by Courtney Smith
As such, it is no longer a wonder why movies centered on gambling would be a huge hit and become fan favourites.
Regardless if you are into casino gaming, or you have a specific sports interest such as cricket betting, you would enjoy to sit down and witness a good dose of exciting, thrilling, and tense movie gambling scenes. With that in mind, here are some of the best gambling scenes in movie history.
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
The famous gambling scene in Steven Soderbergh’s renowned masterpiece–featuring Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and the whole squad dressed to pull off the most epic casino heist in history–is famous for a lot of reasons. One is that it was so smoothly executed and was very well directed that the audience can feel as if they are part of the thrilling heist that is about to be pulled off by the team.
The Parent Trap (1998)
In this 1998 remake of a 1961 film, a young Lindsay Lohan plays the role of twins Annie and Hallie. Although the film itself is not a gambling movie, a specific scene from the movie had the twins–or in this case, two Lindsay Lohans–face off in a poker game. What makes the scene unique among all the other poker scenes in various movies is that this time, people get to see kids face off against each other in a game with high stakes. The stakes, funnily enough, is that whoever loses would jump in the lake naked.
Goodfellas (1990)
The character of Tommy DeVito, played by Joe Pesci, is a terrifying figure in this film. His character’s presence is so terrifying that he is enough to bring tension to the table rather than the card game itself. The scene at hand shows everyone–including the audience–why you should never cross the likes of Tommy DeVito.
Rain Man (1988)
You know the classic gambler’s fantasy–to walk into a casino as an ordinary guy and walk out of it with a big win inside your pockets. That is exactly what Dustin Hoffman’s character in this 1998 classic film does. Although Hoffman’s character in the film has autism, he proves his brother Charlie (played by Tom Cruise) wrong by dominating the table with his card-counting skills and mathematical prowess.
The Hangover (2009)
The blackjack scene in this film is a homage to that famous scene from Rain Man. Interestingly, Zach Galifianakis who also wears a grey suit like that of Dustin Hoffman has become like the math lady meme–only without the confusion part. Much like Hoffman’s character, he also showed amazing card counting skills which baffled and threw other people off their feet.
Rounders (1998)
It is hard to pick a specific scene from this iconic poker movie, but a highlight is the climax wherein law school student Michael McDermott (played by Matt Damon) faced off with his rival Teddy “KGB” (John Malkovich) in a Texas Hold’em game.
The scene grabs you by the throat as everything is put on the table and each second is delivered with the perfect thrill and tension–all culminating to a satisfying resolution at the end.
Casino Royale (2006)
Nothing, so far, can top Texas Hold’em acne in this film, where Daniel Craig’s James Bond faced Mads Mikkelsen’s Le Chiffre in the most epic poker win in cinematic history–with Bond winning over $100 million.
