Sports betting has been a topic for movies and books for years. We have compiled a selection of the most prominent representatives of various genres. It included both – light ironic comedies and serious films telling about the ins and outs of the bookmaker business. So let us bring to your attention 5 of the brightest and most exciting films about the topic.
Hardball (2001)
Crime drama with Keanu Reeves as a Conor O’Neill in the title role. A small speculator, gambler, a drunkard is forced to train a baseball team (the worst one that can be found in Chicago) to pay off his debts. All these dramatic and comedic events suddenly change his life for the better.
Step by step, the evolution of the main character takes place. Children are children and they make a lasting impression on their coach, arouse compassion and a desire to fight for all of their goals until the end.
The main character falls in love, struggles with passions and transforms in front of us. The movie based on real events and is worth watching at least for scenes with pizza and a trip to the match.
Two for the money (2005)
This movie is not about money. This movie is also not about a big game, but about what a person is willing to risk to stay alive.
The forward of the successful football team – Brandon, injured and saying forever goodbye to the sports career, is forced to look for other ways of earning. He remembers the famous bookmaker Walter, who once offered him to take a part in profitable scams, to which the football star always responded with a proud refusal.
Walter, who knows for sure how to make money easy and fast, signs an adventurous contract with an ex-football player. Juggling with millions of dollars, Brandon and Walter enter a dangerous game where the loss equals death.
What else can we say, Two for the Money’ is a movie with deep implications, which is worth watching not only for the sake of a crazy ending. Al Pacino’s excellent acting and non-trivial story make this film a drag-and-go. While watching it – you can really feel the whole drive of excitement.
Bookies (2003)
Risk is adrenaline. Pick up the phone, place a bet, and earn a lot of money! Toby, Jude, and Casey are driven by the desire to earn a lot and quickly. Deep mathematical and economic knowledge helps friends to develop a competent scheme for earning. With the help of a series of adventurous acts, they manage to promote their enterprise.
Later it turned out that not only students are betting on sport, but also teachers as well. The popularity of the case and the number of bets are growing by leaps and bounds. Naturally, where the money is, there are problems. Friends are disturbed by police visits, unexpected frauds and threats by the mafia.
Even Money (2005)
The movie which is associated with a famous quote ‘Life is a gamble. How much are you willing to risk? tells us stories of several people who are not connected in any way and do not even know each other. The only thing that unites them is an addiction to gambling. Craving for gambling destroys their lives, but they cannot stop, because there is nothing more important in the world than their passion – a passion for big-game.
Mark Rydell effectively performed the cameo, playing the role of Ivan – the mysterious mafioso. Thanks to an excellent selection of actors (Tim Roth, Kim Basinger, Danny De Vito, Forest Whitaker, Ray Liotta), the director managed to skillfully show to us the atmosphere of gambling. The main idea of ‘Even money’ is that excitement is dangerous and you need to be able to take risks.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) leaves the mental hospital and takes an adaptation course. His goal is to restore relations with his wife, but by the law, he has no right to approach her. For the sake of his goal, he is ready for radical change.
Equally important is the passion of Pat’s father (Robert de Niro), who loves sports betting. He considers Pat as an amulet and asks him to stay home when Philadelphia Eagles are playing. Pat’s father also believes in the magic of remotes and handkerchiefs, he wants to win money for a restaurant.
The film has a lot of running, dancing and emotions in it. Will the Solitano family own a restaurant, where did the word OK come from and will Pat’s wife return to him? Find out yourself, you won’t be bored.
Conclusion
The main conclusion of most films about betting is simple – keep your mind clear, don’t succumb to the excitement and take risks wisely. To make successful bets, first of all, you need to be well educated and competent in the field of finance.
Everyone can win at bets (bookmakers daily transfer millions of dollars for winning bets to their users) but you need to understand how uneasy it is.
It is not only about luck but self-education. There are special books (like Sharp Sports Betting by Stanford Wong, The Man with the $100,000 Breasts: and Other Gambling Stories by Michael Konik, Gambling Wizards: Conversations with the World’s Greatest Gamblers by Richard Munchkin) and blogs on the subject of betting which will help you to speed up the process of acquiring the necessary knowledge. In case you’d like to try your luck in bets – check out Pari Match.co.tz, who knows, maybe your story will be an inspiration for another movie, this time however with a happy ending.
