Hollywood loves casino movies. High stakes, glamorous settings, intriguing characters – what’s not to love? From live dealer casino games to heists in casinos, these movies have moments we’ll never forget. But what are some of the lesser-known scenes in movies and TV that feature casino games? Here are a few of them.
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
To pull off the greatest heist in history, Danny Ocean (George Clooney) needs to assemble a dream team of risk-takers, each with his own unique skill to make a daredevil exploit a reality. This is a timeless casino film, shot in actual real-life casinos with dealer games. The film also offers many twists and turns and lots of laughs, but what about those lesser-known moments?
Here’s a key one. Right at the beginning of this thrill-a-minute movie, Rusty (Brad Pitt) explains to Danny they will need the following: “A Boesky, a Jim Brown, a Miss Daisy, two Jethros and a Leon Spinks, not to mention the biggest Ella Fitzgerald ever!” Did you know that these are references to old cons from the 20th century? Leon Spinks, for example, was a rags-to-riches world heavyweight champion who even once defeated Muhammad Ali, but was arrested for being in possession of drugs. Rusty, in this line, has also given away how the characters in Ocean’s Eleven will rob the casino – in the case of “Leon Spinks,” it’s a reference to an explosive punch.
Although movies about casino cheating are a dime a dozen, bear in mind that cheating the house is not easy. It’s true that casinos are vulnerable to crime. This could be the result of robbery or attempted cheating at tables, or even cyberattacks in the case of online casino games or real online slots. But like all responsible businesses, these top online casinos spend a lot of time and money keeping themselves and their customers safe with state-of-the-art casino surveillance systems or the latest cyber defenses.
Casino Royale (2006)
Daniel Craig’s first outing as James Bond, Casino Royale, is one of the most memorable Bond films and casino movies, with all the characteristics of a great Bond movie: High risks, wealth, fighting, class and smart plays on words. M16 boss, M, sends Bond to a risky, must-win-at-all-costs Texas Hold’em poker game against Le Chiffre, a banker to the world’s terrorists. In this impossibly-glamorous setting, who can forget the scene where 007 faces off against the villainous Le Chiffre?
Here are a few lesser-known yet memorable moments in Casino Royale:
- Bond tips the dealer $500,000. That’s a big chunk of cash!
- There is a shot of Bond walking out of the sea which was taken by accident. This particular shot was the result of Craig mistakenly swimming into a sandbank and then being forced to walk ashore.
- Jesper Christensen’s knee pads are visible before he’s shot in the knee. Christensen plays the mysterious villain Mr. White.
- There is a keyring in the movie which is numbered “53.” The original Casino Royale book by British writer Ian Fleming was released in 1953 and the movie was released 53 years after that.
- The movie doesn’t feature James Bond’s traditional game of choice, Baccarat. Instead, the 2006 relaunch switched to No Limit Texas Hold’em, the most popular card game around at the time. And the pot is $115 million!
The Office – Season 3 Episode 20, Safety Training
Did you know that gambling features as a brief but amusing side-story to the main plot in Season 3, Episode 20 of The Office? The storyline shows how office workers will take a bet on just about anything. For example, they take a bet on whether Creed Bratton, a quality assurance manager who is inclined to make bizarre or strange statements on a regular basis, will realize he’s eating a potato instead of an apple. He doesn’t! Interestingly, Bratton plays a fictionalized version of himself in the show. In real life he’s an American singer, actor and musician and former member of the Grass Roots rock band.
The episode highlights the boredom of humdrum office life and how entertaining it can be to place bets. It also shows how the best online casino games are enjoyed by people from all walks of life and at all skill levels, from beginners to pros.
Play online casino games at BetMGM
If some of these lesser-known moments in films and TV series featuring gambling have inspired you to take to the tables and play live casino online, then register at BetMGM. You will have online access to the most popular games in the world, from roulette to your favorite poker variety. Live out your favorite casino movie fantasy today.
