Tag Archive: Casino Royale

Because gambling is mainly based on chance, it makes a great subject matter for directors the world over. Many characters involved with gambling are flawed in that they are relying on luck to turn their fortunes around. From the cheeky gunslingers to the mafia bosses, they all love the rush of the win and the passion of the loss. It's also possible to construct a great story around a sympathetic gambler, as elements of good or bad fortune play a central role in driving the narrative forwards.

James Bond is almost synonymous with bedding hot women, the Walther PPK and gambling at the casino. For over 60 years, we've watched him at the casino gaming tables. His favourite game is baccarat, yet we have seen him try his hand at poker. But the question is, was he any good at it? In Casino Royale, he plays head-to-head at Texas hold'em with the evil Le Chiffre. The game is really just a plot point, with little seen of the gameplay. But Bond does win, even if only by being reckless.

The traditional upmarket casino is the perfect setting for James Bond. Cool, collected and suave, they both epitomise the glitz and glamour of big money with an undercurrent of money laundering and criminal activity. So it's no surprise that Ian Fleming's protagonist can be found seated at the baccarat table, often face to face with his nemesis. With practice, you too can learn to play like 007.

It's interesting, that throughout history, gambling was thought of as a base activity carried out by the great unwashed. The soldiers and peasants gambled in the inns and streets. Yet today, the narrative has turned a full 180 degrees. many casinos will have a strict gambling dress code to the point where traditional working-class clothes are banned. In some ways, this is a form of reverse psychology. The casinos want their punters, who they know are not rich, to feel as if they were.

They say that gambling is almost as old as time itself. With luck playing such a major role in the turn of a card or spin of the dice, then many authors, poets and singers have used gambling as a metaphor for life. After all, there is risk in many day-to-day activities. And none of us knows when we will shuffle off this mortal coil. So, whilst we wait, we can amuse ourselves with famous gambling quotes to help us feel better about ourselves and our recognition that life itself is but a game.