We have a lot to cover today, so let’s get started. We’ll be exploring some of the most iconic card-playing scenes in film. Given the vast number of options, we’ve curated a selection of the best for your viewing pleasure.
Card players often embark on their lifelong love of cards with a foundational game; perhaps they play solitaire or blackjack. As our appreciation of card playing evolves into something more substantial, we compete against other players in multiplayer solitaire, blackjack, or poker games. Today, we recognize the actors who took their card-playing prowess to the next level. Get comfy, pop some corn, and put your feet up – we are ready to deal!
The Sting, starring Paul Newman
The silver screen, a metonym for the movie industry, teems with iconic cardplaying moments. In the classic film starring legendary Paul Newman – The Sting – the blue-eyed wonder practiced incessantly to become adept at cardplaying. His on-screen persona was a card shark, but Newman knew that to pull it off successfully, he would have to master his craft. And in The Sting, he did precisely that. His credible performance won the admiration of his peers, moviegoers, and card players. He became so skilled at sleight of hand and card manipulation that he pulled it off seamlessly. Newman worked hard in his role as a card shark, and he practiced alongside magicians, fine-tuning his skills to perfection. The result was a near-perfect performance in The Sting.
The Cincinnati Kid, starring Steve McQueen
Paul Newman wasn’t alone in the best cardplaying moments on screen. Steve McQueen, a contemporary, was equally sublime in his performance in The Cincinnati Kid. In this film, iconic by modern standards, the Queen portrays a young poker player seeking to dethrone the incumbent – the poker champion. Like Newman, McQueen wasn’t a top-tier poker player before he took on the role. However, McQueen practiced incessantly, ultimately achieving proficiency sufficient for the role. He understood that to improve, he needed to associate with the best poker players out there, so he interacted with experienced players, studied the game, learned the rules, and put his theoretical knowledge to the test. Fortunately, McQueen had an affinity for cards, and playing poker was his second nature. An authentic performance ensued, and The Cincinnati Kid won critical acclaim from reviewers, audiences, and card players alike.
The Grand, starring the inimitable Edward Norton
The Grand is a lesser-known comedy-drama that focuses on a fictitious poker tournament. Granted, it features a stellar cast with Edward Norton in the lead. His character – a veritable novice – attempts to hone his skills as an up-and-coming poker player. He wants to become a competitive force in the poker industry. Fortunately, he commits himself 100%. He did this on-screen and off-screen. He studied the game, the ins and outs, the rules of play, poker psychology, and the like. The result was a convincing Edward Norton poker player par excellence. Unlike Paul Newman, who was an acclaimed method actor, where rehearsal techniques are employed, and the sincerity and emotional expression of the character is fully inhabited by the actor, Norton is not a method actor at all.
Vegas Vacation with the iconic Griswold Family
Vegas Vacation was a massive hit with devout Chevy Chase fans. Dubbed a cult classic for its zany antics and crazy good fun, Vegas Vacation is one of the best casino-style comedies of its time. Released in 1997, this comedy is excellent, featuring the renowned Clark Griswold, his wife Ellen, and their kids Russ and Audrey. In Vegas Vacation, Clark Griswold needs to figure out how to play blackjack, but he’s just down on his luck. Fortunately, his son Russ – the iconic Nick Pappa Giorgio – comes into some good fortune. The film is laugh-out-loud hysterical, with lots of comedy madcap moments to boot. There’s even a scene in the movie – bizarre as it sounds – where a croupier asks Clark to guess a number between one and 10. If the dealer’s number is higher, the dealer wins. Of course, it’s all thought and no-show, and of course,, the house always wins!
