Perhaps especially because of its simplicity, the classic game of Blackjack has found immense popularity at both traditional casinos and among players who play Blackjack online. Despite the simplicity of its premise, however, Blackjack can also be one of the most thrilling card games to win against the house.
Hollywood movies often feature this old favourite, usually as the prop for a scene, but also sometimes as the central premise. Here are ten such examples.
The Hangover
Shown reading a book on how to count cards on the drive into Vegas, Alan turns out to be the hero of the day saving his posse from an uncertain fate by winning $80,000 at the blackjack table.
Swingers
In a brief scene, the lead character starts off at the high stakes table with a minimum punt of $100 where he doubles down and loses. He promptly moves off to the more affordable tables.
Austin Powers
More an excuse for comedy than anything to do with gambling, the blackjack scene in this movie is the stuff that Vegas dreams are made of. Robert Wagner plays vice-Evil Genius equipped with an X-Ray eye-patch that allows him to ask for a hit when he is on 17.
Licence to Kill
No James Bond movie is quite complete without a visit to the casino, but this one is different in that Timothy Dalton playing the super spy breaks with traditional to play blackjack instead of the traditional 007 favourite of baccarat.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Jack Nicholson’s brilliant portrayal of a hilariously rebellious mental institution inmate is impeccable, and the scene where he organizes a blackjack game for the other patients is one of the few times it has been depicted in such a morose and poignant manner.
Rain Man
Probably the most famous blackjack movie scene ever created, the scene from Rain Man brought the term card counting into popular culture. While not necessarily accurate, it has been universally acclaimed for its powerful yet humorous depiction.
21
Based entirely on the premise that it is possible, and indeed relatively simple, to count cards at a casino, the plot line of 21 centers on an MIT mathematics professor who picks his most brilliant students to rake in the money at blackjack. No shortage of blackjack scenes here.
Vegas Vacation
if you ever need a reason to stop playing blackjack online, the scene where Chevy Chase blows all his cash and exhausts every one of his credit cards by losing hand after hand at blackjack is the way to go.
Johnny Got His Gun
Released over four decades ago when playing blackjack online was unimaginable, this stark movie delivers one powerful and extremely authentic portrayal of the game of blackjack which is surpassed only by the magnitude of the performances of the actors at the table.
The Cooler
Based on Coolers, individuals employed by casinos for the rotten luck they seem to spread, this movie features several blackjack scenes. Of course, you need never fear a Cooler if you are playing blackjack online.
Croupier
Another casino-based movie, this one is different because it is depicted from the eyes of the croupier. Clive Owen plays the blackjack dealer teetering on the edge of self destruction and serves to show the less glamorous side to casinos.
