The Movie Waffler 5 Essential Blackjack Movies | The Movie Waffler

5 Essential Blackjack Movies

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Of all casino table games, Blackjack is arguably the one that has lent itself to the most exciting movie premises. Check out the following five Blackjack themed movies, and you might even pick up a few tips you can use online at sites like 20Bet.



The Cooler (2003)
Character actor William H Macy got a rare leading role as Bernie Lootz, a gambler with such bad luck he finds himself employed by a casino to transfer his awful luck to other gamblers. His luck changes when a new coctail waitress (Maria Bello) starts working at his casino. Motivated by his romance, Lootz begins to win at the blackjack tables, drawing the ire of his boss (Alec Baldwin).


The Last Casino (2004)
This French-Canadian movie is inspired by the true story of the MIT Blackjack team. A maths professor discovers a method of winning at blackjack through a process known as card counting. Recruiting three gifted maths students, he starts to win big at the casinos, only to make some dangerous enemies who discover his secret.


21 (2008)
Another movie that drew inspiration from the exploits of the MIT Blackjack team was the 2008 thriller 21. This time the professor is played by Kevin Spacey, with his students played by the likes of Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth and Josh Gad.


The Gambler (2014)
This remake of the 1970s film sees Mark Wahlberg take the role of a college professor who supplements his income at the blackjack table. Wahlberg makes the mistake of switching to roulette, incurring a massive loss. Now in debt to violent mobsters, he must hope his luck returns so he can win enough money to keep himself alive.


Rain Man (1988)
The subject of card counting was first introduced to the general public in the hit '80s movie Rain Man. Dustin Hoffman plays an autistic man with an amazing gift for storing information in his head. Seeing a chance to make a fortune, his brother (Tom Cruise) takes him to Las Vegas to put his unique skill to use at the blackjack tables.