Movies are all about drama, action, and the protagonist triumphing against fearful odds. The easiest way to craft such scenes is by placing characters in a casino setting. It is in these temples of chance that movie makers easily build up tension and put viewers on the edge of their seats. From the death stare in Casino Royale’s poker scene to a comedic compilation in Rain Man, join us as we explore cinema’s most alluring casino scenes and dissect their authenticity.
Two Classics at Once: Casablanca’s Roulette
Movie buffs will tell you that you have not seen cinema until you watch Casablanca (1942). It is more than a tale about jealousy and old flames; it is a timeless mix of romance and war that resonates through the ages. It is in this echo that we find Casablanca’s roulette scene, which is mirrored daily in casinos around the world. A master of strategy, Rick, intervenes at the roulette table, mixing a stroke of good luck with in-depth game knowledge.
While many punters, especially older ones, sometimes feel like Rick, they are more often than not playing disadvantaged roulette games. The roulette variant that Casablanca features is called European roulette, whose house edge is 2.7%. A far more common variant that you will encounter in online casinos and most physical venues is American roulette, characterized by an additional double-zero pocket and a house edge of 5.26%. If Casablanca featured American roulette, the outcome of that scene might have been drastically different. For more information about Roulette games variations visit this online roulette guide.
Raining Winnings in Rain Man
Rain Man (1988) is a deeply moving movie about two estranged brothers. One is a car mechanic, Charlie, with a troublesome paternal situation, and the other, Raymond, is an autistic genius locked up in a mental institution. The brothers bond deeply along the way as Tom Cruise’s character learns how to handle his brother. Their journey reaches many emotional spikes, especially as they discover Raymond’s mathematical genius, which Charlie quickly exploits for personal gain.
Charlie takes his brother to arguably the most skill-based casino game, blackjack, in the hopes of winning big. Raymond shocks his brother and the dealer by correctly counting an “unbeatable” shoe and winning every hand. While constant winning is obviously impossible, counting cards is a legitimate strategy that countless punters employ. The system works better than others, but it cannot guarantee a win, even if you are a math genius.
Genius Meets Gambling
What do geniuses do in their spare time? Well, if the movie 21 (2008) is anything to go by, they try to cheat casinos. This early 2000s hit, featuring the then beloved Kevin Spacey, is about six MIT students that become experts in card counting, all in the hopes of beating blackjack dealers. The tension rises as the students improve their blackjack skills and get ready for a real casino, but this is where the movie becomes completely inaccurate.
It is at this stage of the film that the idea of card counting being illegal is presented to us. A bit of foreshadowing here and a scene portraying how evil casinos are there drives the point home. However, card counting being illegal is simply not true. While casinos actively try to combat this strategy by using multiple shoes or even kicking out punters that count cards, the system itself is not illegal. Your winnings cannot be taken away and you cannot be charged with a crime.
A Cold Reality
Movies in foreign languages, particularly those with smaller speaker counts, are more often than not overlooked. A movie produced in a country such as Iceland, whose population is barely 400.000, can only dream of the exposure that the average Hollywood movie gets. However, it is here that we find hidden gems, such as the 2003 film Nói albinói” (Noi the Albino).
Noi the Albino is primarily about teenagerhood and the feelings of loneliness that come with it. Noi lives in a remote fishing village with very few options for entertainment. It is this reason that drives Noi to skip class and visit a local gas station, where he rigs a slot machine to ensure a jackpot.
While Noi’s machine manipulation ensures a jackpot, no other punter on the planet can do the same. The reason is simple: regulatory oversight. The latter has grown considerably in the last three decades, with new casino games being based entirely on random number generators, which are heavily reliant on prime numbers and complex mathematical equations. The latter have complete control over your fun. It is, therefore, impossible to rig modern slot machines.
Beyond Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is the go-to site for movie ratings. They show prospective moviegoers what the public thinks of a new film. However, the flock is not always correct. Obscure movies can sometimes be among the best that you will ever see. The same goes for online gaming venues, whose options are many, but gems are few. The best way to try your luck is to visit reliable gaming venues that put punters first. Some of these can even be enjoyed in the great white north, where cold Icelandic hubs hide countless casino stories. For more information about online casinos visit this extended guide.