What Are James Bond’s Favorite Casino Games
James Bond oozes sophistication and class, so it is no surprise that the infamous secret agent has found himself indulging in some high-stakes gambling. Let’s explore Bond’s most-played casino games and break down some of his most legendary gambling scenes. If you want to tap into your inner 007, head to the gg bet casino and play everything from baccarat to roulette to blackjack!
1. Baccarat Chemin-de-fer
James Bond can’t get enough of baccarat and his clear game of choice. Baccarat is a pure game of chance and is a favorite of high rollers. How it works is you either bet on the player’s hand, a tie, or the banker’s hand. Then the dealer deals the player and banker 2 or 3 cards, and whoever makes a hand closest to 9 wins. Baccarat has one of the lowest house edges of any casino game, if you bet on the banker’s hand, the casino’s edge is just 1.06%.
Bond played baccarat frequently in both novels and films. Ian Fleming even went so far as to describe the game’s rules just really drive home the point that 007 was seriously into this game. We counted Bond playing baccarat in 6 films, including Dr. No (1962), Thunderball (1965), Casino Royale (1967), On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), For Your Eyes Only (1981), and GoldenEye (1995).
Everyone from Pierce Brosnan to Roger Moore to Sean Connery has played a few hands while acting out the role of Bond. In GoldenEye, Brosnan gets the best of Xenia in a particularly feisty hand by making a 0-0-6 which is a nod to his lost friend Alec Trevelyan, 006.
2. Texas Hold’em Poker
Texas Hold’em Poker experienced a massive boom in popularity in the early 2000s due to the creation of online poker rooms where people from all over the world could play tournaments and cash games for real money.
Cashing in on this popularity, the 2006 Bond film Casino Royale featured a legendary poker battle between 007 and Le Chiffre. The two end up playing mouth-watering stakes, with big blind alone being $1 million. Miraculously Bond returns to the table after being poisoned, and in the final hand, with $150 million on the line and 4 players all-in, Bond shows the winning hand with a straight flush. Le Chiffre was convinced he was going to win with his full house and quickly leaves the table in a state of disgust. The loss has a massive effect on Le Chiffre, and even his eye starts bleeding!
3. Blackjack
Bond was also a fierce blackjack player! In Licence To Kill (1989), 007 decides to try his luck at blackjack at the Republic of Isthmus Casino. He crushes the dealer and scoops a $250,000 + win. Unfortunately for Bond, he catches the eye of a drug lord and casino kingpin Franz Sanchez.
Blackjack is the world’s most popular table casino game. The goal of the game is to make a hand better than the dealer by getting as close to 21 as possible without going over. A hand worth 21 is called blackjack and is an automatic win. Blackjack is one of the few casino games that involves strategy, and if you play optimally has a house edge of just 0.5%, the lowest of any game!
Sic Bo
James Bond is always a master at adapting to local customs and cultures. When 007 finds himself in a Macau Casino in The Man With The Golden Gun (1974), he does as the locals do and tries his luck at Sic Bo.
Sic Bo is a dice game that is extremely popular in China and is based on an ancient Chinese game. You can make different bets, such as odd, even, big, and small, and then, based on the result of the throw, you win or lose. For example, to win a big bet, the score needs to be between 11 to 17. To win a small bet, the score needs to be between 4 and 10.
Jame Bond is a Gambler
When James Bond is saving the world or bedding a beautiful woman, you can find him in luxurious casinos all over the world sipping his classic martini and playing all kinds of casino games, from baccarat to poker to blackjack. 007 tends to be pretty lucky and has managed to win as much as $250,000 from a single session!