a huge amount overnight, pays off all his debts, and goes to the world poker tournament in Las Vegas.
Even twenty-five years after the release of the film, Rounders remains the best in its genre. The film played an important role in the revival of interest in poker in the late nineties/early 2000s. The main roles were played by Matt Damon, who in real life is passionate about this card game, and the famous player Johnny Chen.
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
This is a unique film about an ingenious robbery, the box office of which amounted to more than one hundred and eighty million US dollars. The picture is not like other films about the casino. The director does not pay attention to the intricacies of gambling but focuses more on the robbery of a gambling establishment.
The plot describes the criminal talent of Danny Ocean, who, within a day after his release from prison, planned a brilliant robbery of three of the best casinos in Las Vegas. Ocean plans to take one hundred and sixty million dollars out of gambling establishments owned by Terry Benedict. The always-elegant, owner of the casino is distinguished by imperiousness and cruelty, it was he who put Danny in jail for five years. Also, Terry is courting Danny’s ex-wife.
To implement a daring plan, the swindler recruits a group of eleven people. All of them are experts in their field. Including a pickpocket, a card fraudster, and a destroyer who got into the company of robbers. Friends manage to overcome the most reliable, modern protection and commit a daring robbery.
The popular film has become one of the best in its genre. It has a thoughtful, dynamic, and fun storyline. From the first minutes, the viewer is completely immersed in what is happening on the screen and until the last minute, does not know how the carefully planned scam will end.
21 (2008)
This fascinating film, directed by Robert Luketic, will appeal to fans of dramatic plots and films dedicated to gambling. The plot is about how several students become professional blackjack players. Using correct card counting, the rules of probability theory, and knowledge of encryption techniques and signs, Choya, Kiana, Jill, Ben, and Fisher win large sums. The guys were united by a teacher in linear equations, who knows how to correctly count cards and earned a large amount on this.
Interestingly, Ben Mezrich, the author of the novel on which the film is based, described a real, slightly altered story. For several years he watched students using a unique scoring system, and studying the security systems of gambling clubs. One of the main members of the student team was the CEO of Solid Works.
The movie “21” is not like other best casino movies. The method of card counting described in it had a significant impact on the development of the gambling industry. Blackjack fans have realized that the casino is not only gambling, money, and luck. Using science, you can win much more.
Conclusion
A casino is a place that attracts many people. Some dream of getting rich, while others just want to visit the bright and luxurious world of excitement. The best movies about gambling can be a source of inspiration for those who love risk and dream of making money in the casino. But it should be remembered that such films can both teach something and distort the reality of what is happening.
Each director tries to attract viewers with their gambling story. Someone reveals the real schemes of a winning game of blackjack, poker, or roulette, and someone creates pictures dedicated to adventures and robberies of gambling establishments. Choose an interesting story for yourself, but when planning to visit a casino, do not forget about the advantage of the institution and responsible gambling.