- We reviewed the best movie and TV scenes with blackjack in them, ranking them by popularity, social appeal, quotability, and story impact.
LAS VEGAS – Everyone loves a great casino movie, especially one that features the protagonist winning in blackjack to save the day, excel the party, or just show how crazy they are.
While the list of the best blackjack scenes in movies can be controversial, we graded them based on popularity in the cinema, how much they played a part in the story, and on being a moment that can't be forgotten.
Number 13 - The Gambler
Proving that compulsive gambling is a mental illness, Mark Wahlberg plays a Las Vegas professor who is in deep with family, a loan shark, and casinos. While seen as one of the low points in the movie, it has a real representation that no matter how much money you have, it doesn't guarantee a win as well as the stress a gambling addiction can have on other people in your life.
Number 12 - Wild Card
Jason Statham is always cool and collected, so watching him laugh going up higher and higher is great comedy. While nothing special happens in the scene, besides a monster blackjack run, the pit boss's attitude and Statham's control add a great addition to the movie.
Number 11 - 21
The scene shows how a group of well-educated people can take down a Las Vegas enterprise. With card counting blackjack planned out, the team, led by Professor Kevin Spacey, has clues and phrases to let each other know what the count at the table is. While it plays out like it should, getting over the ridiculous disguises is an unintended laugh in itself.
Number 10 - The Hangover
Unable to find a large sum of someone else's money, Alan saves the day by gambling Stu's savings with the help of card counting. While the exit gets a little cheesy, the Wolfmother song Joker and the Thief rocks the scene and reanimates the crowd and audience back into a winning mindset.
Number 9 - Casino
Watching Joe Pesci go crazy on anyone is always entertainment. In this blackjack Casino scene, Pesci acts like every drunk New York loser at the table but at least has the backing of the house. Getting a marker keeps him gambling longer, as this is just one of the many gambling scenes in Casino.
Number 8 - Rain Man
In Rain Man, Dustin Hoffman is autistic and can card count, as his brother, Tom Cruise, takes advantage of that. While the scene has highs and lows, it uses real dealer influence with "sir please don't touch the cards" but little details like unbalanced stacks on double downs and blackjack payouts turn the real gambler off.
Number 7 - Austin Powers
In a spoof of James Bond, Austin Powers displays the worst blackjack strategy in his attempt to front his nemesis, Dr. Evil's #2. While this isn't the best blackjack scene, its over-the-top jokes, in ability of knowing when to hit or stand in blackjack, and quotable nature bump this up.
Number 6 - One Flew Over's The Cuckoo's Nest
In a comedic thriller, Jack Nicholson is in a nut house but nobody is sure if he's crazy or not. Think Shutter Island but years before and with Christopher Lloyd and Danny DeVito. Anyway, being understanding the blackjack dealer rules, Nicholson directs one hand of blackjack before being overwhelmed by the uncertainty and incorrect play of the other crazies.
Number 5 - Swingers
Without much money to their name, the Swingers duo of Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau lead this blackjack scene. In perfect comedic juxtaposition, Vaughn challenges Favreau on when to double down in blackjack, especially at the high roller table. Losing right from the jump when doubling an 11, the duo then sees an old lady at the low limit table hit multiple times with an 11 to land on 21.
Number 4 - Mississippi Grind
Road-tripping through the South, a duo teams up to hit big. This scene is excellent as to what blackjack tables can be like, with one person flipping a chip to another person to keep them on the table. The looks back and forth, the funky music in the background, the strong bourbon order, this Mississippi Grind scene is great but only one of many good ones with Ryan Reynolds.
Number 3 - Vegas Vacation
In this National Lampoon's comedy, Chevy Chase shows just what it's like to gamble. Getting patronized by the dealer, failing to pick up a woman next to you, and constantly losing by one. Once Eddie shows up, everything gets even better before Clark goes on his full-tilt rampage.
Number 2 - License to Kill
Like a true boss, James Bond comes in to play blackjack and requests a large limit at a private table. Of course, 007 is unstoppable on and off the high roller blackjack tables and is dealt an 11, 16, and 20. Knowing blackjack strategy by the book, Bond doubles down on the 11, knows when to split 8s, and stays strong at his 20. In the end, he takes in $50,000 on his first hand and gets a quarter million up. But this isn't about the gambling but rather story progression, and after ordering his classic martini shaken not stirred, the action movie continues.
Number 1 - Heat
Burt Reynolds takes the top spot for having the best blackjack scene. Deciding to bet it all, the chemistry between the dealer and himself makes this loss a strong part of the movie. With a heavy gambling mindset, Max replies to Diana Scarwid when told he should have stood: "I came in with $10,000... it's no big deal.” Boss status.