Everyone who goes to the cinema has seen at least one scene with a blackjack (especially card counting). Usually, these moments take place at blackjack casinos for high rollers. And we are here to discover this interesting world of casino films.

Guide to Card Counting

Everyone loves the tales about reckless gamblers who manage to trick “the big house” with their wit and talent. No wonder many blackjack enthusiasts are thrilled by the phenomenon of the card counting. So we decided to share some of its secrets with you.

Sense

It is a player technique used to determine which cards will be given by the dealer. Just by tracking the table layout a gambler can calculate the right move and ensure the win. It is fascinating how an expert can hack a complicated play of chance into an instrument of enormous profit.

Pros And Cons

From the legal standpoint, counting does not qualify as cheating, because it uses no deception. However, the gambling providers try to prevent such tricks – and they have a right to do so. Reading cards might get you into a real trouble, so don’t try to mess with the casinos’ security. Note that this technique doesn’t work for online blackjack thanks to the random number algorithms function. It is effective against human dealers only (except live streaming games where decks are changed and shuffled regularly).

Techniques For High Rollers

card counting in high roller blackjack casinos movies
Here are some popular techniques:

1. The High-Low (or Hi-Lo) works by dividing cards into “higher” (10, J, D, K, A) and “lower” (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) categories with the scores of +1 and -1 repeatedly. As the game progresses, one can calculate his odds of winning according to this score.
2. The True Count serves to adjust the wages to the number of high cards left in the shoe. The bettor has to divide the running count by a number of decks in play.
3. Back-Counting (a. k. a. Wonging) uses a different approach than the first two schemes. It suggests joining the game only at a favorable moment. The trick is not to look suspicious while tracking the odds from outside the table.
These three methods are often modified and used in combination.

Card Counting Scenes in Blackjack Casino Films

Online blackjack is the most enjoyable and popular casino table game in the world. There have been a few great scenes featuring card counting, with these five perhaps being the best.

21

Category: drama, crime.
Release date: 2008.
Budget: $157.9 million.
Actors: Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne.
Place: Las Vegas.
Plot:
This movie is inspired by the so-called scam of the century – the MIT Blackjack group’s endeavor to apply hardcore science to card counting. In the game of chance, can the intricate math guaranty a big win? As it turns out, the knowledge is not all it takes to become an accomplished player. The premier of 21 caught the attention of major US casinos. The movie raised their concern because of how accurate and accessible its explanation of the Hi-Lo trick was.

Rain Man

Category: drama, road movie, comedy.
Release date: 1988.
Budget: $25 million.
Actors: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino.
Place: Las Vegas, Los Angeles.
Plot:
This Hollywood classics depicts an egocentric dandy reevaluating his life throughout a road trip with his autistic brother. The older of the two has a savant syndrome, which gives him superhuman calculation abilities. His enterprising sibling attempts to abuse these skills and cheat a Vegas casino. The term “rain man” became popular after the scene of Raymond counting cards. This episode reveals the astounding complexity of the math behind the game of twenty-one.

Stacy’s Knights

Category: drama, crime.
Release date: 1983.
Actors: Kevin Costner, Andra Millian, Eve Lilith, Mike Reynolds.
Place: Reno.
Plot:
This is a tale of a timid woman taking over a big Reno gambling house with nothing but her card counting talent and a team of friends. The romantic portrayal of heroes and villains is not exactly life-like, but you will definitely enjoy the adventure. Join the main character as she discovers the power and confidence through the game.

The Hangover

Category: comedy.
Release date: 2009.
Budget: $35 million.
Actors: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham.
Place: Las Vegas.
Plot:
After an outrageous bachelor binge a group of friends wakes up to a memory blackout and a husband-to-be is missing. The unfortunate tourists search the city for their friend. Their hilarious odyssey includes luxury casinos, scams, gangsters, a baby, a tiger and a ton of fun. The film became a massive box office hit and gathered $467.5 million.
high rollers blackjack casinos movies about card counting

The Last Casino

Category: drama, comedy.
Release date: 2004.
Budget: $3.75 million.
Actors: Charles Martin Smith, Katharine Isabelle, Julian Richings.
Place: Ontario, Quebec.
Plot:
Another MIT-inspired story, this time by Canadian producers. A genius university professor recruits three gifted students to gamble for him. His card counting scheme sounds ideal, but then things start to go out of control. What is the perfect blackjack strategy? How the human factor impacts on it? The Last Casino impresses the viewers with its engaging plot and clever jokes.