Gambling has been a popular pastime for centuries, and there are plenty of great movies about gambling to choose from. The best ones take you inside the world of casinos, poker games, and betting to give you a sense of what it’s like to gamble. The ones on this list are a little different. They dive into the other side of the coin by showing what happens to those who win big at the casino.
The Hangover
A group of friends must find their missing buddy after a wild night of gambling in Las Vegas. They piece together clues from the previous night’s events to try and locate him, leading them on a hilarious adventure around Sin City. The second instalment in the Hangover series is much more ambitious than the original. In the first film, we watch a group of friends get blackout drunk and wake up with no memory of what happened. It is certainly a formula that has been done many times before (Blackout, The Hangover Part II), but this film still managed to be very funny. This time around, the guy’s heading over to Thailand for a bachelor party in lieu of Las Vegas.
The Sting
It would be impossible to compile a comprehensive list of the best movies about gambling without mentioning The Sting. The 1973 classic tells the story of two con men who devise an elaborate scheme to take down a ruthless gangster. Paul Newman and Robert Redford star as the grifters, and their on-screen chemistry is electric. The film was directed by George Roy Hill, and its period setting (the Great Depression) adds another layer of intrigue. If you’re looking for a gambling movie that’s both fun and smart, you can’t go wrong with The Sting.
The Gambler
Mark Wahlberg stars as Jim Bennett in this remake of The Gambler, which was based on a Fyodor Dostoyevsky novel by the same name. Wahlberg plays a literature professor who gambles to pay for his lavish lifestyle and the unpaid debts of his dead father. He takes on a student assistant, played by Brie Larson, to pay off his mounting debt.
The Cincinnati Kid
Nobody understands this better than The Cincinnati Kid. Released in 1965, the film stars Steve McQueen as a poker player who travels from town to town, challenging the best in the business with increasingly bigger wagers. The Cincinnati Kid is one of Steve McQueen’s best films, and it’s worth a look for fans of both poker and movie history.
Tilt
Tilt is a 1981 film about the world of underground poker in Los Angeles, featuring Bill Hickman as a low-level street hustler who becomes the subject of a documentary by Peter Bogdanovich. The great cast also includes Karen Black, Jennifer Warren, and a young Vince Vaughn. Tilt has been released on DVD, but it’s mainly available on VHS.
Goldfinger
When it comes to James Bond movies, you can’t go wrong with Sean Connery. Although the Bond franchise has shifted in tone over the years, its best moments are still defined by the smooth playboy of yesteryear. Goldfinger, released in 1964, is one such moment. Connery stars as 007 on a mission to expose the ruthless villain Auric Goldfinger as he schemes to take advantage of the world’s gold supply.
The Hustler
Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason star in the 1961 classic, The Hustler. Newman plays the role of Fast Eddie Felson, a talented pool shark who has the misfortune of challenging Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) to a game. Felson loses and soon embarks on a soul-searching journey that takes him all over the United States. The Hustler is one of the best movies about gambling ever made.
New in Town
You have to be careful when gambling because it’s not always a good idea to play with your heart. That’s the lesson that Renée Zellweger learns in this comedy, which also stars Harry Connick Jr. as a truck driver who moves to Alaska to get a better job. When he meets a woman, played by Zellweger, he begins to think that maybe there’s a future in the frozen north.
Casino
If you’re looking for the best movies about gambling, then look no further than Casino. This gritty mafia drama chronicles the rise and fall of one man’s casino empire, and it’s sure to keep you entertained from start to finish. From the glitz and glamour of the casino floor to the backroom deals and double-crosses, Casino has everything you could want in a gambling movie. So, if you’re ready to place your bets, make sure to check out Casino today.
Tons of famous actors, from Robert De Niro to George Clooney, have appeared in movies about gambling. These films take you into the high-stakes world of poker players and gamblers and show how the winner takes all.
Some of the best gambling movies show us what it’s like to be a professional gambler, out there on the road competing in tournaments or playing poker with friends. Other films give us a glimpse of the Vegas lifestyle. Gambling and movies work so well together, in fact, that there are countless movie-themed slots.
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