COLUMN: Movie Characters that Defined the Gambler Stereotypes

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Movie Characters that Defined the Gambler Stereotypes

Have you ever stopped and wondered how in movies certain characters felt familiar despite seeing them for the first time? There are a handful of gambler movie characters that have certainly left a mark and impact on the way we view gamblers in general. That’s what we’re hoping to learn more about today.

Understanding character stereotyping

Character stereotyping is very common across many films and television series. At first glance, it may look like lazy storytelling but there’s actually a lot more to it than meets the eye. Stereotyping is an excellent way for filmmakers to incorporate characters with little to no difficulty as part of a bigger purpose.

Stereotyping and archetyping can actually be used interchangeably. However, stereotyping is mostly referred to like the characters that are overly used and seen as the generalized trait of a particular group. This, of course, can either be untrue or partially true.

For example, movies tend to make use of overweight characters as someone jolly and a form of comedic relief. Without actually having to tell the audience through lines or subtle dialogues, people can easily associate these characters as someone they already know right from the start.

What does movie character archetype do?

Movies have characters that are bad role models or some other type of archetype we have come to accept as normal. But what exactly does a movie character archetype do? Why is it that in many (if not most) movies and television shows, the lead character is almost always the same old archetype?

To easily understand the character archetypes, understanding their importance is a must. With archetyping and stereotyping characters, it allows creative freedom of presenting a variety of different characters with different personalities.

In some ways, it even lets important characters stand out when needed. It creates a great foundation for a particular character, making the character arc much easier. The audience gets to participate in the establishment of each character and what makes them unique in the first place.

Popular movie gambler characters

Films about gambling or at least those that tackle it briefly have some interesting take on what gamblers are like in real life. There’s really no telling whether these traits are fairly accurate as we’ll leave the judgment to you.

Just like what we have learned so far, movies have been using stereotyping as either a way to tell a coherent story or simply a tool to make the story relatable and significant. You’d be surprised to learn that these popular movie characters have pretty much changed the way we see gamblers and casino online players today.

James Bond

The immediate person that comes to mind when we talk about a fictional movie character with impressive wits when it comes to gambling is none other than the great secret agent, James Bond. Ever since the introduction of this British agent in 1962, Bond has become one of the most popular gambler characters ever made.

He was a popular baccarat and poker player. It wouldn’t even surprise people if a new film would star him as an online casino maniac for a more modern take of the character.

In any case, what made James Bond so iconic in the live casino world is his suave gambling skills. He was notably capable of tearing criminal masterminds down at the casino table. While this is certainly not a far cry of a scenario that can happen in real life, it has since been taken that crooks and criminal overlords are insanely lurking in many casinos.

Micky Rosa

Another spy story where gambling characters are present is from the film 21 released in 2008. Micky Rosa is an MIT professor who put together a team to beat the house (casino). The film was a treat having to prove that it is certainly possible to outsmart the house, albeit with a pretty hefty sum.

The film could have used a bunch more casino games like a เกมสล็อต or roulette, but the way they incorporate blackjack alone in the overall narrative is absolutely impressive.