If you’re a fan of gambling and like to watch movies about it, you may get a little bit frustrated with how they’re typically portrayed on film. They tend to be unrealistic and clearly target an audience that has never played a gambling game before. If you want to watch some realistic poker hands and bluffs in movies, keep reading this list to see some of our favorite picks—from Maverick to Rounders and more!
Best Gambling Scenes
Maverick (1994)
First of all, you should consider watching each episode of the original “Maverick” TV show with James Garner before watching almost any other film for fantastic gambling scenes.
The final poker scene from the film Maverick is incredibly lame, but the beginning is fantastic. Roy Huggins and William Goldman are certainly a dynamic duo when it comes to gambling screenplays.
Gibson’s character Bret sits down at a table to play poker and tells his competitors that he will intentionally lose for around 30 minutes or so before taking all their winnings in the end. While he loses, he has his competitors convinced that he’s a harmless weakling by demonstrating just how inexperienced he is with a handgun. By the end, he turns the tables by showing them that he’s not someone to mess around with when it comes to a gunfight.
The end is nonsensical. If you know the other player is cheating, then you probably shouldn’t try to use mind games to pull out a Royal Flush. You should simply fold and wait for the next hand. That being said, if it does work, then you might just be the next real-life Bret Maverick.
Hard 8 (1996)
Philip Baker Hall and Philip Seymour Hoffman have always been two of director Paul Anderson’s leading men from the start, and they don’t let viewers down in their debut performance together.
You will never see an all-star cast like this one again, with John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Samuel L. Jackson all featuring prominently in the film as well. Sadly, Philip Seymour Hoffman has since passed away.
Hoffman is actually featured in the movie the least among the main cast, but in characteristic style, he manages to steal every scene that he is featured in. He was the funniest cast member in the cast of Boogie Nights, and he hardly had any significant lines in his role. Hoffman was undoubtedly an icon, and he is sorely missed by film buffs.
The craps scene between the Philips duo is definitely one of the best gambling scenes in movie history. The grating young guy with the mullet goes up against the veteran gambler, whose dapper three-piece is impeccable, showing that he’s someone who knows how to maintain his poker face. Only this time, the young man is so obnoxious that the pro ends up breaking character and makes a bold $2,000 bet in order to show the younger guy exactly who’s in charge.
Why haven’t many people seen or even heard of this movie? It’s certainly a mystery, but it’s still one of the most entertaining movies for gambling lovers.
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
It’s honestly just one well-set-up joke, but in terms of simple comedic value, Wilfred Brambell starring as Paul McCartney’s “clean” grandfather is just plain funny. The “well-respected man” is actually an insane, creepy pleasure-seeker who pilfers Ringo’s invitation to a swanky gambling hall and is somehow able to win at baccarat despite not having any money or any real clue as to how to actually play the game.
This grandpa has a taste for bosomy blondes, but then again, who doesn’t?
The Cooler (2003)
Alec Baldwin and Shawn Hatosy starred as father and son in a movie that is still considered by many critics to be one of the best that the Farrelly brothers have ever written, Outside Providence. The Hollywood stars are back in action here with a dark film about a big-time loser and the story of how Las Vegas went from gangster to corporate.
In The Cooler, Hatosy stars as William H. Macy’s idiotic son. In the famous gambling scene, after Hatosy’s character attempts to use his dice palming skills to scam, Alec Baldwin’s character catches onto the ploy and punches Hatosy’s supposedly pregnant wife, revealing that she was not expecting to begin with. It’s a rough watch but an excellent example of why cheaters never prosper in the Wild West world of gambling.
Rounders (1998)
This film is fantastic, but every part of it is a tad far-fetched. Matt Damon has a stunning girlfriend and amazing in-laws to be, but he also has a significant gambling problem. However, the movie makes it pretty clear that he’s pretty tame when compared to his best friend in the gambling world, played by Edward Norton. Though his character has the same amount of cash at the end of the movie as he had when it started, he does make his way to Vegas to earn back the money he owes to the Russian mob.
The final competition against Teddy KGB is hyper-realistic heads-up poker gameplay.
It’s true, John Malkovich’s Russian accent is terrible, but it’s actually so terrible that it’s good! Feel free to poke fun at Kevin Costner as Robin Hood as much as you like, but Teddy KGB sounds precisely the way he is supposed to
Conclusion
Hopefully, you found one of these top five gambling scenes in film entertaining. They offer a much more realistic look at what gambling is actually like—even if some of the setups are a bit absurd. The gameplay still rings true, and the movies are definitely fun and entertaining to watch. If there’s one takeaway from this list, it’s that John Malkovich’s Russian accent alone is worth the watch!
Are you new to gambling and looking to learn more about how to play poker? Check out this easy-to-follow tutorial to help you get started learning more about this popular game of strategy.
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