One of the last major film releases of 2014 was THE GAMBLER, a Rupert Wyatt-directed remake of the 1974 film of the same name. The story of an English professor caught up in a dangerous cycle of taking loans and placing big casino bets, it looks and sounds like a movie that would revolve around poker tables. And yet, as has been the case with a number of the most memorable casino scenes and entire films, it was actually blackjack that dominated much of the gambling action. The truth may just be that blackjack is actually the more appealing casino game, from a cinematic standpoint.
In part, this actually seems to be because the game is far easier to cheat than, say, Texas Hold’em poker—and cheating is one of the easiest ways to create drama in a casino film or scene. And, really, the methods can be learned and understood by most anybody, largely because the main strategy, counting cards, isn’t actually illegal. The Boston Globe did a pretty thorough write-up of the connection between card counting and blackjack, specifically referring to an incident in which actor Ben Affleck was allegedly thrown out of a casino on suspicion of card counting. In this write-up, card counting is explained as a simple process that, while legal, is frowned upon and prevented by casinos. But the point is, the core concept is exceedingly easy to use in cinematic sequences.
There are numerous examples of this aspect of blackjack being covered in film. The most famous is perhaps the wonderful 1988 film RAIN MAN, in which Dustin Hoffman’s iconic Raymond character discovers a natural aptitude for card-counting and is thereby exploited by his brother Charlie (Tom Cruise). Other examples include THE HANGOVER, in which Alan (Zach Galifianakis) essentially parodies the famous RAIN MAN gambling scenes, and 21, an entire film about the true story of a group of expert mathematicians from MIT who started a card-counting ring. Ultimately, in both humorous and serious situations, blackjack seems to be appealing to filmmakers largely because of the easy drama that can be created around counting cards.
But beyond dramatic potential, another reason that blackjack seems to be the preferred casino card game for filmmakers is that it’s incredibly easy for viewers to understand. To be clear, there are numerous styles of blackjack, with the main differentiating factors being the ways in which games are bet on. InterCasino’s blackjack page, a useful destination for those seeking to learn the game, shows off these differences with a number of different versions. In this instance, the games are in arcade form, but one thing is still clear: despite a few different formats and styles, the nature of the game remains the same. You keep “hitting” to collect cards until you’re as close to 21 (in total value) as you can get without risking going over 21. Beyond these basic rules, the strategies and math of blackjack are a bit more complicated. However, for the average film viewer, it’s nowhere near as convoluted or complex as a
high-stakes poker game.
This is perhaps why blackjack seems to be useful in such a wide range of films. 21 and THE GAMBLER are billed as tense gambling thrillers; RAIN MAN is an award-winning drama; and THE HANGOVER is an obscene, no-boundaries comedy. There’s even a famous blackjack scene in AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY in which Powers decides to “stay” with a ridiculously low total, explaining that he also likes to live dangerously (in response to his opponent’s original claim that he enjoys living dangerously). No matter what sort of drama or action is at hand, the game itself remains simple and easy for viewers to understand and relate to.
In the end, it appears THE GAMBLER is only one of many instances in which casino scenes favoured blackjack, rather than poker, which is viewed by many as the more popular game in mainstream culture. As popular as poker is on television and with gaming enthusiasts, blackjack is just better suited for the big screen.