Blackjack is such a dramatic casino game that it lends itself to taking pride of place in Hollywood movies
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Movies Blackjack Players Will Love

December 12, 2023

Casino games of all varieties have long been used as centre pieces for stunning scenes in Hollywood movies and indeed motion pictures made all around the world.

After all, there is nothing quite like seeing suave men dressed in tuxes, and glamourous women decked out in flowing cocktail dresses, all testing their mettle against a smooth talking and card slinging dealer.

Below we list some of the best movies ever made that featured the game of Blackjack, whether the game made a fleeting appearance or was what a movie’s entire plot revolved around.

Croupier – Style in Abundance at the Blackjack Table

It was the movie that put Clive Owen’s name on the tip of every Hollywood director’s tongue, before he then somehow disappeared without a trace, and it is still a modern casino movie classic.

Infused with wonderful noir stylings and sparse dialogue, no other film has done as much to trawl the psyches of the men and women who deal cards at land-based or live online casinos.

Owen was cast to perfection as the protagonist and any movie that stands out as a specific actor’s masterpiece is always worth seeing more than once.

Rain Man – Cruise and Hoffman Light Up the Casino

Long before professional card counting teams were trying to beat houses in places such as Las Vegas Nevada, Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman were doing it with a fraction of the resources and manpower in the fictional world they created in Rain Man.

As well as featuring some excellent blackjack scenes, Rain Man is also a real tearjerker, as both Cruise and Hoffman deliver career highlight performances.

Many might agree that it would be great to see Cruise return to such rolls rather than always playing the all-action hero in his more contemporary productions.

Tom Cruise’s reputation was boosted no end by his performance in Rain Man

Tom Cruise’s reputation was boosted no end by his performance in Rain Man

The Cooler – Macy Tried to Keep Things In-House

Coolers are not used to the same degree these days as they once were on the gaming floors of brick-and-mortar casinos, but back when Wayne Kramer’s movie was set, the practice was still very much in vogue.

A cooler’s job was to latch on to a casino player who was on a hot streak, with the express intention of making sure their winnings were swiftly poured back into the house’s coffers.

William Macy was the man playing the role in The Cooler, and he excelled in the part. Thankfully for online casino players there are no such figures lingering in online casino lobbies.

James Bond – License to Kill and Thrill on the Felt

This list would not be complete without some mention of the world’s favourite secret agent, because over the years James Bond has come to epitomise what casino style and culture is all about.

While Bond typically favours other casino games, he did indulge in a high-stakes Blackjack game in License to Kill, whose table he dazzled at, giving the dealer that assured and yet mischievous stare.