The drama in gambling movies comes from the fact that the subject matter itself requires a dramatic tone. It’s not fun to watch someone be careful, but it’s even worse to see someone repeatedly put their safety at risk in a desperate, illogical attempt to get that One Big Score. In many ways, gamblers in gambling movies are like experienced cop who takes One Last Case before retiring. Most of the time, after a big win, they don’t end up in a quiet house in the country where they can kick back and relax.
Since The Card Counter is now out, we decided to look back at some of the best movies about gambling. A word about how we did it: We tried to put more emphasis on gambling than on the film. Few people would disagree that Casino is better than Rounders, but Casino is less about the gambling and the culture in which it takes place, while Rounders is obviously about the gaming. We watched more movies that had gambling in them. Lucky for us, many of them are great movies on their own.
The 26th Vegas Trip (1997)
It’s safe to say that this is not a good movie. It’s the worst Vacation movie since the terrible remake with Ed Helms. But you’ll have to trust us on this one because it has one of the silliest casino jokes ever. Marty torments Clark Griswold, a card dealer played by Wallace Shawn. Clark starts to gamble too much because of Marty. Clark is such a bad gambler that he once spent $20 at a “discount” casino to play a game called “Pick a Number Between 1 and 10?” He decides that “4” is the best guess. The dealer tells the man, “Nope, 7,” and then takes his money. Clark leaves quickly, muttering to himself about how annoyed he is. Everything you need to know about Las Vegas and gambling can be said in one sentence.
You’re a fortunate man (2007)
Curtis Hanson’s good run of movies like “L.A. Confidential,” “Wonder Boys,” “8 Mile,” and “In Her Shoes” came to an abrupt end with this story about a professional poker player (Eric Bana) and his much better-experienced poker player father (Joel Edgerton). There have been a million better sports movies about this topic, and this one ends with a Big Game like IVIBET India , but Bana and Duvall still find truth in their characters. That movie bombed the box office, so Hanson’s winning streak ended.
Let it Ride (1989)
Richard Dreyfuss plays a gambler who always loses but wins all his bets on the racetrack one day. This would be a disaster in a movie like Uncut Gems on online betting and odds , but in this case, it’s just a silly ’80s comedy. Still, Let It Ride gets a lot of mileage out of Dreyfuss’s madness and depends heavily on Teri Garr, Jennifer Tilly, and David Johansen’s supporting performances. This one, though, is not shown at Gamblers Anonymous meetings.
Maverick
Mel Gibson was once seen as a light and lively leading actor for a big-budget studio movie because he was a card shark and con man. Maverick, based on a popular 1950s T.V. show and stars James Garner as the main character, has been called a “bloated contraption” by critics because it is too long and has too much of a Western theme. Richard Donner directed it. Even though Gibson’s friend Jodie Foster had a great time playing a damsel-in-distress sidekick, a role she had avoided for most of her career, the movie has other things to enjoy. It’s funny to see how happy she is.
