8 Best Gambling Movies to Watch: 'The Sting,' 'The Cincinnati Kid' and More
California Split
The Robert Altman-directed film California Split follows the story of a man whose life revolves around gambling. He befriends another card player living with two prostitutes, and they start their betting binge to savor their luck.
The film features George Segal, Elliot Gould, Ann Prentiss, Gwen Welles, Jeff Goldblum, Bert Remsen and Barbara Ruick, among others.
Casino
Robert De Niro plays the role of Ace Rothstein in Martin Scorsese's 1995 film Casino. The lead character, a Mafia associate, receives a task to run the Tangiers Casino with Philip Green. While the business runs smoothly through the years, he faces danger due to the people surrounding him.
Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods, Don Rickles and Alan King are among the cast members.
The film, based on Nicholas Pileggi's book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas, won different accolades, including Best Male Dubbing and Best Production Design at the Nastro d'Argento and Best Film Editing at the 20/20 Awards.
Hard Eight
Following the release of Paul Thomas Anderson's short film Cigarettes & Coffee, the filmmaker debuted the Philip Baker Hall-led crime film Hard Eight.
The movie tells the story of a veteran gambler who meets a young man named John and helps him become a casino champion in Las Vegas. However, John eventually falls in love with a cocktail waitress, and everything crumbles from there.
Maverick
A gambler starts his journey to join the five-card draw poker tournament in Richard Donner's Maverick. The 1994 film, based on Roy Huggins' TV series of the same name, shows the card sharp scamming other contestants to pay for the tournament to join the poker contest.
Mel Gibson stars in the film along with Jodie Foster, James Garner, Alfred Molina, Graham Greene, Dan Hedaya, James Coburn, Dub Taylor, Max Perlich, Geoffrey Lewis and Paul L. Smith.
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Silver Linings Playbook
Silver Linings Playbook chronicles the bipolar disorder-stricken man who moves back in with his parents following his release from a psychiatric facility. While the film centers on the main character's health issue, it adds tension to the storyline by highlighting the gambling addiction of the man's father (De Niro).
Bradley Cooper appears in the film along with Jennifer Lawrence, Jacki Weaver, Anupam Kher, Chris Tucker and Julia Stiles.
The Cincinnati Kid
Directed by Norman Jewison, The Cincinnati Kid is about a young poker player who wants to establish and expand his empire in the card game. To do so, he challenges an older player to determine the best one between them.
Steve McQueen and Edward G. Robinson lead the flick.
The Sting
The Sting follows the story of two professional grifters and their attempt to scam a mob boss following the murder of their mutual friend. However, things go differently, leading them to change some of their plans.
Uncut Gems
Adam Sandler, Julia Fox, Idina Menzel, Kevin Garnett and LaKeith Stanfield star together in the 2019 film Uncut Gems.
Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie's work explores the lives of Ethiopian Jewish miners as they search for a rare black opal from a mining site. Meanwhile, a gambling addict and owner of a jewelry story discovers the gem, but it only causes chaos.