All Time Best Gambling Movies

In doing this, it promotes gambling safety, and that’s something that should be celebrated. Maverick is a 1994 Western comedy film starring Mel Gibson, directed by Richard Donner, gaining a 7/10 IMDb rating and 68% Rotten Tomatoes. As in other best casino films about gambling, Maverick explores Bret Maverick, a gambler requiring money to join a poker tournament. Based on a 1950s television series created by Roy Huggins, earning a box office of $183,000,000. 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.

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Paul Newman won his only Oscar for The Color of Money, revisiting the character of Fast Eddie Felson, whom he played in 1961’s The Hustler. “He had to stop gambling,” Scorsese said in Conversations With Scorsese. This isn’t one of Scorsese’s best movies — and as we said earlier, The Hustler is the better overall film — but it’s solid and despairing. Like with Scorsese’s mobsters, these are people who are magnetic but not ones you’d want to spend time with in real life.

Gambling Heists: 10 Top Casino Caper Movies

Manfred finds himself drawn to a woman who is a gambler at his table – a serious transgression of the casino’s rules for employees. Under pressure from creditors, the woman asks Manfred to be the inside man for a robbery at his own casino. Manfred must evaluate the stakes and consider what he is willing to risk. Croupier describes this distinctive world from a professional dealer’s perspective.

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Understanding the machinations of Shaw and Kelly’s plan doesn’t matter — it’s just a delight to watch the characters (and director George Roy Hill) turn The Sting into one big, electric narrative sport. There was a time that Mel Gibson was considered such a light and lively leading man that a big-budget studio movie could coast on his charm as a card shark and con man. But the film still has its pleasures, not least of which is Gibson’s pal Jodie Foster, who has a blast playing the sort of damsel-in-distress female sidekick role she’d otherwise spent most of her career avoiding. Made in the heat of the now-mercifully-cooled World Series of Poker craze, the late Curtis Hanson put an immediate halt to his terrific L.A.

HIGH ROLLER: THE STU UNGAR STORY (

This movie is littered with famous quotes, including one about Judge Wapner. 21 is one of the Vegas movies that instantly comes to the audience’s mind that introduces viewers to the Las Vegas setting and does a good job of selling it as a romanticized idea. It also does an excellent job of outlining the card-counting scam’s mechanics, and the blackjack scenes themselves are pretty thrilling, making the viewers want to learn how to count or book a flight to Vegas instantly. Being a math wiz comes in handy, particularly when it comes to counting cards in Vegas.

Best Casino Movies on Netflix Right Now

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. We’ve all seen the GIF of Zach Galifianakis in deep thought, equations whipping around his head. A loaded cast led by Kevin Spacey shows the team’s journey from winning hundreds of thousands at Vegas casinos to its untimely downfall. With a strong romantic subplot, this one of the best blackjack-based movies ever. Based around the life of Frank ‘Lefty’ Rosenthal who managed several casinos for the Mafia back in the 1970’s and 80’s.

Breaking Vegas

Directed by David Mamet, this heist film follows Lindsay Crouse’s character Dr. Margaret Ford as she meets a criminal figure named Mike Mancuso — played wonderfully by Joe Mantegna. She’s a psychiatrist who recently finished a book on obsessive-compulsive disorder, and one of her patients seeks help from her regarding his involvement with and debt owed to the aforementioned crime lord. This is also notable among fans today for being the first film in its franchise to feature Daniel Craig as the titular character. He would reprise the role four times, the most recent of which — No Time to Die (2021) by Cari Joji Fukunaga — marked his last appearance in the series.

• Still, there’s a cerebral element to the filmmaking that makes Rounders awe-inspiring even to someone who only thinks the river is a body of water.
• White Men Can’t Jump is centered around two basketball hustlers, Sidney “Syd” Deane (Wesley Snipes) and Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson)— who would gamble their last breath on making a jump shot if it meant they could gamble their next one.
• In Casino, he’s Ace, a gangster running a mobbed-up casino who’s trying to do things “the right way,” only to be undercut by his hotheaded pal (Joe Pesci) and an ambitious woman (Sharon Stone) he shouldn’t trust.

The Card Counter (

Directed by Steven Soderbergh and featuring an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Julia Roberts, “Ocean’s Eleven” is a stylish and slick heist film set in the glamorous casinos of Las Vegas. Clooney stars as Danny Ocean, a charismatic ex-con who recruits a team of skilled criminals to pull off an ambitious robbery of three of the biggest casinos in Vegas. Gambling is the setting rather than the content of this story and it’s all the better for it with the casino giving the film its heart and its edge while the engaging story of those who try and make money from it plays out.

• People like to point to the hand dealt in the scene near the end as too against the odds to be true, but everything else in this movie when it comes to gambling is spot-on.
• Although the production went out of its way to film mostly on location in the city, many of the interior scenes, including the ones featuring Taipa Market and the Science Centre, were filmed on sound stages in the UK.
• A wonderful drama about an English language teacher who gets addicted to gambling; and gets chased by debts and creditors.
• It had a similar narrative to Scorsese’s other Mafia movies like Mean Streets (1973) and Goodfellas (1990), but wasn’t quite as revered as those two were upon release.
• Reprising his role from 1961’s “The Hustler,” Paul Newman plays retired pool player Fast Eddie Felson, who takes Tom Cruise’s character, Vincent, under his wing as a pool shark-in-training.
• Some had to rewatch their most favorite film about casinos, such as poker movies.
• Croupier is one of the best casino movies of all time, featuring Clive Owen starring Jack Manfred, an unlucky writer.

‘Hard Eight’ (

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. https://true-fortune.us/ The reason you know director Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham traces back to Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, a dark comedy that is one part heist film, one part gambling film, and two parts hijinks. As a gambling film, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels succeeds at finding the humor in people trying to cheat their way into money, only to twist their lives around to wiggle their way out of debt.

Games

By age 10, he won millions thrice playing card games and the World Series of Poker. Michael Imperioli plays Stu Ungar, plus various cameos from prominent figures in sports and poker, including Vince Van Patten, Al Bernstein, and Andy Glazer. As in the best films about gambling and casino, famous saying is, ‘See, life is a people game too.’ The rating is 6/10 on IMDb and 55% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Top Casino Movies of All Time

Revolver is a 2005 action thriller starring Jason Statham, Ray Liotta, Vincent Pastore & Andre Benjamin, written & directed by Guy Ritchie. Jake Green, a gambler, seeks revenge against a crime boss who sent him to prison unjustly. A famous casino movie quote is, ‘Change the rules on what controls you, and you will change the rules on what you can control.’ Its IMDb rating is 6.3/10, but it has 15% Rotten Tomatoes.

Directed by Jeff Probst, the movie has an interesting if somewhat unlikely plot. Tepper, the protagonist, finds a lost wallet on the street and he calls the owner to come and pick it up. In the meantime, Tepper is also part of a bizarre poker game in which the players agree to each purchase a lottery ticket and throw it in the pocket. This whole movie is about a group of students from MIT who back in the 90’s took Vegas by storm. Based on a true story with some embellishments it tells of the exploits of a gang of card counters. Highly organised, trained and intelligent they take on the big casinos and win.

Money, Explained may not be your typical movie about gambling on Netflix, but there is a good reason why we have included it here. Gamblers are often tempted by the idea of making money and a living by just playing casino games. Money Explained though is a documentary that goes deep into the institution of money and how it works. Adam Sandler plays Howard Ratner, the owner of KMH, a jewelry store in New York, but he also has some problems on the side. For one, Ratner is a gambling addict who has raked in massive amounts of debt, and he owes money to many people – not all of whom are willing to cut Ratner a break.

Scott and his team have to steal a humongous amount of money from a casino safe before the US government bombs Vegas to smithereens. Unfortunately, Eddie Garrett – a compulsive gambler – didn’t follow this advice and found himself biting more than he could chew. Truth is he shouldn’t have dipped into Michael’s – the scary gangster – bag of money. Be sure to check out our beginner gambler’s guide to understand why it’s imperative to gamble within your financial means. Then you’ve come to the right place; we’ve got action heroes, martial arts, exploitation and movies generally with a huge body count.

Lights, Camera, Action: The 10 Best Casino Movies of All Time

Based on Mario Puzo’s 1960 novel of the same name, The Godfather Part II is the second installment in The Godfather trilogy. The film depicts the early years of Vito Corleone’s (Robert De Niro) life in New York City in the 1920s as well as his son, Michael (Al Pacino), as he strengthens and extends his control over the family’s criminal organization. Based on John O’Brien’s semi-autobiographical 1990 novel of the same name, Leaving Las Vegas follows Ben Sanderson (Nicolas Cage), who lives with alcoholism and suicidal ideation. In the film, the Los Angeles-based protagonist has made the decision to relocate to Las Vegas and drink himself to death after losing his family and his job recently. The excellent soundtrack, the beautiful cinematography, and the cutting-edge editing are just a few examples of how Rain Man exposes itself as a movie made with attention, intelligence, and a welcome unwillingness to accept the status quo.

• If any of the tickets is a winner, the person who has won the pot gets to keep the winnings.
• Much like any other productions, the crew faced various challenges, especially during their shoot in the casino.
• If the plot complications aren’t always satisfying, the film’s vivid recreation of dingy casino life is utterly intoxicating.
• The film talks about the life of Henry Hill and his allies’ criminal careers.
• He agrees reluctantly to join the team and displaces the former leader, Fisher, who adds even more tension.
• But unlike a typical gangster movie, this one also features a unique tale of equals falling in love, a depiction of a dreamer, and a cast of intriguing underworld characters that viewers cannot help but mesmerize.

TWO FOR THE MONEY (

Based on a true story but given the Hollywood treatment, the plot follows several MIT students who are too clever 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. But he is about to spend it again when he has a medical emergency and is rushed to a hospital. The movie ends, but although it depicts a happy ending, we need to be reminded that gambling addiction and problem gambling ought to be treated seriously. We wholeheartedly recommend watching Money, Explained in its entirety as it’s a highly educative if somewhat mass culture series.

In “Uncut Gems,” Adam Sandler takes on a non-comedic role to embody a character consumed by the thrill of gambling. Sandler portrays a frenzied jewelry store owner whose gambling addiction puts him in a financially difficult situation. “Molly’s Game,” one of the best movies about poker (in our humble opinion), is a compelling journey into the clandestine world of high-stakes poker, showcasing the rush and pitfalls of hosting the world’s most exhilarating casino game.

While the casino’s glory days are well and truly over, plans are currently underway to transform the vessel into a dining and shopping attraction. “Mississippi Grind” is a bit divisive, earning a 91% rating from critics and just 55% from audiences. “Ocean’s Eleven” grossed $183.4 in the U.S. and had a great reception, with an 83% rating from critics and 80% from audiences. This movie holds up well, with an 86% rating from critics and a 78% from audiences. Chastain and director Aaron Sorkin were nominated for several big awards for “Molly’s Game,” including an Oscar, a BAFTA and two Golden Globes. Other big stars in this movie include Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera and Jeremy Strong.