Monday, March 18, 2024

Five best casino scenes in James Bond movies

James Bond Aston Martin car
James Bond enjoys casinos as much as his beloved car

007 is synonymous with things like cool gadgets, a shaken-not-stirred Martini, and a rather snazzy Aston Martin. And he is also widely associated with high-end casinos.

So, as the world awaits the new No Time to Die film, here is a look back at the five best casino scenes in James Bond movies.

Playing Chemin de Fer in Dr No

Casinos became synonymous with James Bond right from his very first outing on the big screen. The 1962 film Dr No features a scene in which Sean Connery’s Bond visits an old-fashioned, classic casino.

The women are glamorous, the men are in tuxedos, and the whole place oozes class. Set in the fictional London casino Le Cercle, the indomitable secret agent plays Chemin de Fer, an older version of baccarat, while Sylvia Trench watches him.

It is not long before the two meet, and when Trench asks 007 for his name, he gets to say that classic line for the first time: “Bond. James Bond.” As for the card game itself, as you would expect, Bond wins.

Playing Backgammon in Octopussy

Roger Moore’s sixth outing as James Bond sees him following a general who is stealing riches from the Soviet government. That leads Bond to find a wealthy prince called Kamal Khan, and his beautiful assistant Octopussy.

Yes, back in 1983, Bond girls still had innuendo names. It is up to Bond to prevent a plot to force disarmament in Western Europe. While in India, he plays the evil Kamal Khan in a game of backgammon at a casino.

The edge-of-your-seat scene ends with Bond winning a bet of 500,000 rupees, much to Khan’s annoyance. Well, what did he expect? He was up against the world’s number one secret agent!

If you want to have fun playing casino games, you do not have to travel to exotic locations. Instead of visiting brick-and-mortar casinos, you can feel like you are James Bond by playing online live casino games. With real dealers in real-time, you can choose from games like baccarat, blackjack, and roulette. But unlike Bond, you will not need to wear a tuxedo.

Playing Chemin de Fer in Thunderball

The old-style baccarat game Chemin de Fer makes another appearance in a Connery Bond film. This time, 007 battles in a high-tension, high-stakes game with the villainous eye-patched Emilio Largo.

The suspense of Bond and Largo acting as if they do not know each other and trying to get the better of one another in the scene from 1965’s Thunderball is simply incredible. Does 007 win the game? What do you think? Of course, he does!

Playing Craps in Diamonds Are Forever

Released in 1971, Diamonds Are Forever marked Connery’s last appearance as 007, and it is undoubtedly one of his best. The casino scene is one of the most memorable of all the Bond movies. It takes place at the fictional Whyte House casino in the gambling capital of the world, Las Vegas.

007 plays craps while he flirts with the old-school-named Plenty O’Toole. Bond shocks the dealer when he raises a bet to $10,000 in a key moment. Of course, Bond wins. In fact, he wins $65,000. Bond then gives Plenty O’Toole $5,000 of his winnings. But he could be expecting Plenty in return.

Playing Poker in Casino Royale

When the James Bond franchise was rebooted in 2006 with Daniel Craig as 007 in Casino Royale, the spy thriller series entered its best era since the golden days of Sean Connery and Roger Moore.

The film is notable for being one of the most faithful adaptations of Ian Fleming’s Bond novels. It is also well-known for having the longest card game scenes of any James Bond movie.

The British secret agent participates in a high-stakes Texas Hold’Em poker game at the luxurious Casino Royale, as he attempts to beat the evil Le Chiffre, who is a good old-fashioned Bond villain.

In between trying his best to win the game, Bond gets beaten up by some henchmen, and he’s also almost killed after Le Chiffre poisons him. After using a handy gadget in his car to become resuscitated, 007 ignores his near-death-experience and calmly walks back into the game. Of course, Le Chiffre looks surprised, to say the least.

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