When you think of the casino, your mind most likely hones in on the wide variety of games that are at your disposal, and understandably so.
However, there’s a lot more to the cultural phenomenon than just that. Casino gaming, whether it’s in the form of online casino on Paddy Power Games or at brick-and-mortar establishments, has seemingly inspired a whole host of modern media such as books and films.
With the casino acting as the perfect location for drama and deceit, it’s no wonder that the likes of Ian Fleming and Heron Carvic couldn’t help but place some of their iconic characters in the throws of one of the many much-loved games.
If you want to know more about the casino cameos that appear in some of your favourite forms of entertainment, then read on.
Book: Casino Royale
This classic James Bond story arguably found its fame on the big screen, when the adaptation starring Daniel Craig hit the cinemas in 2006.
However, the tale itself actually originates from a 1953 Ian Fleming novel – the first in his Bond series. Eleven further novels followed, alongside two short story collections, giving filmmakers plenty of room to flesh out a cinematic rendition of Fleming’s genius character creation.
In the Casino Royale book, we see Bond hashing it out with his arch nemesis over a nail-biting game of Baccarat, although the film adaptation showcases a similar yet more modern game of Poker. Back to the game in hand, Baccarat is a card game in which six shuffled decks are used.
One of the players will be named as the “banker” whilst remaining players will act as the “punters”. Everyone receives two cards that are face up. The player who holds a hand that is the closest to equalling nine will be the winner. There are three possible outcomes in this game —a player win, a banker win and a tie; of which you must place your bets on.
Film: Rain Man
Considered to be a cult classic by so many, Rain Man hit our screens back in 1988 and has seemingly remained just as popular as the years have gone by. This was the first film production that was allowed to shoot in the iconic Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
In fact, the “Emperor’s Suite” is still referred to as the Rain Man suite after the Babbitt brothers spent the night there in the iconic film, after winning the big bucks on the Blackjack table.
Whilst Blackjack is heavily featured in the climax of this film, we also see a great example of card-counting. Although this method of gameplay is frowned upon in real life casinos, it isn’t technically cheating unless an external device or “helper” is used, it certainly adds a little more excitement and movie magic to the story.
The film’s protagonist Charlie “Rain Man” Babbitt uses his superhuman, multi-functioning brain to study his brother’s final hand and make his next move a winner.
Book: Odds on Miss Seeton
Heron Carvic’s Miss Seeton series was originally published in 1975, admittedly taking inspiration from Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple. Carvic takes us on an adventure into the underbelly of casino gaming, as Miss Seeton searched for a prominent crime tycoon.
In the process, she learns to play Roulette and makes a lot of money doing it! Roulette has been around since the 17thcentury, gradually making its way online and securing a place as a firm favourite – so it’s no wonder that Carvic chose this game as a way to boost the action in his body of work.