Gambling Movies You Need to Watch

Katja Sorensen

The reasons behind this success are the thrill of the challenge, the ability or the sheer luck that people can experience behind a green table in Vegas or Macao.

The recent arrival of these games to the online world has certainly increased interest in the industry, thanks to app and sites like newcasinos.com, which allow you to play online with your mobile phone, PC or tablet. You don’t have to wear a tuxedo or a bow tie anymore, you just need an internet connection and the desire to have fun. The possibility of reaching a completely new sector of the market thanks to this online presence has rekindled interest in the gambling universe in all its forms.

Now let’s see a selection of great classics that will make you feel the adrenaline of the game and, why not, discover new techniques to apply on the green table!

21

21 is a 2008 film directed by Australian Robert Luketic, starring prominent actors like Kevin Spacey and Laurence Fishburne. Inspired by real events, 21 tells the story of a group of students who, by exploiting their skill with numbers, manage to defraud the best casinos in Las Vegas.

Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess), a brilliant mathematics student with financial problems, joins a group of “powerful minds” led by Professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), who developed a foolproof system to win at Blackjack. The members of the group, equipped with fake IDs, begin to literally drain various Las Vegas casinos using their incredible mathematical skills. Ben, however, will bite more than he can chew and will soon be discovered by Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne), security manager in some of the most important casinos in Las Vegas. Despite the many difficulties faced, the group manages to get out of this situation clean and, above all, with a huge win.

Ocean’s Eleven

Ocean’s Eleven, directed by Steven Soderbergh, is a 2001 film, remake of the famous 1960 comedy of the same name. The film was a great success, especially thanks to its stellar cast that features, among others, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Julia Roberts.

Fraud is central in this story too. This time, however, the action does not take place behind a gaming table, as the protagonists plan something much larger. Ocean’s eleven, or the eleven men chosen by Danny Ocean (George Clooney), will be able to sneak into the casinos owned by Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) thanks to an ingenious plan, which will allow them to rob all of the precious contents inside the vaults.

If you’ve ever wondered how a casino works behind-the-scenes, this is the right movie for you.

Casino Royale

Casino Royale is the twenty-first chapter of the James Bond saga, the first starring Daniel Craig as the most famous secret agent of cinema. Directed by Martin Campbell, Casino Royale was released in theaters around the world in 2006.

During his first mission, James Bond soon finds himself in serious hardship. After blowing his cover, he has to investigate on his own about a certain Le Chiffre, a mathematical millionaire and poker player, capable of organising attacks all over the world and exploiting them to enrich himself with stock market trading.

In one of the main scenes of the movie, the protagonist and his rival compete in a high stakes game of Texas Hold’em Poker. Bond, with an incredible straight flush, will manage to win 115 million dollars in one hand.

In addition to marking the debut of Daniel Craig as the famous British secret agent, Casino Royale sees a cast of international stars, such as Judi Dench, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen and many others. Thanks largely to the trend which exploded during the shooting period, the baccarat described in Ian Fleming’s novel was replaced by the famous game of Texas Hold’em.