The 25 most notable gambling films

Our introduction to "Fast Eddie " Felson, played brilliantly by Paul Newman in perhaps his most notable role. Fast Eddie is a young, brash pool shark who takes his game to the pinnacle by challenge the legendry "Minnesota Fats" (played by another icon in Jackie Gleason). When it comes to playing the part and delivering a hustle to make money on the table, there truly are none better than Eddie. When it comes to gambling movies with a pool theme, The Hustler sets the pace.

A rather similar theme to The Hustler, but with poker as the game of choice. Eric "The Kid" Stoner, played by then-budding Hollywood legend Steve McQueen, is a sly, youthful poker player looking to make a name for himself as the best in the business. In order to accomplish that feat, "The Kid" must take down wiley veteran Lancey "The Man" Howard (Edward G. Robinson) in an exceptionally intense and memorable one-on-one poker showdown. 

More from Paul Newman. This time, we'll throw in a little Robert Redford to increase the icon factor. A few years after both legends starred in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), they paired as grifters Henry Gondorff (Newman) and Johnny Hooker (Redford) in another George Roy Hill-directed classic. When it comes to gaming the system, The Sting has everything from rigging casino games to betting absurd amounts of money on horse racing, making for one of the most iconic films of all time. 

One of the more underrated films by the great Robert Altman. This comedy-drama, which is actually more of the latter, stars Elliott Gould and George Segal as two gamblers who bet everything from cards to horse racing to boxing. While there are plenty of laughs to go around, California Split has a darkness to it that can't be denied, detailing the pain and hopelessness that usually comes with a gambling addiction.

Not to be confused with the famed Kenny Rogers' song. James Caan earned a Golden Globe nomination for his role of Axel Freed, a well-respected professor in New York City, who also happens to have a huge gambling addiction. While stable in the classroom. Axel enjoys the thrill (and risk-taking) of gambling, and takes it to the hilt as he organizes a point-shaving scheme with the school's basketball team to help alleviate his mounting financial debt. Lauren Hutton, as Axel's love interest, and Paul Sorvino, his bookie, also give notable performances.

As with several movies on this list, gambling offers a backdrop, rather than the principal focus. Atlantic City was a highly lauded drama that received multiple Academy Award nominations. Susan Sarandon's Sally Matthews works in an Atlantic City casino, harboring dreams of becoming a blackjack dealer. However, that dream is derailed when her shady ex-husband re-enters her life and she spends more time with numbers-runner neighbor Lou (Burt Lancaster) to avoid him. Sally finds herself caught up in a web of drug dealing and murder, which makes for an intensely entertaining watch.

Paul Newman starring and Martin Scorsese directing. Oh yeah, and Tom Cruise. In this 1986 favorite, Newman earned his only Best Actor Oscar victory for revisiting the role of the infamous, titular pool hustler of his 1961 film. However, "Fast Eddie" might have matured a bit. He's retired from the game and worked as a successful salesmen, but he never veered far from the felt . Of all the "mentor-protégé" movies Cruise starred in over the years, nobody played the former role better than Newman. Then again, "Fast Eddie" is a film icon in itself.

One of the great sports movies of all time, starring John Cusack as shortstop Buck Weaver and D.B. Sweeney, portraying the great "Shoeless Joe" Jackson. The film offers a Hollywood-tinged detailing of the infamous story of eight members of the Chicago White Sox who teamed with notorious gamblers to lose the 1919 World Series. Based on the popular book Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series, from the 1960s, the movie's entertainment factor in telling this tale is exceptional.

A forgotten comedy from the late 1980s. Far from a great movie, but notable when it comes to the highs of a down-on-his-luck everyman enjoying a day-long hot streak. That's the case here with Jay Trotter (Richard Dreyfuss), a middling cab driver who overhears a tip on a horse race, makes the successful bet and can't lose the rest of the day. However, he experiences the highs and lows that come with such success and exhilaration. Teri Garr, as usual, is great as Jay's wife Pam, successfully teaming with Dreyfuss as husband-wife yet again after their pairing in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Again, gambling is the obvious backdrop here in this brilliant Barry Levinson drama biopic about the life of notorious gangster "Bugsy" Siegel (in perhaps Warren Beatty's most iconic role). Often described as one of the first "celebrity" mobsters, it was Siegel who essentially turned Las Vegas into the gambling capital of the world, thanks to his ahead-of-its-time vision of the desert oasis. That alone makes this Academy Award-nominated film and Golden Globe-winning picture worthy of inclusion on our list. 

Gambling is the underlying theme of this much-loved comedy starring Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes, two of the biggest stars of the time. In this case, we're talking about hustling opponents in pick-up basketball games in Southern California. Billy  (Harrelson) and Sydney (Snipes) are an unlikely pair to succeed at hustling their way on the court, but that's why it works. While there are plenty of laughs, there is also a tragic element to the human nature of their relationship. 

We'll overlook the fact that Mel Gibson played the title role of card shark/con man Bret Maverick in this fun, successful western flick, and focus on how good Jodie Foster is when it comes to starring in a comedy film.  Maverick is based on James Gardner's popular television series that ran from the late 1950s and into the '60s. The TV legend also co-stars in the movie. Foster has always been able to handle her own opposite some of Hollywood's top men. As the plucky and confident con artist Annabelle Bransford, she translates that aura on-screen and easily succeeds. 

Under Martin Scorsese's direction, and starring Robert De Niro,   Sharon Stone and  Joe Pesci, among other notable names, Casino was an instant classic. De Niro's "Ace" Rothstein is cunning and ruthless, but also charming and compassionate when needed as the casino manager taking his cues from the mob and dealing with an unhinged wife, Ginger McKenna (Stone). Another film with Vegas as its foundation, and filled with memorable performances.

From Paul Thomas Anderson, Hard Eight is far from the first movie that comes to mind when one thinks of the popular filmmaker's oeuvre. However, casual fans of the director who have not seen it should give it a look. Philip Baker Hall plays Sydney, a veteran gambler who befriends a homeless man (John C. Reilly) and mentors him at the trade. The two form a bond, though the seemingly unexpected past between the two arises to complicate matters. Of course, that leads to danger, as does the allure of the big score at the tables. 

This was a premium cable staple during the late 1990s, and even into the 2000s. This British thriller stars Clive Owen, in what's largely considered his breakout role to North American audiences. Owen's Jack Manfred is an aspiring writer who takes a job as a croupier to make some cash. He gets consumed by the job and the lures of the casino life — for better or worse. There are better casino-themed movies on this list, but Owen's performance is worth checking out. 

Building on the Texas hold 'em poker craze that was just beginning to take off at the time, Rounders has become a cult favorite over the years. On the heels of Good Will Hunting , Matt Damon stars as law-school student Mike McDermott, who returns to the table after a brief retirement to help pal "Worm" ( Edward Norton) repay his mounting gambling debt upon his prison release. Trouble ensues, while the poker scenes are highly intense, especially when Mike sits down for a revenge match against notorious Russian mobster Teddy "KGB" (John Malkovich).

Is this truly a movie about gambling? Maybe not, but Las Vegas casinos (and one in Atlantic City to kick things off) are the focal point, so that's good enough for us. This remake of the 1960 Rat Pack feature was an instant classic, and a group of charming con men trying to rob three Las Vegas casinos is a formula for fun and excitement. The gamble is essentially their lives -- more specifically, the freedom aspect of said lives. Honestly, there can't be this type of list without the presence of Ocean's Eleven.

Great performances from William H. Macy are too numerous to count. This is yet another as Bernie Lootz, a former gambling addict turned "cooler," employed by casinos to end a table's luck. Though known for his inept gambling history, Bernie sees his luck change at the tables and in his personal life, while attaching himself to coworker Natalie (exceptionally played by Maria Bello). Of course, that success comes with a price for Bernie, who soon experiences a more dangerous existence since there is never a sure thing when it comes to gambling.

As the old saying goes, "two wrongs don't make a right." Don't tell that to Dan Mahowny (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who funds his gambling addiction (fueled by frequent trips to Atlantic City) by embezzling money from the accounts he's assigned while working as as assistant branch manager of a Toronto bank. The movie is based on the life of Brian Molony from the early 1980s, and is perhaps one of Hoffman's most under-the-radar films.

No doubt, within the Ocean's trilogy, this third installment truly highlights the "gambling" aspect of Las Vegas than either of the other two. After all, Danny (George Clooney), Rusty (Brad Pitt), and the rest of the gang are back and cleverly find ways to the rig table games and slot machines as payback toward at swindling casino mogul Willy Bank (Al Pacino), after he bankrupts Reuben (Elliott Gould). Now, the movie has plenty of over-the-top moments, but it remains a fun watch.

Based on the 2003 best-seller Bringing Down the House,  the Hollywood adaptation of the book chronicles the student blackjack team at the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Guided by professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), this brilliant group of math minds use card counting and covert signaling to score big in Las Vegas. Of course, pitfalls await, both at and away from the table. The film doesn't compare to the intoxicating nature of the book, but it's still time worth spent. 

OK, this Todd Phillips recent classic is not technically a gambling movie, but Las Vegas is the setting and the blackjack table — and the keen card-counting abilities of Alan (Zach Galifianakis) — ends up playing a key part in the film and the "Wolfpack's" rally to make money and find missing friend Doug (Justin Bartha). Now, the gang returns to Vegas for The Hangover III (2013), but there really was no need for that film to be made.

Another gem from Aaron Sorkin, in his directorial debut. Based on Molly Bloom's intriguing memoir, the film follows the titular Molly, a former world-class athlete, as she builds a fortune through an underground poker empire. Jessica Chastain excels in the starring role, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. Fellow Hollywood heavyweights Kevin Costner, Idris Elba, Michael Cera and Jeremy Strong also deliver strong performances in a movie that earned Sorkin an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.

In a familiar plotline, Adam Sandler's Howard Ratner, a down-on-his-luck jeweler, turns to breaking the law to alleviate his gambling debts. In this case, he resorts to acquiring a rare opal to pay off his mounting debt. This crime drama actually features Sandler in one of his best roles. Not to mention, former NBA star Kevin Garnett, playing a dramatized version of himself, steals many a scene, which also makes the film well worth watching. 

Written and directed by Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver), with his buddy Martin Scorsese serving as executive director, The Card Counter features a cast that includes Tiffany Haddish and Willem Dafoe, and follows former military prisoner William Tell ( Oscar Isaac), a self-taught card counter who tries to succeed in the trade while keeping as low a profile as possible. Of course, that's not easy, and trouble follows Tell at seemingly every turn.