Gambling movies are in a category of their own. They are always unforgettable fun, no matter what genre they are. After analyzing some all-time favorite gambling films, we found that there are lots of quotes you can learn and use in your life, and here they are.
California Split
The main storyline in this movie is about how a casual gambler and a professional oner became good friends. The casual player started to copy the lifestyle of his new friend, but not as successfully. It led the casual gambler down a seedy path where he only got more and more into trouble.
This movie is a story all about boys-will-be-boys attitude and the real manly friendship. It contains funny oddball characters, tons of gambling, and sticky situations.
This movie has it all, including entertaining and sometimes a bit non-sensical lines to lighten the mood anytime, anywhere. Here are a few quotes that seared into people’s minds.
“Goddamnit, miss, you don’t throw oranges into the escalator!” – Bill Denny. A quite funny situation provokes this exclamation, and the quote itself is very true.
“Dumbo flew.” – Bill Denny. An excellent phrase to express your surprise.
“The weight of the tongue of the great blue whale is more than that of a full-grown African elephant.” – Charlie Waters. Who does not love relatively interesting facts? This one is a party zinger.
The Cincinnati Kid
This movie is the story of a novice gambler that entered the gambling world and wanted to prove his skill to everybody and, most importantly, to one seasoned poker player. The color theme of The Cincinnati Kid differs a lot from the light-hearted tones of the previous movie.
Steve McQueen played the main character in this film, so you can expect nothing but stunning and suspenseful scenes. This movie is the epitome of the words “cool” and “suave,” and the lines in the movie reflect this fact very much.
“It always comes down to what it’s all about, doesn’t it? Making the wrong move at the correct time.” – Lancey Howard. The phrase is reassuring that it is not you making the wrong decision but rather your opponent.
“You are good, kid, but as long as I’m here, you’ll always be second best.” – Lancey Howard. It is one of the coolest put-downs in the entire movie. It is funny how the phrase makes a compliment but not a completely sincere one.
“Women are an everlasting problem in our field. Surely, uh, it’s solely an academic study with me now, but, looking back, I believe it’s best not to look for a permanent thing. Just involve yourself into something ok when you’re away from all the action and let it tire itself out.” – Lancey Howard.
This quote just reeks of I-do-not-care attitude to life, which so perfectly suits the gambling world. However, it is not the right approach to life in the bigger picture.
“Lads, I’m done. I’ll settle for the seventeen hundred that I already lost. Later.” – Yeller. Although the character of Yeller is not the most talkative in the movie, it reminds spectators that it would be great if more people knew when to stop.
Croupier
This movie is about a writer that struggled to find a solid setting for his books. As he tried to survive his life before his break as a writer, he got hired as a croupier at a casino. He found out that all of the conversations and goings-on in the casino could create a great basis for his novel.
This movie offers a nice departure from the typical gambling movie structure, as seen on The New York Times. As the main character is a writer, you can expect a lot of great and sophisticated, and at times witty, material from this film. Here are the lines that we all like.
“Gambling’s not about money… Gambling’s about not facing reality, ignoring the odds.” – Jack. In gambling, the odds always tend to be not in your favor.
“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break, it kills – it kills the very good, and the very gentle, and the very brave, impartially. If you are none of these, you can be sure it will kill you, too, but there will be no special hurry.” – Jack.
It is actually a quote from Ernest Hemingway, so quoting the main character that is quoting someone else creates this strange quoteception. Regardless of that, as seen on OnlineCasinoGems, this quote is great on its own.
“I’m not an enigma, just a contradiction.” – Jack. If anybody does not get you, you can whip this phrase out to stun the other person.
Rounders
Can you imagine a story of how a formerly addicted gambler goes back to gambling to help his friend to pay off loan sharks? You do not need to, because that is exactly the premise for the movie Rounders.
The film is comparable to Citizen Kane, according to Vulture. It contains lots of real gambling quotes.
“Listen, here’s the deal. If you can’t spot the loser in the first thirty minutes at the table, then you ARE the loser.” – Mike McDermott. It is always great to observe your own plays behind the poker table, too. Many mistakenly overconcentrate on others and forget what they are doing themselves.
“Few gamblers remember big pots they have won, weird as it seems, but every gambler remembers with impressive accuracy the most devastating beats of their career.” – Mike McDermott. Strangely, this phrase can be applied in a more general context. We all overthink about the bad in our lives.
“Why do you think the same five people get to the final table of the World Series of Poker every year? What, are they just lucky fellas in Las Vegas? It’s a game of pure skill, Jo.” – Mike McDermott. An incredibly true statement about poker is that too many people think the game is pure luck.
“This is no-limit hold ’em. The Cadillac of poker games.” – Mike McDermott. Some people assume that Texas hold ‘em is the most brutal and toughest version of poker, and that’s absolutely correct.
The Sting
This classic is a simple comedy about two conmen trying to pull the con of their lives. The movie is filled with funny, memorable, and quotable moments. Two main characters go into realizing their convoluted machinations and have fun with gambling on their own terms.
“Your boss is quite a card player, Mr. Kelly; how does he do it?” – Doyle Lonnegan. “He cheats.” – Johnny Hooke. It is only one amazing quote of the many that are present in the movie.
It Is a Quote Thing
Gambling movies are always filled with quotable moments just because they have to be. It does not matter whether the film is an old drama from the 60s’ or the new comedy from Adam Sandler, as seen on NBC. Gambling movies have to carry that infamous gambling swagger.
If you want to learn more quotes connected to gambling, then read this article by Gamblers Daily Digest. Check it out here.