Whether you’re into poker, casinos, and gambling or can’t stand them, you probably still like gambling movies. There’s just something about watching a film where large amounts of money is at stake. It creates tension and a plot that keeps you watching simply because you want to see what happens. While there are plenty of gambling movies out there, a few take the spotlight. Whether it takes place in a casino or at a string of various private tables, gambling games are beloved by many. Here are the top five gambling movies to brush up on your casino table games and the conflict that comes with gambling.
Casino
One of Martin Scorsese’s classics, Casino is a beloved film that concerns the Mafia and a casino run by a mob associate played by Robert De Niro. With Joe Pesci, Don Rickles, and James Woods, the cast makes it quite the blockbuster. While the movie came after Goodfellas, it’s another installment in the director’s famed filmography. While it’s in the name, it has less to do with the gambling itself and more to do with the business of the mob running a casino.
Rounders
Made for the lovers of Texas Hold ‘Em poker, Rounders stars Matt Damon alongside Edward Norton and John Malcovich. Damon plays a reformed gambler who has to return to large stakes poker to pay off loan sharks. The poker-playing gets in the way of Damon’s relationship with his girlfriend and his time at law school, but in the process, he re-discovers his love for the game and nuances of gambling and skill. Texas Hold ‘Em is now referenced far and wide. Whether you love poker or not, Rounders is a great movie full of fascinating characters and tension created from the money involved and the game they play to get it.
21
Combining the math of counting cards and the risk of Black Jack, 21 is a movie that focuses on intellectuals at MIT who make their way into casino gambling. The main characters are practicing the art of counting cards, which is no longer as easy as it used to be. Starring Kevin Spacey, Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, and more, the movie had mixed reviews but was a box office success. Not only was 21 a great way to show the viewer how rich card counters got playing the game, but it also gets into the lifestyle of the high roller as well. It includes nice cars and casino fashion. The film is an accessible look at the underground world of gambling and high stakes.
Uncut Gems
One of the most talked-about gambling movies of the last ten years, Uncut Gems is a wild ride that stars Adam Sandler as a jeweler. While the film doesn’t necessarily follow a gambler at the tables, Sandler makes a high-stakes bet on a basketball game. It also includes a priceless piece of jewelry, which was loaned to basketball player Kevin Garnett. While you might not realize that Uncut Gems is a gambling movie right away, no other film encapsulates the stress of losing money gambling than this successful movie.
Ocean’s Eleven
Ocean’s Eleven is a movie about a heist. George Clooney plays Danny Ocean, who plans it with Rusty Ryan, played by Brad Pitt. The idea is to steal $160 million from casino owner Terry Benedict. Another movie that isn’t about casino gambling directly but embodies gambling in the plot, Ocean’s Eleven makes the casino a character. With so many films taking place at a casino, there are quite a few different angles that have already been done. Even this movie was originally a Rat Pack film from the ‘60s.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a fan of casino gambling or not, these movies use gambling and the culture of the places where people gamble. They use high-stakes to create tension and the casino as a setting, venue, and character. Whether focusing on the game itself or the happenings of the casino, there is always a seedy element that intrigues and entices the viewer. It doesn’t matter what you’re into. Even if you hate going to the casino, you will probably like some of these movies. Gambling is inherently interesting, creating conflict that we can all understand and relate to. It’s no wonder that so many movies focus on it to further the plot or as a key setting.
