Some of Hollywood’s most iconic movies ever made are casino and poker-themed movies. This particular subject has become a staple for filmgoers worldwide, and the theme has become a huge part of pop culture, whether the movie is based on real-life events or not.
The entire film may be centred around casinos or poker or have only one or two scenes dedicated to poker, roulette, or another classic favourite.
Either way, this theme usually strikes a chord with people who watch because casinos and poker in films can provide thrills, drama, laughter, and nail-biting action, with which audiences can easily resonate.
To add authenticity and realism, many producers, writers, and directors consult with experts to get a better insight into certain topics that are relevant to the film. It helps avoid factual errors, ensures accuracy, and makes the characters and storylines more believable.
The question being asked here is, do poker scenes in films consult pro players? Let’s dive straight in to find out.
Do poker pros help film producers in certain scenes?Yes. Several famous professional poker players have acted as consultants on the sets of some movies. Writers, directors, and producers try to enrich their stories by providing specialised knowledge to their audiences, and one of the best ways to do this is to consult poker pros.
The same thing happens in many other film and TV genres. For example, medical professionals were used as consults in hit shows like
House, Grey’s Anatomy, and New Amsterdam to ensure the medical lingo they use is correct and that the actors look like real doctors, nurses or surgeons.
Similarly, people with law degrees often consult on courtroom dramas or police films and movies, such as Law & Order, Boston Legal, Suits, and others, to avoid making errors.
Which poker stars have consulted on poker scenes and/or appeared in films and television shows?Daniel Negreanu is one of the most famous poker stars to have consulted on poker/casino films. He has also appeared as a character (either portraying himself or a fictitious character). He is a regular on the professional poker circuit, but he has also said that he enjoys playing on some of today’s
best online roulette sites.
He appeared in the X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Detention films and the TV shows Four Kings and Mr. D. He has also appeared in countless documentaries about poker and most likely acted as a consultant in some of these films and TV shows.
Besides Daniel Negreanu, some of the other famous poker players who may have also consulted on the shows/films they appeared in or acted as consultants without appearing are the following, which some of you may already be familiar with by now from watching professional poker on TV or high stakes poker on streaming sites such as YouTube:
Phil Laak
Dan Bilzerian
Antonio Esfandiari
Famous actors like Ben Affleck, Jennifer Tilly, Toby Maguire, and Matt Damon, who also happen to be poker pros, may have consulted informally in some of the casino and poker movies they have starred in, wrote, directed, or produced.
Having consults who know what they are talking about also helps provide cultural authenticity, historical accuracy, and character development.
Famous poker scenes in films everyone should know aboutCountless Hollywood films have featured poker scenes with some of the industry’s biggest stars. Many of these scenes are based on real-life events, and others have come from the minds of creative writers and are based purely on fiction.
The top ten poker scenes that most people remember more than any others can be found in the following iconic movies:
The Sting (1973)
Rounders (1998)
Casino Royale (2006)
The Cooler (2002)
The Gambler (1974)Other iconic films with casino or poker scenes worth checking out are 21 (2008), Maverick (1994), Croupier (1998), Let it Ride (1989), The Card Counter (2021), and Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (1998).
That’s not forgetting Casino (1995), The Cincinnati Kid (1965), Mississippi Grind (2016), Vegas Vacation (1997), Bugsy (1991), Uncut Gems (2019), In Time (2011), Owning Mahowny (2003), The Color of Money (1986), Atlantic City (1980), The Hustler (1961), and Molly’s Game (2017). The list goes on.
Some of these iconic films are now available to stream on several major streaming platforms, such as Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. If you can’t seem to find them on either of these platforms, try Disney+, Paramount+, BBC iPlayer, or Hulu, to name just a few.
Final thoughtsIf you decide to watch any of these iconic scenes and then get the urge to play online poker or casino games, remember to gamble responsibly and stick to playing on fully licensed and regulated sites controlled by reputable and trustworthy operators.
Avoid playing on unlicensed and unregulated sites at all costs, and remember to set things like deposit limits, session time reminders, or win/loss limits by heading straight to your chosen website’s ‘safer gambling tools’ section.
Before signing up anywhere, remember to set yourself a reasonable spending budget so you can have fun and place sensible bets like the pros. Avoid playing online poker or any other games you can find on today’s safest sites while tired or intoxicated to avoid placing risky bets that could prove costly.
