Casino Royale: The Evolution of James Bond and Gambling

The name’s Bond. James Bond. The line is one of the most iconic in movie history, and introduces one of cinema’s most beloved spies, James Bond. The character was developed by Ian Fleming, a Second World War veteran with plenty of real-life experiences to draw inspiration from for. And the first James Bond book, Casino Royale, hit the shelves in 1953. Just 9 years later, in 1962, the first James Bond film was released, Dr No.

James Bond is highly skilled and an expert in nearly all of his ventures. An expert marksman, intelligence officer, and, of course, his romantic liaisons with the beautiful “Bond Girls”. Among his many skills and talents, the fictitious character also has a keen eye for gambling. Reflecting Fleming’s own love of gambling, James Bond is not one to shy away from the big casinos.

Evolution of Gambling in James Bond

Virtually all the books make reference to James Bond’s love of gambling. It’s something that is not lost on movie makers either, who have portrayed James Bond as an all-around expert in the most glamorous casino games. If a game is held by an underground high stakes poker empire, or there is a fierce showdown at a historic casino house, James Bond will not be far from the action. Gambling plays a more prominent part in Casino Royale, the very first James Bond novel, and the first film of the Daniel Craig Bond era.

But the book had James Bond gambling at a baccarat table. In the film Casino Royale, starring Daniel Craig, Bond had to play Texas Hold’em poker. Both games have their immediate appeal and timeless charm. And they add another element to James Bond’s character. Though we have seen many different faces to James Bond in cinema. And each iteration of the character has its own approach to gambling.

Gambling in James Bond Novels

In the novels, baccarat was James Bond’s game of choice. Fleming himself was a fan of baccarat, playing the game at some of the most prestigious casinos in Europe. Though he was not a high stakes player. Ian Fleming dabbled in baccarat and enjoyed the game for its various complexities. It is not traditionally a game where card counting can be effective, as the mechanics of baccarat are too complex for card counting. The variance is too high, because of how the rounds are conducted. The dealer draws 2 cards for the player, and then 2 for the banker. And should the criteria be right, the dealer will then draw a third card for the player. And then possibly a third card for the banker.

This complex edge to baccarat is something that attracted Ian Fleming and inspired him to make it James Bond’s preferred casino game. He also dabbled in other casino games such as craps, roulette, and even blackjack, but the book Bond didn’t have much of an interest in poker.

Gambling in the Bond Films

In some earlier iterations of James Bond, such as Roger Moore’s Bond, gambling was seen as a frivolous and casual activity. Roger Moore’s Bond didn’t prioritise gambling. In Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Moore played craps but only as a means to lure his enemy to the table. In Octopussy (1983), James Bond played backgammon and beat his opponent who used loaded dice.

Sean Connery’s James Bond was closer to the novel. He played Chemin de Fer and Baccarat in Dr No and Thunderball. Connery’s performance enhanced Bond’s image as the gentleman spy. A classy individual who was always calm and collected when wagering high stakes.

Daniel Craig’s James Bond

In Casino Royale, the book, James Bond plays baccarat against Le Chiffre in a Casino in Northern France. For the 2006 Casino Royale film, the producers decided to controversially drop baccarat in exchange for poker. This was largely due to the large poker boom in the 2000s. Poker was the game at the time to play, and Texas Hold’em was among the most popular variants played online. Baccarat, while popular, was seen more as a niche game. The producers thought that poker would resonate more with the audience, and they were bang on the money.

Casino Royale brought its own boost to the expanding world of online poker at the time. It portrayed the game as a battle of wits, in which deception and bluffing were key to winning. In the film, Le Chiffre is tipped about James Bond’s great tell, and wins James Bond’s entire poker bankroll. He then gets support from CIA agent Felix Leiter who gives Bond a buy-in to try again. Then, Bond beats Le Chiffre in the second round and wins the money back.

Daniel Craig’s character only played poker in Casino Royale, but it gave his Bond a new edge. The psychological dynamic between him and Le Chiffre put a new definition to high stakes poker. This game was all about bluffing, anticipation, and deception. It gave rise to Bond as a cold, analytical and emotionally complex character who could make mistakes but always kept his cool.

Which Games James Bond Plays

Across the novels and films, James Bond has played various different types of casino games. Though not all types of casino games. The games associated with James Bond tend to be the more glamorous and high stakes casino games.

• Baccarat
• Blackjack
• Sic Bo
• Roulette
• Backgammon
• Texas Hold’em

In no adaptations of Bond has the character played games such as slots, video poker or other typical casino games. The bias against these games is not necessarily because they don’t have “skill based” elements to them. No, because roulette also has its own element of pure luck. The reason we haven’t had a James Bond trying his luck at a slot machine is much more to do with image.

Symbolism of Gambling in James Bond

The games that James Bond plays need to have a cunning edge to them. They can have an element of control, but he doesn’t exclusively play those types of games. Baccarat, for example, doesn’t give players decisions through which they can change the outcome. But where there are possibilities to use strategy, wit and make bold decisions, James Bond excels.

Because that is also his job. As a spy, James Bond must have all of those traits and use them to gain information about the enemy. Psychological warfare is an area spies must be highly trained in. Now, in the real world, those skills wouldn’t necessarily be used at a poker table. But James Bond is a romantic spy fiction novel, and one that paints a very complex and alluring character. He lives dangerously, so he must play dangerously too.

And that doesn’t translate as powerfully at a slot machine as it does at a roulette table. Sure, both games are all about chance and luck. But the roulette table has a social element about it, that provides the perfect setting for James Bond to set up his enemies. Or seduce his women.

The Image of Gambling Created in James Bond

James Bond films and novels cannot help but glamorise gambling and give it a mystical kind of elegance. Craig’s James Bond paints the image of poker as a game of wits and skill. Though, as any person who has played poker before can tell you, that is really just half the battle.

In poker, baccarat, blackjack and other card based games, a lot of what happens is down to pure chance. No one can predict the outcome of the draw, and while arithmetic skills can help you gain an edge or notice +EV scenarios, it can’t guarantee you the wins.

So in this way, the poker game in Casino Royale is not realistic. It doesn’t convey the weighty role chance has to play in the game. Though it makes for compelling watching, you can’t win poker by bluffing and psychological warfare alone.

While fortune may favor the bold on screen, you need to be far more careful in real life poker games. Bankroll management and patience are qualities that are far more valuable than bold moves and reckless risk taking. So play cautiously, and don’t throw everything on the line with unshakable confidence like 007.