Top Gambling Films You Need To Watch Geeks

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. You should check out Molly’s Game, a movie based on the true story of Molly Bloom, a high-stakes poker player. She hosted one of the most exclusive underground poker games for the wealthy and powerful, including members of the Mafia, politicians, and celebrities. The movie portrays her life and how the FBI began to track her down, leading to her downfall. If you’re looking for a gambling film that has a lighter edge to it, then this pick should elicit a few laughs. Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels is a British crime/comedy that stars Jason Statham and Vinnie Jones.

Other Poker Movies

It’s easily one of the top casino movies you could watch, packed with action and thrills. While the casino isn’t the main theme of this movie, it still deserves a place on our list of top casino movies. “Rain Man” earned an 89% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 90% from audiences, and it grossed $171.2 million in the U.S. The movie is of course a highly romanticized version of actual events, but it’s captivating and definitely one of the top gambling movies on Netflix to watch on any day.

‘The Last Casino’

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.

Top 10 Movies About Gambling You Need To Watch Right Now

This exhilarating film depicts the dark side of excessive gambling and how chasing a big win may not always be the best option. It’s one of the best movies regardless of category from the 1990s, arguably the greatest decade for film. Yes, The Hangover is available on Netflix, along with many other epic gambling and comedy movies. But it’s not a story that ends well for Jimmy and this fascinating documentary shows how far he rose and how fast he fell. It’s well worth seeking it out on YouTube, if nothing else to finally understand a stream of TV and film references you never really understood before. “Mississippi Grind” is a bit divisive, earning a 91% rating from critics and just 55% from audiences.

• 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.
• If any of the tickets is a winner, the person who has won the pot gets to keep the winnings.
• “Casino” features glamour, glitter, brutality, crime, romance, and drugs.
• You should check out Molly’s Game, a movie based on the true story of Molly Bloom, a high-stakes poker player.

Rounders ( – The Underworld of Poker

Starring a restrained Oscar Isaac, The Card Counter marries both gambling and action in a film that never seems to take a breath. His character, “The Kid,” wants to prove himself against “The Man” – the best player around. But just because pool hustling has fallen out of fashion in recent decades doesn’t make this film any less worthy of a place on this list. Adam Sandler breaks away from his typically comedic roles to play Howard Ratner, a New York City jeweler who has an atrocious gambling habit.

The Card Counter (

We kick off our list with one of the most popular modern movies about sports betting, Uncut Gems. In this movie, Adam Sandler portrays Howard Ratner, a New York jeweler with a huge gambling debt that is rapidly catching up to him and ruining his life. With gambling being so prevalent in the Western world for many years, it’s no surprise that it has made its way to Hollywood films. And with the rise of online streaming platforms, gambling movies on Netflix are literally just one click away. While most see The Hangover as a comedy, and it is, there’s some high-stakes gambling that takes place. When the group, dubbed “The Wolfpack,” desperately needed to come up with money immediately, Galifianakis, who played the socially awkward Alan, learned how to count cards and made a boat load at the blackjack table.

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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.

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Each concludes that the choices and risks one takes have consequences, but if you can handle those, you might just pull off a casino heist. Steve McQueen stars herein as Eric “The Kid” Stoner, an up-and-coming poker player in New Orleans. It’s set during The Great Depression, and chronicles The Kid’s journey as he challenges a veteran card player in Lancey “The Man” Howard — played by Edward G. Robinson.

Bullsh*t The Gameshow

The group — Eddie, Tom, Soap, and Bacon — go after every crooked opportunity they can to earn the money, running into crazy characters, getting chased by bookies, and making many mishaps along the way. Get a closer look at this exciting figure of poker, blackjack, and rummy history. Watch how his rise in the gambling scene changed his life — for good and bad. This sultry film https://true-fortune.us/ follows aspiring doctor Ben as he joins a team of fellow MIT students to count cards, win big at blackjack, and pay his way through med school. Led by their professor, the team travels to Vegas on the weekend, racks up the chips, and then heads back to Cambridge with loads of cash. But when security at the casinos notice Ben and his pals skirting the rules, a chase ensues.

Win It All (

Molly’s Game is based on the true story of Molly Bloom, a world-renowned Olympic-class skier. Molly’s athletic career is certainly noteworthy, but her side gig garnered even more interest once it was made public. Molly just so happened to be running an exclusive poker game ring for an entire decade that welcomed celebrities, business tycoons, and even mobsters. After being arrested during a massive FBI sting, Molly comes into contact with a criminal defense lawyer and relays more of her enthralling life story to the viewing audience. Hard Eight features three A-list actors that you might not have expected to see in a film such as this one – John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel Jackson.

Gambling Heists: 10 Top Casino Caper Movies

• The film holds an 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it garnered $450.7 million on an $85 million budget.
• This is not just a gambling movie but a character study of a man betting everything to stake his claim in the world.
• But for a brief moment, before Spacey is being kidnapped and beaten in a hotel room, it’s an interesting look at the science behind smart gambling.
• The film lurches from one extravagant set piece to the next, at times feeling like a guided tour through the seven deadly sins.
• Betting has never seemed as bitterly hopeless as it does in the Safdie Brother’s intense farce about a jeweler (Adam Sandler), the mob, and Kevin Garnett.
• While Rothstein’s fetishistic attention to detail rivals Scorsese’s own, he is unable to keep the casino’s corruption under wraps as he juggles an ultra-violent mafioso sidekick (Pesci) and a defiant wife (a standout Sharon Stone).
• Louis’ fine dining establishment attracts a number of shady characters, including two gangsters whom one of Louis’ chefs is indebted to.

This rollercoaster ride of a film showcases the downward spiral of gambling addiction and the desperate lengths one will go to chase euphoria. An English professor by the name of Axel Freed knows this sentiment all too well. The Gambler (1974) follows Axel as his life spirals out of control due to his out of control gambling habits. Things reach a fever pitch once he recklessly gambles away a huge sum of his casino earnings, which proceeds to put his life in danger. With notable celebrities, like actors and athletes, and wealthy financiers being played by other well-known actors, you may find yourself trying to guess each character’s real-life inspiration.

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.

Win It All

There is a thin line between a con-man and a gambler, and the Best Picture-winning The Sting is one of the best films in both genres. From a phony off-track betting parlor and waitresses doubling as assassins to fake FBI agents and real murder, The Sting is the benchmark of great gambling movies. Ocean’s Eleven isn’t just one of the greatest gambling movies, it could appear on lists for the best heist movies, best George Clooney movies, best movies from Las Vegas, and even best movies snubbed by the Academy Awards. In gambling, the house always wins until the perfect hand comes along.

The poker is treated with real love and there is even some genuine discussion on pre-internet poker theory, while there are some truly iconic scenes including one involving an Oreo cookie and a bizarre tell. Give it a spin and try and resist opening up an online poker table immediately after it finishes. Our team of experts has gone through each movie, scene by scene, to provide a comprehensive and authentic depiction of casino culture. We have highlighted the crucial elements of casino wit and gameplay nuances to give you an immersive experience. This classic film from Martin Scorsese features an enticing duo in Robert de Niro and Joe Pesci.

This scheme soon leads to Charlie taking his autistic brother on the road with him for a life-changing excursion. All the while, Charlie relies on his brother’s amazing mathematical skills to help him win big at every gaming table they come across during a stop in Las Vegas. This moment then leads to a change in character for Charlie that makes this film a real tearjerker that’s bound to hit you right in the feels. Ever hear about the underground gambling dens that were visited by multiple A-list celebrities? Writer and director Aaron Sorking tells the tale of Molly Bloom, the queenpin behind the exclusive and illegal underground ring of high-stakes poker games.

• But pulling off such a big heist is a lot harder than he expected it to be.
• Steve McQueen delivers a stellar performance as an up-and-coming poker player seeking to establish his reputation by challenging a seasoned pro.
• The answer is so surprising that it touches the boundaries of credibility, if not go beyond that.
• By age 10, he won millions thrice playing card games and the World Series of Poker.
• California Split follows both men on their wild journey as they look to truly hit the jackpot.

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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.

• Gerry and Curtis, bound by their mutual devotion to the gamble, share a journey that is as much about their burgeoning friendship as it is about the bets they place.
• Sam Ace is a gambling expert who Chicago Outfit employs to run casino and hotel activities at Tangiers Casino.
• “Rain Man” was a massive hit, earning over $354 million worldwide at the box office.
• “Rounders” sucks viewers into the world of underground poker, where the rush of the bluff and the allure of the win reign supreme.
• When the protégé becomes the mentor, that’s when things get interesting.
• Balancing law school, a relationship, and debts owed to loan sharks isn’t easy.

Despite only coming out a few years ago, Uncut Gems is already seen as one of the best movies about gambling thanks to its incredible pace and stressful soundtrack. This thrilling excitement is what makes Casino one of the best movies about gambling ever made. Like many other Martin Scorsese films, Casino is based on true events that occurred when the Mob dominated Las Vegas during the 1970s. He’s brutal, flamboyant, and absolutely mesmerizing in Casino, particularly in the Blackjack scene where Nicky (Pesci) proves himself to be not just a tough-talking gangster but a vicious, unpredictable crook. The Jewish jeweler suffers from severe financial hardship, trying to get out of it and pay off the debts accumulated on him by selling a rare and precious gem that he bought from Ethiopian miners.

• That’s enough to put Rounders on the shortest of shortlists of best gambling movies ever.
• If you need proof, check out “The Professor,” a white under-sized real-life basketball player just like Billy Hoyle who has made a living hustling people on the basketball court.
• If you’re wondering how to watch Mississippi Grind, it’s available on DVD and Blu-Ray, and several streaming options exist, including an HBO Max subscription.
• 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.
• Supporting roles from Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and John C. Reilly brilliantly highlight the range of strange and interesting characters that you can find in any casino.

Our list begins with a modern classic, “Casino Royale,” where the world of espionage intersects with the equally risky poker realm. Daniel Craig’s debut as James Bond redefined the character, bringing a gritty realism to the franchise. The film’s gripping central scene takes place at Montenegro’s luxurious Casino Royale, where Bond must outplay the sinister Le Chiffre in a nerve-racking game of Texas Hold’em poker. In this article, we explore the top 10 best casino movies of all time, providing you with cinematic gems that captivate both gambling aficionados and film lovers alike. Translated as either “Bob the Gambler” or “Bob the High Roller,” Bob le flambuer is a cinematic breakdown of what happens when someone is forced to risk it all.

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. Billy makes a living lulling people into a false sense of confidence on the court because of him being an unassuming white man before turning into Larry Bird and snatching the money he can. What makes White Men Can’t Jump is how it displays the almost imperceptible difference between betting on yourself and betting for yourself. Because she was confident in betting on her preparation and smarts because it was a dream of hers. Billy made bets because his identity is inextricable from his gambling addiction.

Stu Ungar is a legendary professional poker player from the ‘80s and ‘90s, just one of two people to ever win the World Series of Poker three times! High Roller is a biopic that follows Ungar’s life, from his childhood, to his WSOP days, to his addiction and downfall, to his final comeback, and everything in between. However, that’s not the case in Win It All, where Eddie Garrett, played by Jake Johnson, not only loses an entire bankroll in just a few seconds, but it’s not even his own money to begin with. After that, Eddie enters a high-stakes poker game to retrieve his lost money. Casino is an excellent film depicting what happens behind closed doors in Las Vegas, away from the world of sports betting apps and online casinos.