Casinos and what go on in them has long been a source of inspiration for film directors. That is because they provide a dramatic backdrop for tales of hope and despair, for big winners and those who lose everything on the turn of a card or the roll of a wheel. And there is also a whiff of sophistication of glamour and elegance that is hard to match in any other setting.
Of course, to replicate that experience nowadays a person does not have to visit a bricks and mortar casino because many online operators, using technologies such as virtual and enhanced reality and artificial intelligence are able to recreate that unique feeling in a virtual way. This rabino casino review is an example of a leading operator.
Casino
Where better place to start that this eponymous Martin Scorsese/Robert de Niro collaboration. It sees de Niro play the lead character of Sam “Ce” Rothstein, who is asked by a branch of the Chicago mob to oversee their casino and hotel operation in Las Vegas.
It details the specific operation of the casino, the difficulties that Sam has in doing his job, as well as exploring the Mafia involvement with the gambling business. It also, more broadly shows how the casino industry in America, and Ls Vegas in particular changes over the timespan of the movie.
Casino Royale
James Bond is depicted as a regular frequenter of casinos, and is portrayed as a regular and skilled gambler, who is rarely seen to lose. Perhaps this is best exemplified in the film Casino Royale, although movie goers are advised to choose the version with Daniel Craig as bond, not the earlier pastiche with David Niven.
A high stakes Texas hold ‘m tournament is the centrepiece of the movie, pitting Bond against the arch villain le Chiffre. Bond initially loses a large sum of money, but staked by the CIA gent Felix Leiter, he is able to carry out and eventually scoops the US $115m pot with a straight flush.
The Last Casino
Card counting, a strategy used in blackjack to determine whether a player or dealer has the advantage on the next hand and is actually banned by most casinos, has often been exploited as a suitable plot devices for movies.
Although it was given the Hollywood treatment in 21, that was actually a remake of the French-language Canadian drama The Last Casino (La Mise Finale), recounting how a group of students from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) were trained by one of their professors to become experts in card counting. They subsequently fleeced by several casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City for millions in winnings.
The Cincinnati Kid
An older film, but still one of the greats of the oeuvre, the Cincinnati Kid tells the story of an up and coming gambler, played by Steve McQueen as the “Kid”, who goes up against one of the high rollers of his day.
The climax of the film sees the two come up against each other in a high stakes hand. “The Kid” thinks he has a winning hand, only for his opponent – played by Edward G. Robinson – to show a queen high straight flush.
The young player loses all his money and is mocked, being told that he will always be “second best” no matter how hard he tries.
