The Greatest Bets on the Big Screen

Over the years we’ve seen some pretty epic bets made on-screen, from characters like the iconic James Bond to The Kid.

Dating all the way back to 1875, we’ve seen protagonists throwing themselves into high-risk situations for the purpose of our entertainment. Classic 90s film Maverick (based on the TV show that starred James Garner) takes us back to the 1800s where we see a gambler work his way into a high-stakes poker game on a steamboat where cheaters are thrown overboard. The main character, Bret Maverick (Mel Gibson), plays his way to the final game, winning a huge prize pool of $500,000 which is the equivalent of $10.5 million today.

Moving forward to the 30s, we see a man named Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) con a gangster into losing $500,000 on a single horse in The Sting, which is the equivalent to $8.8 million today. Robert Altman’s California Split, both made and set in the 70s, finds two men (Elliot Gould and George Segal) crossing paths and bonding over their love of gambling. They embark together on a crazy spree of blackjack, roulette and craps, winning a total of $82,000 or $420,000 today.

After the turn of the century, we’ve got everything from comedies like South Park and What Happens in Vegas documenting ridiculous wins and losses, based on nothing but pure luck and chance. Big action movies like Casino Royale keep us clinging to the edge of our seats as James Bond wins $115 million, but which one is your favorite on-screen bet of all time? VegasSlotsOnline.com have created a fun infographic detailing some of the biggest wins and losses in movies and TV shows, so you can decide which one is a standout for you.

Out of all of them, which is your favourite?

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