The Best Gambling Scenes In Movie History

It's no secret that Hollywood has always loved the casino. There's simply few better locations for a thrill seeking scene than in the pit, backrooms or more often than not the bar of a casino. While there's plenty of movies specifically about casinos and gambling (The Ocean's series, The Gambler) in this article we'll look at specific scenes which set the tone of the story rather than the overall theme.  

Goodfellas - The Spider Scene

Let's start with perhaps the most obvious! Goodfellas is rightly considered to be the career highlight not just of Robert De Niro, but also the constantly underrated Joe Pesci. During this scene the sociopathic mobster Tommy DeVito finally loses patience with the teenage bartender 'Spider' and mows him down over nothing but a confused drink order. His fellow mobsters are vaguely perturbed, but being Goodfellas they soon return back to the cards.

Oceans Eleven - The Amateurs

While the movie is more about a heist than it is about gambling, one of the early scenes in this movie deserves a mention. We're introduced to the young Brad Pitt via his poker tutorials as he tries to teach wealthy celebrities how to play more effectively - with little success. Pitt superbly portrays the frustration of a card king as he listens to the celebrities not really having a clue what they're doing, just putting up with the stupidity as he makes his fee. Then George Clooney apprears...

Wake In Fright - The Gambling Den

A down on his luck school teacher finds himself in the middle of the Australian outback while on his way back to Sydney for his summer vacation. What should have been a simple overnight stay before catching the morning train ends up becoming a dark, sinister thriller because the lead protagonist gets drunk, makes a fortune playing a variation of heads & tails - then loses it all, and is left to the hospitality of the town locals. A great movie and a wonderful scene.

Cool Hand Luke - The Poker Scene

Let's just face it - cool doesn't come colder than the great Paul Newman, and this iconic scene demonstrates just how poker ought to be played. Despite being in prison the actual respect for the game and the cards - referee included - demonstrates more decorum and class than the average casino table. The question throughout the scene has to be 'is Luke cheating'? A pair with every hand no less...

Tombstone - The Poker Marathon

36 hours is a long while to be playing a game of cards, but that's the norm for the good people of Tombstone! During this scene the western legend Doc Holliday lurches between being legless drunk and stone cold sober as he plays his way through the session, featuring the kind of panache for one-liners that most card players can merely dream of.

So hopefully from these appetizers alone there's plenty of proof that casinos and gambling always make a great addition to any good movie! There's dozens more we could list here (no mention even of James Bond!) but there's enough to whet the appetite at least. All of these movies are classics in their own right so do yourself a favor and check them out between games.