Blackjack has been an incredibly popular casino game since it was first introduced in the 17th century. It was first known in France as Vingt-et-Un, or 21, and quickly gained international fame as a casino card game for everyone.
The game first became known as Blackjack in 1899 in the US, where the American rules for the game meant that players who were dealt one of the black jacks and the ace of spades gained a bonus.
Blackjack is one of the few casino games where you are not playing against other players, but exclusively against the dealer, who is also actively trying to defeat you. The aim of Blackjack, for the uninitiated, is to beat a dealer in producing a hand that totals 21. Players take turns making moves, and after a few rounds, whoever has the cards that total the closest to 21 wins.
Blackjack, as well as many other well-known casino games, has been seen on the big screen numerous times over the years, often with a focus on the thrill of card counting, typically executed by characters with a superhuman grasp of numbers, odds, and mathematics, and usually frowned upon by casinos!
However, it can make for a thrilling plot in a movie, as well as the ecstasy of winning or the sorrow of failure. From Las Vegas gangster flicks to silly comedies, let’s have a look at some of the best Blackjack movie scenes in cinema history.
21 (2008)
21 is the fact-based story of how a group of infamous math graduates from MIT are taught how to count cards by their professor, played by Kevin Spacey, with the aim of beating some of the most prominent casinos in the US. The film, albeit exaggerated for dramatic effect, shows in incredible detail the effort needed to count cards in order to consistently win games.
The film didn’t do too well at the box office, but it had a huge impact on popularising Blackjack. Many people wanted to try and replicate the card counting that they had seen, but casinos discouraged the practice and few people had the skills to win like the MIT Blackjack team!
Rain Man (1998)
Boasting four Oscars, two Golden Globes, and an Eddie award, this much-loved classic film follows Raymond and Charlie, played by Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, estranged brothers forced together after the death of their father.
One of the most famous scenes is when Charlie wants to take advantage of Raymond’s autistic-savant mathematical aptitude at the blackjack table to count cards and win almost $86,000. The film doesn’t depict card counting in its most natural form, but it magnificently illustrates the suspense and drama of the game.
Watch the clip here on YouTube!
The Hangover (2009)
We couldn’t mention Rain Man without also adding The Hangover to the list. The aforementioned card-counting scene was brilliantly spoofed in the hit comedy movie by Zack Galifinakis, as the boys try to win $80,000 to settle their debts and save the lost groom Doug. The scene has also been immortalised as a popular meme.
Watch the clip here on YouTube!
Casino (1995)
Of course, there has to be a Blackjack scene in a film called Casino! In Marin Scorsese’s 90’s gangster epic, homicidal mobster Nicky, played by no other than Joe Pesci, demonstrates how ruthless and flashy he is in a compelling Blackjack sequence.
Few people can portray a sociopath as well as Pesci, and he shows he’s more than just a tough-talking gangster during this scene. Pesci is more unhinged than he was in Goodfellas in this scene on YouTube, also a masterclass on how not to play Blackjack!
Swingers (2002)
Still in Las Vegas, a group of unemployed actors hit rock bottom as things go from bad to worse, especially in this memorable scene where Mike (Jon Favreau) and Trent (Vince Vaughn) debate about doubling down on an 11. Just in case you’re curious, we say you should!
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, based on the cult book by Ken Kesey, is unquestionably a masterpiece and was an international success on its release in the mid-70s, and the only entry on our list that doesn’t feature a casino.
There is a scene, watch it here on YouTube, where RP McMurphy, played by the incredible Jack Nicholson, has persuaded his fellow patients at a mental hospital to play Blackjack. McMurphy has difficulty with one of the patients, Martini, a very young Danny DeVito, but the scene shows that Blackjack is a game with relatively simple rules for people from all walks of life.
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
Just as The Hangover spoofs Rain Man, Austin Powers takes a shot at the many casino scenes in the James Bond films, which is fitting seeing as Mike Myers’ ludicrous frilly-collared character spoofs 007 himself.
Full of confidence and swagger, Powers joins a game of Blackjack to make contact with Robert Wagner’s villain, Number Two, in this scene here on YouTube.
Holding a king and a seven, Number Two asks for another card, while the dealer advises him that he has 17. Unbeknownst to the dealer, Number Two has X-ray vision, and knows the next card is a four. “I like to live dangerously,” he says.
However, Powers, with a hand totalling five, claims he also likes to live dangerously and makes the terrible decision to stay, losing $10,000 in the process!
A Game For All
Movies will often glamourise events, and while Hollywood likes to show Blackjack as a game won by skills, wit, and card counting, it’s a far more straightforward game than is often portrayed. Simply beat the dealer by trying to get a hand that adds up to 21!
These movies, and many others, have made Blackjack a very popular game, making it seem a sophisticated and classy game, which it is, but it’s also a game that can be played by people from all walks of life.
Why not come and visit Coral Island Casino, right here on Blackpool’s famous Promenade, and find out for yourself? We’ve got you covered for Blackjack, as well as many other casino favourites, as well as great food and drink and a warm welcome. No membership is required, simply walk straight in!
Always remember to gamble responsibly, and once the fun stops, stop! For tips and help with safer and responsible gambling, visit the handy guide on our website.
Check out ‘what’s on’ in Blackpool and at Coral Island Casino.