Casino gaming has been around for hundreds of years, and within that time, has made for some incredible Hollywood storylines, helping everyone to get a glimpse of the glamour. For the movie fanatics, you’ve probably seen – or at least heard of – these iconic casino scenes.
If you want a taste of the casino class for yourself, you could venture into the world of online casino games. Or, you could take a look at the movie scenes that have bought high-stake casino gaming right to the heart of our homes. Read on to find out more.
Casino Royale
We can’t talk about iconic casino scenes and not mention James Bond. The fictitious 007 plays one of the most famous high-stakes Poker games against villain Le Chiffre in 2006 film Casino Royale.
Brought to life by actor Daniel Craig, Bond plays a game of No Limit Texas Hold’em with $115 million in the pot and even more valuable mysteries about Le Chiffre that he needs to uncover. After starting with 10 players, only four remain, and once the last card is dealt, the players begin to reveal their hands. They all appear confident – and rightly so, as the first player reveals a flush. The second unveils a full house, and then the villain turns over his hand. He also has a full house, but it’s higher than the previous one, and can only be beaten with a straight flush or four of a kind.
Thankfully, Bond still takes the victory, inspiring movie fanatics to follow in his gaming footsteps and see if they can win big whilst playing Poker themselves.
Ocean’s Eleven
Despite not being released until December, Ocean’s Eleven became the fifth highest grossing film of 2001. Most of the film was shot in Las Vegas, with shots of the iconic skyline featuring throughout the movie. Most of the filming, though, took place in the Bellagio – one of the most famous casinos in the world. The cast and crew were granted unrestricted 24-hour access to the resort, and filming frequently disrupted standard operations, such as putting up fake walls and even turning off the famous Bellagio fountains.
Arguably the most iconic shot in the film is that of the Fountains of Bellagio in the end scene. In fact, when the fountains won the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice award for top landmark in the United States in 2013, Randy Morton, the President of the Bellagio at the time, gave credit to Ocean’s Eleven.
The Hangover
The Fountains of Bellagio can also be spotted in The Hangover, whilst the cast actually check into another iconic casino – Caesar’s Palace. After exploring Caesar’s rooftop, many other spots from in and around the Strip can be spotted, but it’s the nod to popular film Rain Man that sees the characters rack up sizable winnings as they count cards during a game of Blackjack at the Riviera Hotel and Casino, which unfortunately no longer stands.
In this movie, we see a three-minute montage of everyone upping their stakes during the game of Blackjack, until the Pit Boss becomes suspicious of the frowned-upon card counting activities and they make a run for it – but not without $80K in their pocket, just what they need to rescue their friend.
—
So, have these iconic movie scenes inspired you to visit some of the most famous casinos on the Strip? Or perhaps you fancy a taste of the classy casino lifestyle like our beloved super-spy Bond? Either way, we can’t guarantee that you’ll walk away with thousands – or even millions – of dollars in your pocket, but if these iconic casino scenes have given you the nudge you needed to go out and try a new game, then what’s the harm in letting yourself feel like a movie star, just for a while?
