The Gambler
The gambler is a 2014 crime drama about a literature professor who is addicted to gambling. It goes through how his high rolling bets land him in trouble and pits him against his worst enemies. The original version of the movie was actually released in 1974, long today todays online bingo world came to the fore!
The film is the story of the impasse of a gambling addict. It leaves viewers with valuable lessons and many thought-provoking reflections as it highlights the destructive nature of not knowing when to quit.
More about the Gambler
Jim Bennet (Mark Wahlberg) is a professor of literature who comes from a family that is well off with a stable family life. However, this does not seem to be enough for Jim, and his life takes a turn for the worst as his gambling addiction takes over his whole life.
The more Jim plays, the more he loses, and he finally has to borrow money from loan shark bosses to feed his addiction and to gamble on the red game. His debts keep growing, and it reaches a stage where no one is willing to lend him money, and he has to repay his $260 000 debt within seven days. Unable to do this, the loan sharks go to his mother who gives Jim the money to pay off his debt. Of course, he does not do that, though. His gambling blood takes him to a casino where he loses it all in one night.
With a considerable dilemma on his hands and the repayment date near, Jim plans to flee. However, he is hunted, arrested and beaten by the loan shark. Jim has to repay the debt, and with no way out, he decides to take a risk playing a gamble which pays off.
Conclusion
The film The Gambler details the self-destructive nature of gambling and how reckless players become, hoping for that big win that never.
About Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon aka “Tricky Dicky” was a card shark that partially funded his first run for Congress with his substantial poker winnings.
Nixon, a former US President’s passion for Poker, began when he was at the US Air Force base in the Solomon Islands in 1943. There, he first encountered card games like five-card stud and five-card draw. Nixon was drawn to these card games and learnt that playing tight was the way to go. He became obsessed with the game and would often pass up dinners and one special dinner in particular which was with the famous cross Atlantic flyer Charles Lindbergh.
Richard Nixon was by no means interested in the social aspect of the game. He just wanted to win money. This money assisted in getting him elected into Congress, and the rest is history.
Poker and Politics
Raised in a Quaker family that disliked gambling, Richard Nixon became obsessed with the game as it helped pass the days in the Navy and it was profitable.
A serviceman by the name of James Stewart taught Nixon strategies like play a tight hand and limit bluffs. Nixon was a high roller who played a quiet game but was never afraid of taking chances. He had the ability to smell weakness and would win the pot at all costs by bluffing.
Nixon made more money playing Poker than he did while serving in the Navy as an ensign and pocketed over $150 or more per month. One of his most memorable wins came in 1946 and the $5000 winnings he parlayed into an unbeaten congressional run, money well spent when looking back.
Conclusion
Richard Nixon’s name is synonymous with Mafia bosses and the Watergate Scandal. However, he was a brilliant Poker player and that funded his political career taking him to the White House.
About Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson
Doyle Brunson was born in Longworth Texas on the 10 August 1933. He is a well-known and revered, retired professional US Poker player who was the first player to win $1million in a Poker Tournament. He played professionally for over 50 years and held the title for winning the World Series Poker main event twice. He is also an inductee in the Poker Hall of Fame and the author of several books on Poker.
Doyle Brunson’s Poker Career
All online casino fans, including the bingo Australia crowd are all familiar with Doyle Bruno. Brunson started playing in illegal Poker games with a friend, Dwayne Hamilton. The two of them started travelling around Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana playing in bigger games. The illegal games Brunson played in were usually run by criminals and members of organized crime.
After years on the road, Brunson finally settled in Las Vegas and became a regular player at the World Series of Poker and many other Poker events, earning him a total of ten bracelets. Brunson also authored Super/System and Super System 2 regarded as authoritative books on Poker.
The Doyle Brunson Hand
Poker players know there are many colourful names for different Poker Hands. Aces are nicknamed “bullets” and Kings “cowboys “. However, when a 10-2 hand is shown, players around the table are likely to refer to it as the Doyle Brunson Hand.
Doyle Bronson won both of the WSOP titles with this hand, and it is not even a good hand when playing Texas Hold ’em. It has almost zero potential value, even to a poker player of Brunson’s stature yet he went on to win the WSOP. It is said to be the luckiest hand in Poker history.
Conclusion
Doyle Brunson is a a true legend and a man who has pushed the boundaries of chance when playing Poker.
The Hangover
The Hangover is a 2009 American comedy film, and it’s the first instalment in The Hangover Trilogy. It tells the story of four friends who travel to Las Vegas for a bachelor party to celebrate Doug’s impending marriage. However, it all goes belly up once they get to Las Vegas. Luckily this is Sin City where what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
The Hangover was filmed in Caesar’s Palace, and the plot was inspired by a real event that happened to Tripp Vinson a producer and friend of executive producer Chris Bender of the Hangover trilogies. Vinson had gone missing from his bachelor party blacking out and waking up in a strip club. He was threatened by Management and held responsible for a massive bill.
Bringing Down the House
In The Hangover Alan, the oddball has read a book on card counting, and they decide to head off to a Blackjack Table. Alan sits down at the table and watches the cards intently when he finally decides to start betting big and surprisingly wins.
The night gets wilder in the worlds ultimate party town, and an oasis of wild debauchery occurs with them losing the groom and not remembering a thing about the events of the evening. It depicts the craziness of Vegas and how the atmosphere of the gambling Mecca leads to all kinds of craziness.
Conclusion
Ask yourself how much debauchery can four guys commit in one night in Vegas and then not know what happened! Well if you watch the Hangover, it’s filled with the glitz, glamour and adrenalin rush of winning at the tables. Furthermore, it involves landing up in some of the seedier parts of Vegas and accidentally taking roofies. No wonder people say that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.