by Benjamin Sawyer
When movies have a gambling scene, it is set in a traditional bricks and mortar casino, though with the massive increase in growth of the online sector it is only a matter of time before directors weave in Virtual Reality technology, live dealers, mobile gaming, and other amazing effects to have their stars engaging in online poker!
Many experienced gamblers will sometimes find fault with the way gambling is portrayed in movies. Certain elements of realism may be lost to move the story along, and occasionally some goofs creep in leaving those in the know in disbelief. For the most part, however, directors hire specialists to ensure that any portrayal is true to form, and reflective of the reality of the gambling scene.
21 (2008)
Based on the true story of the MIT Blackjack Team, 21 is depicts a group on fellow university students who find a way to cheat the system and card count their way to millions. The gambling scenes, set in Vegas, are certainly exciting, especially when Ben, the protagonist, fails to walk away from the table and loses over US$200,000 in winnings.
Overall, as the movie is based on a real-life story, the gambling scenes are fairly accurate. However, there are some inconsistencies in that physical casinos have measures in place to combat card counting. Before technology was advanced enough to have automatic and continuous card shufflers, trained security would simply remove anyone suspected of card counting, and the sheer amounts the MIT six were winning would certainly have attracted unwanted attention. Online blackjack games also have substantial measures in place to stop players from being able to cheat the system.
Casino Royale (2006)
Far from being the only James Bond film to feature a casino scene, Casino Royale is one of the few to be set almost entirely in a luxury casino. The two key poker scenes between Bond and the villain, the aptly named Le Chiffre, seem like a showdown between good and evil, the hero and the villain. The other players are there just for filler, the first sign that the game may not be completely realistic.
The main head to head sees the jackpot rise to US$14 million, and this is where the realism starts to falter. Whilst the overall set up and staging is reflective of a high roller private table at a luxury casino, the probability of all four players having winning hands of a flush, full house, (better) full house, and straight flush is very unlikely, even less so in the right order, but is added to the movie to increase the tension and the drama.
The Hangover (2009)
The story of four friends who head to Vegas and accidentally roofy themselves has many iconic scenes (after all, who can forget Mike Tyson and his pet tiger?), including several outings to one of the many casinos on the strip. However, the issue of card counting is treated lightly in this film too; the reality would be far different, as card counters would be ejected at the earliest opportunity. It also glosses over how complicated card counting actually is and how difficult it is to master, especially when under pressure. Additionally, the character of Alan is seen raking in the big bucks, but it seems he never actually cashes them out.
Rounders (1998)
Though initially a rather average film when first released, Rounders became a cult classic following the poker boom in the early 2000s. Following the story of two friends chasing big poker wins to pay off a debt, this is one of the most popular poker films. It is often considered one of the most realistic portrayals of poker in the movies, with many different scenes portraying the game. The final scene, however, is a piece of cinematic brilliance. The camera angles and lack of soundtrack heighten the tension, and the whole scene rests on the actors’ facial expressions and small movements.
In Conclusion
Hollywood loves gambling scenes; they are a great way to set the scene, develop characters and create tension. The glitz and glamour of a poker table, the drinks, the cigars, and the ‘poker’ faces all combine to provide excellent cinematic shots.
Movies like Casino Royale use the poker game as a way of creating tension and drama, depicting the fight between the hero and the villain without resorting to violence. Physical tells, that often give players away in movies, are much harder to identify in real life, and players often look at betting patterns to identify if an opponent is bluffing or otherwise.
Finally, much of the reliance on casinos and gambling scenes is based on the glamour of the game, especially for films like Molly’s Game and Casino Royale, and provides the perfect backdrop for the classic Hollywood make-up, costumes and set design. This often comes at the expense of realism, with very unlikely plays taking centre stage, when most poker games consist of little more than passing and anteing. Plus, nowadays, you are more likely to find someone playing online poker from the comfort of their own sofa, rather than sitting around a table in a casino, drinking martinis.
Are “card counters” ever in danger of getting “beat’n up” like in the movie 21 ? ?