11 Fun Movies About Gambling You Need To See NJ Online Casinos

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While players today are used to table stakes, there was no such thing in the old west. The movie tells the story of Mike McDermott, played by Matt Damon, a reformed gambler who gets pulled back into the game due in no small part to his friend Worm, played by Edward Norton. John Malkovich, Grethchen Mol, John Turturro, and Martin Landau all played supporting roles in a well-conceived New York underground poker world.

  • Thanks to its incredible success, two more movies – “The Hangover 2” and “The Hangover 3” – were made.
  • Next time you want to take a break from online gambling and try another form of entertainment, check out some great movies about gambling.
  • An answer is also obtained at the end of the film, which is unexpected, as we have not gotten any hints from Anderson.

WIN IT ALL (

An answer is also obtained at the end of the film, which is unexpected, as we have not gotten any hints from Anderson. The answer is so surprising that it touches the boundaries of credibility, if not go beyond that. The internal logic of the film works great; the actors do an amazing job.

  • Like the hard luck Pig who must always go broke, or the Doc who still believes a system can win, or Yeller who has a joke for every hand.
  • Woody Harrelson plays the role of the underestimated Billy Hoyle, a white basketball player who hustles black athletes on the court.
  • Perhaps it’s not surprising then that filmmakers have returned to the well as inspiration for thrillers, dramas, and action-packed adventures over the years.
  • Uncut Gems follows Adam’s character as he looks to keep his life intact as his high-risk gambling endeavors threaten to tear it all apart.
  • While effective for storytelling, these techniques can exaggerate the reality of gambling moments, making them seem more glamorous or fraught with tension than they might actually be.
  • According to Henry Hill, whose life inspired Ray Liotta’s Goodfellas character, Spider’s fate in the movie happened just as it did in real life – and it was equally as shocking.
  • The film comments on the themes of friendship and loyalty, no more evident than in the relationship of Bleek and Giant.
  • This makes it an important watch for everyone, whether you fancy being a player at the poker table or not.
  • Film students have analyzed the legendary poker scene in Casino Royale from every angle, bluff, and tell.

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The film’s title refers to the job of a casino cooler, someone who is paid to keep gamblers from winning too much money. “Rounders” sucks viewers into the world of underground poker, where the rush of the bluff and the allure of the win reign supreme. Matt Damon gives a memorable performance as a talented poker player who, despite his attempt to turn his life around, returns to poker to help a friend pay off his debts. Take, for instance, the high-stakes poker scene in Casino Royale which you can see in the video below. The dramatic climax of the poker game hinges on a highly improbable hand of Straigth Flush, which, while thrilling for viewers, significantly stretches the bounds of typical game probabilities.

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Aaron Sorkin’s writing does a job of building a realistic world, and the gambling scenes aren’t out of touch. Players and fans were never really impressed; instead, they waited for a film that did the game justice. For many, that came in 2015 with the release of Mississippi Grind, a drama written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck and starring Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds. The film talks about the life of Henry Hill and his allies’ criminal careers. The memorable casino scene is when Tommy DeSimone approaches the craps table with lots of money to place bets. Tommy is one of the main characters, and he brings an atmosphere of excitement to the audience.

The Gambler (

I didn’t do any of my tells.’ To which Maverick replied, ‘You held your breath. Croupier is one of the best casino movies of all time, featuring Clive Owen starring Jack Manfred, an unlucky writer. Manfred’s job is as a croupier at a casino to earn money, giving inspiration for a novel. To further inspire writing, he disobeys a casino’s conduct code, getting caught in a dangerous heist. A popular quote is, ‘Gambling’s not about money… Gambling’s about not facing reality, ignoring the odds.’ Croupier release was two years later & features 3 alternate types, with a 7/10 rating on IMDb and 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Hustler

The lasting phrase from the film may be a delusionally confident Howard exclaiming, “This is how I win,” but the tragic irony of it all, gambling is ultimately how he loses everything. The film follows Hall’s character Sydney as he takes Reilly’s character John under his wing and shows him the ropes of professional gambling in Las Vegas. And a large part of that was due to its cast — aside from Newman, it also featured the likes of Tom Cruise, John Turturro, and Forest Whitaker. But it also had an intriguing premise, with Newman’s character now a retired pool hustler who takes a new gambler (Tom Cruise’s character, Vincent Lauria) under his wing. The result was an absolute pleasure of a plot that fully realizes its main players.

The Color of Money

You can find many casino movies on Netflix that are worth watching for educational purposes and entertainment as well. Some of those movies even won awards for the way they represented the stories of different gamblers, their struggles, and their obsession. Mel Gibson plays a poker expert in the Old West, who’s making his way to a renowned tournament to prove his mettle. Along the way, he encounters many obstacles as he attempts to earn enough money to pay the tournament entry fee. But it’s fun, light-hearted and full of gambling, so it earns its spot. Most gambling movies focus on the casino’s glamor and excitement, but what about the unsung heroes that work the tables?

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Some well-received poker films include the western comedy Maverick (1994), Survivor host Jeff Probst’s debut film Finder’s Fee (2001), the improv-inspired The Grand (2007) and indie comedy darling Hitting the Nuts (2010). The movie was released a few months before Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 Series of Poker main event. This movie was released in 2008 and is based on the true story of a group of MIT students who were recruited by a professor to use their skills in mathematics to count cards and beat the casinos at blackjack. Today, the legalization of gambling has become a Hail Mary last-ditch effort for many financially eroding urban areas like Detroit, St. Louis, and others — but Atlantic City did this first. The movie feels both dated and timeless, capturing a specific moment that has the power of folklore.

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The film offers a profound look into the mentoring aspect of gambling, where experience meets raw ambition, set against the moody ambiance of casinos and race tracks. The nuanced performances by Philip Baker Hall and John C. Reilly add depth to the movie. While our top picks showcase the very best of the casino genre, there are a few more films that didn’t make our list but offer compelling portrayals of the casino world and the multifaceted characters who inhabit it.

#1 – Rounders (

Thus, he recruits Curtis on a cross-country road trip to New Orleans to partake in a high-stakes poker game. Gamers watch gambling movies to get an idea of how celebrities play and win. Our expert Jacek Michalski takes us through the eleven movies with realistic casino scenes.

gambling movies

#4 – Cincinnati Kid (

Bugsy met Virginia in Los Angeles and fell madly in love with her, which caused him to divorce his then-wife. One of the first things most gamblers learn is proper bankroll management to ensure their bankroll lasts throughout the season. The team of highly gifted individuals is trained by a professor at MIT (although, in reality, the actual blackjack team wasn’t started by a professor) and has plenty of success in its escapades before things begin going south. Like most gambling-related movies, Disney+ doesn’t currently have Eight Men Out in its lineup. Dubbed the “Black Sox,” the movie portrays one of the most famous (or, infamous) baseball teams of all-time. More than 100 years later and baseball historians are still talking about one of baseball’s biggest scandals ever.

Rounders ( – The Underworld of Poker

Thanks to its incredible success, two more movies – “The Hangover 2” and “The Hangover 3” – were made. Some of these gambling movies have received essential honors for their exceptional depiction of gambling. They are an excellent way to experience the joy of gambling without risking money. Critics of the production have argued that many of the arguments made in the documentary were actually debunked and disproven over the years and that Fine should have done a better job of the narrative he put together in the end. Regardless, we still think this is one of the best gambling movies on Netflix and definitely worth seeing.

CASINO ROYALE (

The plot centers on the Hyakkaou Private Academy, which, as noted, is all about teaching its students to gamble. Uncut Gems is perhaps one of the most gutting dramas on the big screen which goes to show how successful people, through bad judgment calls, can end up in bad situations caused by gambling. So far as gambling movies on Netflix go, this one is a fair warning to everyone who hopes to turn gambling into a full-time job and highlights the dangers that the activity invites. The Cooler embeds itself into the casino milieu, showing the techniques that casinos use to get all the money they can from gamblers. In addition, the film sheds a light on the change in casino policies as the movie’s setting is forced to undergo changes to keep up with modern casinos. The charm of the 1950 crime noir film Dark City is how quickly a movie about gambling can turn into a murder mystery revenge flick.

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Through her charismatic personality, she attracts higher caliber players and eventually starts running her own games, which gained her a lot of money. The Ocean’s Trilogy is one of the most iconic casino heist movie series and includes Ocean’s Eleven, Ocean’s Twelve, and Ocean’s Thirteen. All movies star George Clooney as Danny Ocean, an aspiring criminal who wants to complete the largest heist in history. The movie is a great watch both alone and with company, but gambling scenes are few and far between, with most of them bunched up during the latter parts of the film. Other gambling-related movies that didn’t make our list include those that we’ve already covered in previous pieces, including poker’s greatest movie, Rounders (1998), and one of the best movies ever, period, Casino (1995). Handicapping is a serious business in Vegas and the high-stakes nature of the world may surprise some but the themes will be achingly familiar to anyone who’s placed a sports bet before.

Being a math wiz comes in handy, particularly when it comes to counting cards in Vegas. Based on a true story but given the Hollywood treatment, the plot follows several MIT students who are too clever https://true-fortune.us/ for their own good when the descend on Las Vegas as a crack team of expert card counters. Things begin to fall apart as the team fractures and casino security catches wind of their scheme.

The story of law student Mike who, surprise surprise, is a bit of a gambling addict and loses all his cash and his journey of revenge and redemption against the man who sent him broke. The characters are great, especially the just about believable villain Teddy KGB, and the poker is the right side of plausible while also being ridiculous enough to be entertaining. This is less a tale of pool and more a tale of how we deal with losses, both financial and personal. If that all sounds a bit deep then it also features some of the best pool scenes recorded on film, some top quality betting action and an effortlessly cool performance from Paul Newman in the lead role. The tale of small-time pool hustler Eddie taking on the big time is one any gambler can empathise with and it features the same mix of hope, hubris, heroics and heartbreak we’ve all experienced.

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An origin story of Las Vegas, Bugsy is principally a study of Bugsy Siegel, a gangster who travels to the desert, convinced he’s seen the mob’s future. Bugsy is less about gambling — although Siegel surely takes some big chances — than it is about Sin City’s messy birth, which proves fascinating, even if the movie’s glitzy, prestige-picture trappings are a bit limiting. Based on a true story, Philip Seymour Hoffman plays a Canadian degenerate gambler who embezzles millions from his bank in order to feed his gambling habit.

Gambling is a captivating and thrilling activity that has been the subject of many movies over the years. While some are based on pure fiction, others are actually based on true stories. The Big Picture is using Letterboxd to share film reviews and lists with friends.

  • Gould commands the screen with cocaine-fast charisma, while Robert Altman’s casual realism sucks you into every frame, casino, and horse race.
  • “Ocean’s Eleven” is a popular gambling movie that offers its viewers multiple thrills.
  • It is a cautionary tale of what can happen when addiction takes over.
  • The two leads develop a legitimate friendship, too, one which mirrors the chemistry of the actors themselves.

The nuances of human connection, ethical dilemmas, and the subtle yet pervasive impacts of addiction are masterfully woven into a story that is emotionally gripping and morally reflective. As the young John is indoctrinated into the world of professional gambling under the elder John’s tutelage, “Hard Eight” unravels not merely as a tale of luck, risk, and addiction, but as a reflection on mentorship and paternalism. The elder John, guiding his protégé through the labyrinthine paths of gambling, oscillates between a figure of salvation and a harbinger of doom. His intentions, although seemingly benevolent, become increasingly blurry as the narrative unfolds, providing a rich, ambiguous moral ground for the viewer to traverse.

  • His situation becomes more complicated when he gets entangled in the cheating schemes of another man.
  • This category is for films about gambling, or in which gambling is important to the plot.
  • It’s a black-and-white film starring Steve McQueen as an up-and-coming poker player making a name for himself during the Great Depression.
  • You can always try to find a copy on DVD, but in the age of streaming services, here’s what you need to know.
  • We’ve shown you our lists for the best poker and casino movies of all-time.
  • In this article, we will delve into some of the best movies that tackle this issue, exploring the emotional depths and consequences of compulsive gambling.

The girl continues to defeat the school’s best gamblers and she soon takes on the staff and anyone who has money or ambition to challenge her. In fact, the better a student is at gambling (or the more they have won at the very least) the higher up the food chain they rank. Everything is going well at the academy until the day Yumeko Jabami, the main character transfers to the academy. The girl is ignored and put down by her peers but that quickly ends when everyone realizes that she is the best gambler they have seen.

The conflict makes for a great drama, as long as you’re watching the original ’70s film with James Caan and not the hated 2014 Mark Wahlberg remake. Gambling movies are so remarkably tense for viewers because the stakes of casino games are already inherently high. Perhaps it’s not surprising then that filmmakers have returned to the well as inspiration for thrillers, dramas, and action-packed adventures over the years. The main characters in these films are upping the ante by risking their lives on the big score, falling into debt or addiction—or trying to game the system. Sometimes, they’re running underworld operations; sometimes those involved are super spies. Trying to keep up with all of the twists in Lucky Number Slevin is almost as difficult as picking a winner in a horse race but just as entertaining.

The Cooler was met with positive reviews, with critics praising the acting and writing. The film was nominated for several awards, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor (Baldwin). The Kid’s main rival is Lancey Howard (Edward G. Robinson), an established professional poker player who has been around the block a few times. Howard is a master of the game and has no patience for young upstarts.