I wouldn’t want to bet on that! Top Ten Gambling Movies.

10.The Hustler (1961). Paul Newman in one of the few movies of his that I can watch. Jackie Gleason as Minnesota Fats. The real Fats wasn’t even that good a player but he had a cool nickname. Best part was when they were going to break his thumbs. Man if they could only of done that before he invented that disgusting salad dressing.

9.Seabiscuit(2003). Hey it’s a horse racing movie and horse racing is first and foremost gambling. Spiderman is great as the jockey and the movie shows the true story of the little horse that could. Most race movies like this one concentrate on the romance of the horses and the running for the roses and that romantic crap. I need to get a movie that concentrates on the degenerate gamblers betting the babies milk money. Still a fine movie.

8.Casino (1995). As much as I dislike Scorsese, this is the ultimate primer on how gambling works. Pesce is over the top as usual but it’s worth the price of admission to see him grab Sharon Stone by the head and pull her mouth on him. She was just reenacting every audition she has ever had in her entire fucking life. Also a bonus of seeing Joe get whacked with a baseball bat by Phil Leotardo.

7.A Bronx Tale (1993). Now this is usual classified as Mafia or coming of age movie. But there is a lot of gambling from dice games to going to the track to card games. But what makes it a great movie is the concept of getting Mushed. That’s when there is a horrible lousy gambler who always loses. The worst thing in the world is when you find out this guy is betting the same way as you. You are guarantied to lose. You got Mushed.

6.Croupier (1998). Cool English movie starring Clive Owen which delves into the life of a casino worker. The voice over is a little intrusive but it still is a fun film.

5.The Gambler (1974) one of the best portrayals of a degenerate gambler. James Caan is very believable as a degenerate, as a college professor, not so much.


4.Five Card Stud (1968) with Dean Martin, Robert Mitchum and Inger Stevens as the tits. A western with Dean Martin and gambling and lynching, what could be better than that.

3.California Split (1974) a great window back into the seventies it does show how screwed up gamblers can be.
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2.Hard Eight.(1997) first film from the Boogie Nights guy. Philip Baker Hall does a great old guy who schools John C. Reilly who is my favourite everyman actor. This dude is the new Gene Hackman. Anyway Hall gives great advice about gambling and how to act in a casino for lots of people to follow.

1.The Cincinnati Kid (1965) with the great Steve McQueen and Eddie G. Robinson as the old master who schools the kid. Ann Margaret as the whore wife of Karl Malden and a tasty Tuesday Weld as the arm candy. Lots of fun for any occasion. Highly recommended.