by Emma Carter
The persona of James Bond is known for his sophisticated tastes and unparalleled sense of style. He can often be found in a well-tailored tuxedo, dining on fine cuisine, and sipping his martini vodka -“shaken, not stirred.” His appreciation for luxury extends to his choice of vehicles, gadgets, and even women.
That’s why when the rugged and steely-eyed Daniel Craig picked up the mantle as the next 007, it’s fair to say that it was slightly unexpected – especially as it was the actor’s first major lead role as well as replacing an iconic Bond in Pierce Brosnan. And it seems that there was more than just the physical appearance that could have thrown a spanner in the works.
Daniel Craig’s Poker Predicament in Casino Royale
Poker is a game that demands a unique blend of skills and personal attributes for success, such as emotional control, discipline, analytical thinking, and adaptability – traits that are all synonymous with 007. However, even fans of the beloved Bond franchise have been able to sharpen their poker skills with the widespread availability of poker at in-person establishments and online betting sites.
Increasingly, online platforms are becoming the preferred way to play poker and other casino games. These sites are known to offer a wide variety of games and poker variations along with unique bonuses. Some sites even offer instant withdrawals. New instant withdrawal casino platforms are quickly becoming popular, as they pay out winnings to players nearly instantly.
These platforms not only offer convenience but also enhance excitement by providing fast and efficient access to winnings, making them an appealing choice for modern poker and gaming enthusiasts.
But of course, poker is also popular at land-based casinos, both in real life and in movies and the high-stakes poker game in the 2006 film Casino Royale is pivotal to the storyline. This game sets the very foreground of the main battle between James Bond and the nemesis, Le Chiffre – played by Danish star Mads Mikkelsen.
Having lost a great deal of money after Bond foiled his plan to blow up a prototype airliner, the villain intended to keep stock prices under his control. To recover those losses and maintain his prestige with his clients, Le Chiffre arranges a high-stakes Texas hold ’em tournament at Casino Royale in Montenegro in his role as a financier for various global terrorist organisations. MI6 sends Bond into the competition to further inhibit Le Chiffre.
The importance of the result of this poker game can’t be understated: it destroys not only Le Chiffre’s financial position but also provokes a chain reaction of further fights and denouements, including Vesper Lynd’s betrayal and the unmasking of a much bigger crime syndicate.
But Craig – the new generation James Bond meant to reinvigorate the franchise heading into the new millennium – did not know how to play poker!
Even during the shooting of the film, co-star Mads Mikkelsen revealed that while he and most of the cast were experienced poker players, Daniel Craig lacked familiarity with the game during filming.
Mikkelsen humorously noted the irony of Craig’s character defeating his own in the high-stakes poker scenes, despite his limited poker knowledge. Added to this, Craig did not participate in cast and crew poker games to brush up on his skills as he was not able to ‘relax offset.’
Doubts over Daniel Craig as 007
When Daniel Craig was first announced as the sixth actor to play James Bond back in 2005, that decision was widely regarded with heavy scepticism and produced much controversy. Critics and fans alike lambasted him mainly for his physique and apparent break from the traditional Bond mould.
Contrasting against the dark-haired, dark-eyed Bonds of yore, Craig was a blond-haired and blue-eyed protagonist. At 5 ’10”, he was also the shortest actor to ever don the role to date, which also made some fans sceptical about whether he would be up to the part. Critics questioned whether Craig could handle the physically challenging stunts and generally was right for the iconic role.
Even Casino Royale director Martin Campbell revealed back in 2023 to the Express:
“My only reticence with Daniel… he was really a superb actor, there’s no doubt about that… it was the fact that with people like Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan was that they were all traditional looking Bonds. All handsome guys, all sexy, all very attractive to women and so forth.”
“Daniel was obviously tougher and rugged, but he wasn’t a traditional handsome guy. So I just thought about that for a minute and apart from that, absolutely it was always him.”
James Bond’s Casino Game Repertoire
From one James Bond film to another, 007 has been seen displaying his skills in gambling through many different casino games, further developing the plot of each movie with intrigue and sophistication.
Baccarat Chemin-de-Fer
Baccarat, especially chemin-de-fer, is Bond’s signature game and was featured in several of the Bond films, including:
Dr. No (1962): At the Le Cercle club, Sean Connery is first seen playing a game of baccarat, paving the way for his suave character.
Thunderball (1965): Bond plays an exciting game of baccarat against the villain, Emilio Largo.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969): Once again, the MI6 super agent was seen playing at a baccarat table at a Portuguese casino.
Golden Eye (1995): In this classic, Pierce Brosnan has his showdown with Xenia Onatopp in another exciting baccarat game, with flirtation added to the competition.
Gin Rummy
Goldfinger (1964): Bond discovers Auric Goldfinger’s fraud in playing the card game gin rummy; it was the first fight between them.
Craps
Diamonds Are Forever (1971): Bond played craps in Las Vegas against Plenty O’Toole, making clear he played with skill on any casino table.
Sic Bo
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974): Roger Moore finds himself in a casino in Macau and, for further cultural enrichment, is even able to observe a game of sic bo being played – a traditional Chinese dice game.
Backgammon
Octopussy (1983): Another pillar of the Bond franchise, Octopussy saw him playing backgammon against Kamal Khan using trick dice, outsmarting him and winning a handsome amount.
Blackjack
Licence to Kill (1989): Bond gambles on blackjack at the Casino de Isthmus, where he wins over a quarter of a million dollars and brings himself to the attention of his nemesis, Franz Sanchez.
