Casino Royale Opening Poker Scene

When Daniel Craig took over as James Bond, it was questionable whether he would be able to live up to the iconic character. Thankfully though he lived up to this task, and became one of the best. What his debut in Casino Royale also gave us though is one of the best poker games ever to grace our screens.

Casino Royale was the 4th highest-grossing film of 2006, and was the highest-grossing installment of the James Bond series until Skyfall surpassed it in November 2012. Upon its release in the United Kingdom, Casino Royale broke series records on both opening day—£1.7 million —and opening weekend—£13,370,969. The script for Casino Royale worried director Martin Campbell. This was his second reboot of the James Bond franchise, and on the cusp of production. James Bond, designated Agent 007 (always articulated as “double-oh-seven”) in the British Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6, was the creation of British no.

In Hollywood movies however, these scenes are sensationalised at their best, making it quite hard to miss an obvious blunder or inaccurate series of events. One such movie, and I might be touching a nerve here, is the often hailed Casino Royale, usually found at the very top of the 5 best poker scenes in movies. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators.

Whether it is his fight for life after being poisoned, or the game itself, the mental battle between Bond and Le Chiffre is unforgettable. What we tend to forget though is that there are more than those two characters in the game.

What makes the scenes in which the card game take place so engrossing to watch is how perfectly it sets up the game, and how well the characters not only handle the cards, but also handle the mind games that are a part of Poker. It reminds us that ‘Poker Face’ isn’t just a song by Lady Gaga, it is more about the psychology behind hiding emotions and faking out the other players.

Casino Royale Opening Poker Scene Youtube

The impressiveness of the game shown in the film, especially the final hand is how well the stakes are created, and how the intensity matches the $24 million jackpot. Texas Holdem Poker is also one of the more recognisable versions of the game. It makes it easier for us to become engrossed in the game and not get caught up in the complicated nature of Poker itself, therefore if you’re thinking about playing it’s worth checking out reliable Texas Hold’em tips beforehand which are widely available online.

While two of the characters remain nameless, they do have a part to play in the drama that is taking place, their hands aren’t useless. For the viewer, though, all eyes really are on Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre, and Craig’s Bond. This is a game of Poker where Bond has to get Le Chiffre’s attention, and win his money.

Even after almost dying, Bond manages to get this attention, and we do see some quite sadistic scenes as further revenge is enacted on the iconic British intelligence agent. We know Bond can take it, but that doesn’t make it any easier to watch. If anything though we know the superhero like man with a license to kill will survive, even if he is emotionally scarred by the events that occur after the game of cards.

What is easy to say though is the fact that the card game in Casino Royale is one of the best ever to be seen on screen, if not the best. It not only brought a credible game of Poker to the screen, but also help make Daniel Craig’s performance as James Bond memorable for all the right reasons. Though some would say the beach scene is even more memorable for them.

How difficult can it be to make a good poker scene in a movie? According to James Bond director Martin Campbell the ‘Casino Royale’ remake poker showdown was as elaborate as any stunt 007 was involved in!

The 2006 movie grossed a monster $606million at the box office, with Daniel Craig’s ‘Bond’ and Mads Mikkelsen’s blood-eyed villain ‘Le Chiffre’ involved in the highest stake poker game of all time.

For poker fans, of course, seeing their beloved game depicted on the big screen is almost always more ‘miss’ than ‘hit’, so how did director Campbell manage to produce such an intense facsimile of a real highstakes game?

“What you realize is, it’s not just the card games — it’s the stakes. It’s also two guys eye-fucking one another, basically. That was the secret,” explained to Polygon.com.

With No Limit Hold’em replacing the Baccarat Chemin de Fer of the Ian Fleming book version, and the 1967 movie version…

…the cast and crew had to be taught the game basically from scratch to ensure everything from continuity to poker tells would come across as realistically as possible.

Not an easy task for poker consultant Tom Sambrook, the 2002 winner of the European Championships explaining:

“I’d just basically tell them what the absolute bare minimum was that they needed to know to look like they had been playing this game.”

Sambrook also admits to making a bit of money on the side, taking the actors for their ‘per diem’ in hastily-arranged games in the studios.

The Englishman, who finished ahead of Hendon Mobster Barny Boatman and EPT legend John Duthie to win his title, explained:

“We’d be playing games constantly between takes,” adding cheekily, “I saw it as their privilege to learn by paying me this money.”

Director Campbell somehow pulled together all the elements of the game in an almost believable series of poker scenes, mixed in with the usual action-packed adventures of a typical Bond movie.

He believes the 30 minutes of gameplay that made the final cut, showing three massive hands, was critical to the success of the film, admitting:

“It was the thing I sweated on more than anything else.”

After discovering Le Chiffre’s ‘tell’, Bond has to survive two assassination attempts in his bid to end the villain’s hopes of winning the $130million poker game.

“From a dramatic point of view, each of the card games has a good climax,” says Campbell, and if the final scene still grates with some poker fans, there is a reason.

Casino Royale - Poker Scene 1

The four-way all-in sees Le Chiffre’s full house lose to Bond’s straight flush, with most fans expecting a Royal Flush to win the day for the movie hero.

“He wins with an inconspicuous straight flush, rather than the royal flush,” Sambrook says, adding to Director Campbell’s vision of a “new Bond” , a less flashy, more believable hero.

Check out the finale yourself!

Casino Royale Poker Scene Location

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