Best Gambling Movies of All Time (1 Viewer)

[jbutler]

Yeah, there's a PCF at the Movies thread, but I figured people don't need to wade through my ramblings about all the rest just to get to what they really want: degens in movies.

My personal top 10 gambling films (in very rough best to worst order based on their depiction of gambling, not necessarily their cinematic qualities):

California Split
Hard Eight
Rounders
The Cincinnati Kid
The Hustler
The Sting
Let It Ride
Owning Mahowny
The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie
House Of Games

Rounders probably gets more of a bump than it should in that list, but I can't help it - too many good memories of the movie to not have it be pretty high on my list. But they all depict gambling from an honest perspective even if it's in a comedic or an overly dramatized context. I'm sure someone will remind me of one I'm forgetting since I did my list off the cuff, but those are the ones that stick out right now for me.

This thread is coming to mind now, though, because I'm very much looking forward to seeing Mississippi Grind this weekend when it finally opens in the local indie movie house. Would love for it be good enough that I would have to reorganize my above list.

And thankfully it looks to have overall positive reviews, currently at 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. I'm glad because while I'm not the biggest Ryan Reynolds fan, I love Ben Mendelsohn and I love that they chose to set a gambling movie outside of Vegas. They even had casting calls at a dog track in Mobile, AL (reminding me of this guy's insane degen tales), so you know they're getting some legit dirty degen faces in this thing.

Plus, look at that fucking poster - beautiful!

 

[manamongkids]

21
Pool Haul Junkies
Oceans 11 - Brad Pitt/Clooney version
Casino
Casino Royale


Personal Favorite - Vegas Vacation

 

[jbutler]

21
Pool Haul Junkies
Oceans 11 - Brad Pitt/Clooney version
Casino
Casino Royale


Personal Favorite - Vegas Vacation

One thing I questioned when making my list was how far afield from actual gambling a movie could get and still be a "gambling" movie. I probably too readily dismissed Casino. The others above wouldn't make my personal top 10, but I think I'll have to find a place for Casino.

 

[manamongkids]

One thing I questioned when making my list was how far afield from actual gambling a movie could get and still be a "gambling" movie. I probably too readily dismissed Casino. The others above wouldn't make my personal top 10, but I think I'll have to find a place for Casino.

I look at movies in two perspectives generally, actual performances, plot, cinematic are all grouped into one - sort of how a rotten tomatoes or imbd/movie critic may rank a movie.

Then on the flip-side is rewatchability, which is majorly important for me. With that being said, for Vegas Vacation, I could watch that movie on an endless loop and never get sick of it, same goes for Rounders too.

 

[Lars]

Maverick

 

[jbutler]

I look at movies in two perspectives generally, actual performances, plot, cinematic are all grouped into one - sort of how a rotten tomatoes or imbd/movie critic may rank a movie.

Then on the flip-side is rewatchability, which is majorly important for me. With that being said, for Vegas Vacation, I could watch that movie on an endless loop and never get sick of it, same goes for Rounders too.

Yeah that's a fair view for sure. I can certainly watch segments of Vegas Vacation on a loop. Clark and Eddie in that shitty casino will never not be hysterical.

I'm not sure what it says about a movie when I can rewatch it basically infinity times, but there are definitely some in that category for me and, as you said, there's only a limited correlation between my all time favorite movies and those that I can rewatch forever. My rewatch on a loop forever list:

Rounders
Halloween
The Big Sleep
Half Baked
Do The Right Thing
Alien
The Big Lebowski
Goodfellas
Fargo
Office Space
Pulp Fiction
Prometheus
Election
Major League
Die Hard

Actually maybe there's a stronger correlation than I realized between my favorites and those I can rewatch.

 

[MikesDad]

Big Hand for a Little Lady (showing my age again)

 

[Hot Nuts]

Ya'll got most of my favorites already. I'd like to count Tombstone, but don't. Maverick yes.

Here's a good one:

 

[B.C.]

Looking forward to your take on Mississippi Grind. Watched it today. Outside of anything else, Ben Mendelson is outstanding.

Working in gaming I am probably a bit biased toward the "real" gambling movie. Owning Mahowny is the closest you will ever get to depicting an honest representation of a true degenerate punter (helps that it is a true story).

 

[B.C.]

Double post.

 

[jbutler]

Big Hand for a Little Lady (showing my age again)

Ya'll got most of my favorites already. I'd like to count Tombstone, but don't. Maverick yes.

Here's a good one:

Thanks, guys. Love Henry Fonda and Jason Robards, so I'll look forward to checking this one out.

Looking forward to your take on Mississippi Grind. Watched it today. Outside of anything else, Ben Mendelson is outstanding.

Working in gaming I am probably a bit biased toward the "real" gambling movie. Owning Mahowny is the closest you will ever get to depicting an honest representation of a true degenerate punter (helps that it is a true story).

I first realized how good Ben Mendelsohn can be in Animal Kingdom (which is in my top 10 crime movies of all time and is an absolute must see if anyone missed it), but he has been on an absolute tear since then with great performance after great performance. Even in shit movies, he's fantastic (Exodus, Trespass). And he's been in some of the most criminally underrated (or rather unknown to most people) films of the last 5 years: Killing Them Softly, The Place Beyond the Pines, Black Sea, Slow West. Still have to check out Bloodline.

 

[Mr Tree]

Maverick

Maverick was fun when I was younger but coming back to it years later some of the gambling is so ludicrous that I just can't take it.

 

[Toby]

God of Gamblers?

I enjoyed that some time back... Worth it for the mahjong table scene.

 

[Toby]

Oooh Mississippi Grind looks good. Wanna check that oot

 

[ssanel54]

Maybe an anti gambling fim, but I liked the Cooler. Nobody can play a life loser better than William H Macy.

 

[phaze12]

i have one for you that depict degen at its best (or is it worst?).

the gambler (the 1970s release) james caan is masterful


croupier with clive owen was another great degen movie.

 

[Lars]

Maverick was fun when I was younger but coming back to it years later some of the gambling is so ludicrous that I just can't take it.

I haven't seen it since it was in the theaters. I remember liking it then but maybe not as much now. I will have to watch it again sometime. I'm refering to the Mel Gibson version.

 

[Mr Tree]

Yeah I was talking about the Mel version. The final hand in the big tournament at five card stud you see a boat get beat by four of a kind get beat by a straight flush get beat by a royal flush with the hero taking one card and drawing the ace of spades.

I'm willing to suspend disbelief. But come on!

 

[Toby]

Yeah Croupier and Cooler were both pretty good flicks. Enjoyed both of those

 

[jbutler]

Maybe an anti gambling fim, but I liked the Cooler. Nobody can play a life loser better than William H Macy.

i have one for you that depict degen at its best (or is it worst?).

the gambler (the 1970s release) james caan is masterful


croupier with clive owen was another great degen movie.

I almost included the Cooler, but it has been years since I've seen it. Need to give it a rewatch. Ditto for the original Gambler (Wahlberg's nonsense was pathetically terrible). Never seen Croupier. Going on my To Watch list.

 

[snooptodd]

I've wanted to start a monthly podcast that discusses gambling movies with some people from the industry. This thread will provide a great viewing list, so thanks for starting it Jack.

Oh, and bit of a threadjack, but awhile back I wrote a top-10 list of best gambling scenes in non-gambling movies. Read the whole thing here: http://aarontodd.casinocitytimes.com/article/top-10-gambling-scenes-from-non-gambling-movies-60724. Unfortunately most of the embedded videos are no longer available on YouTube.

If you haven't seen Run Lola Run, I highly encourage it. Great film. Personal favorite, though, is the dog track racing scene in Coupe de Ville. It's cheezy, predictable and exactly what you'd expect, but for some reason we watched this movie at least once a year growing up, and as the youngest of three boys, it always resonated with me. Plus Alan Arkin is a friggin riot.

 

[Richard Cranium]

The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie
House Of Games

I watched Killing of a Chinese Bookie, a few years back. I had high hopes and had read good things, but I was not a fan at all.

On the other hand, I would agree that House of Games is very good.

 

[detroitdad]

California Split
Hard Eight
Rounders
The Cincinnati Kid
The Hustler
The Sting
Let It Ride
Owning Mahowny
The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie
House Of Games

Rounders is the only one I saw. I thought it was solid, but way overrated. What's the best of this list. I'll try and give it a shot this week.

 

[jbutler]

I watched Killing of a Chinese Bookie, a few years back. I had high hopes and had read good things, but I was not a fan at all.

On the other hand, I would agree that House of Games is very good.

Cassavetes is not for everybody for sure. But it's interesting - I had the opposite experience with those two movies. I loved David Mamet, but years ago when I watched House of Games for the first time I was really underwhelmed. Then I rewatched it a couple years ago and really loved it. On the other hand I loved KoaCB on my first watch.

I think both directors (Mamet and Cassavetes) have a certain eccentric style that can turn people off and on depending on their mood when they watch. I know some people who have great taste who just hate Mamet's dialogue (which I understand because when they tell me what they hate about Mamet I feel like they're describing Aaron Sorkin's writing which I can't stand).

Rounders is the only one I saw. I thought it was solid, but way overrated. What's the best of this list. I'll try and give it a shot this week.

It depends on your taste. Those I listed vary wildly in style.

If you want something a bit more stylized and crafted, Killing of a Chinese Bookie or House of Games. If you want something a bit more heart-wrenching, Hard Eight. If you want traditional, hilarious comedy, Let It Ride. Obviously Cincinnati Kid, Hustler, and the Sting are the classics. Owning Mahowny is pretty much a dark downer, but Philip Seymour Hoffman is a master as usual. California Split is probably closest in structure to Rounders, but just due to the conventions of film changing over the course of 25 years, the aesthetic is quite different.

 

[pltrgyst]

....This thread is coming to mind now, though, because I'm very much looking forward to seeing Mississippi Grind this weekend when it finally opens in the local indie movie house....

And thankfully it looks to have overall positive reviews, currently at 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. I'm glad because while I'm not the biggest Ryan Reynolds fan, I love Ben Mendelsohn and I love that they chose to set a gambling movie outside of Vegas. They even had casting calls at a dog track in Mobile, AL ... so you know they're getting some legit dirty degen faces in this thing....

It should be decent. A former DC disk jockey and inveterate cash game poker player named Paul Harris, who's good friends and used to do a radio/Internet poker show with Dennis Phillips, was an extra in the movie in New Orleans, and has a heads-up scene with Mendelsohn. He wrote about the experience in three parts, at

http://paulharrisonline.blogspot.com/2015/09/my-mississippi-grind-part-one.html

It's a pretty interesting read.

-- Larry

 

[pltrgyst]

News flash: the directors of the movie are on Internet radio with Paul Harris at 3:30 CT this afternoon simulcast from KTRS St. Louis at
https://twitter.com/550KTRS -> ktrs.com

 

[Hot Nuts]

Yeah I was talking about the Mel version. The final hand in the big tournament at five card stud you see a boat get beat by four of a kind get beat by a straight flush get beat by a royal flush with the hero taking one card and drawing the ace of spades.

I'm willing to suspend disbelief. But come on!

2006 Casino Royale basically copied it. Not sure if they played poker or what type of poker in the 1967 version.

 

[spikeithard]

Mine are in order (from what I have seen and can remember)

1. Rounders
2. Lucky you (memories of starting into the chip game 4 years ago thats why its so high on the list)
3. The Grand
4. Maverick
5. Casino Royale (some poker in it so Ill put it in there)

That Mississippi movie looks awesome. thanks for bringing it to my attention

 

[gmunny]

My Best Gambling Movie list is:

Casino
Rounders
Ocean's 11 (newer one, though love the old casino scenes of the older one)
Color of Money
The Sting
Cincinnati Kid
The Cooler
Eight Men Out
California Split


Movies that sucked, but i liked:
Shade
Runner Runner
High Roller: The Stu Unger Story

Thanks for some ideas.. i am going to put these on my to watch list: the Gambler (wJames Caan) and House of Games

 

[jbutler]

Movies that sucked, but i liked:
Shade

I think I heard of this one at one time, but never checked it out. Added to my To Watch list...