Craps is by far the most commonly played dice game on the planet. It has been around for centuries now and has stood the test of time. Likewise, over that time there has been minimal change in how the game is played. Its simplicity and lack of a learning curve mean that it is very popular both in land-based and also in online casinos.
It has been so influential and popular in fact that it is also present in a lot of movies and pop culture. You may have seen scenes in movies yourself where you have the stereotypical person throwing dice onto a green table surrounded by other people cheering them on. Today I am going to look a bit closer at this and see what movies I’ve seen and that you may recognise this game being played in.
Types of craps games
Due to the nature of the game, most people assume that you can only play craps if you’re in an actual casino hall. However, if you head over to the official Ask Gamblers review site (askgamblers.com/casino-games/online-craps) you can in fact play online, with all of the same rules still applying. This has made the game even more popular than it already was, as it makes it so much more accessible. For example, I don’t live close to an actual casino, and so if I want to experience craps, I only have the option of playing online. Although the game is relatively easy to pick up and understand, it’s important to know there are different variants of it, including:
- Diceless craps
- Bank craps
- Cash craps
- New York craps
Each of these all has the same core features but also has variations in the rules, so it’s important if you are going to be playing for money that you know which of these genres you are playing and likewise what the rules are for each of them.
Diamonds are forever
One of the biggest names in the James Bond franchise, which to this day is still going strong, and one of my personal favorites, Diamonds Are Forever, features the game of craps. And of course, as I might have guessed when I first watched, Bond is indeed a wizard of the game; I mean, of course, he is. Just as he has been in other films where he has played poker at a very high level, this film, it features him at the craps table, and as you might expect, his traits of having a calm demeanor under pressure whilst at the same time making very calculated risks come through.
The Cooler
This is a more recent film than the Bond installment, was released in 2003, and is woven throughout with a Las Vegas theme. The main protagonist in the film is tasked with stopping or cooling down winning streaks and is employed by the casinos to maximize their profits and minimize their losses. It does explore a different aspect, albeit fictional, of Las Vegas and the gambling culture over there.
In the movie itself, I found a heavy emphasis on the game of craps, as also in this film the character finds themselves blessed with a natural skill when it comes to throwing dice in a game of craps. I particularly liked the journey of character development in the film alongside the inclusion of the game of craps, and it’s certainly a movie I would recommend watching if you’re a fan of craps and also of Las Vegas.
Indecent Proposal
Set just over two decades ago, the last film I’m going to mention to you today that features the game of craps is Indecent Proposal, which came out back in 1993, featuring Hollywood stars Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson. As the name might suggest to you and do to me, it does indeed surround a couple, but they find that finances and luck aren’t exactly in their favor, where do they find their fortunes reversed? Of course, it is at a craps table. It sees them avoid alternate ways of accruing the money that would have come at the personal expense of the female protagonist, and so the game of craps plays a lot in character development.
In Summary
I’m hoping today that you recognize at least one of the films that I’ve mentioned; all have their own big following, and all did very well at the box office on their respective dates. And some are still watched heavily still to this day. I also hope it demonstrates just how popular the game of craps is, not just as a game but also its influence on pop culture and also its important role in movies, such as the ones that we have mentioned today.
