A Player’s Look at 21 The Movie
When 21 the movie burst onto the scene in 2008, it changed the way many people perceive casino entertainment. For starters, this film packs plenty of intrigue, skulduggery, smarts and casino-style entertainment into its two-hour running time. 21 stars Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, Jim Sturgess and Laurence Fishburne in an action-packed adventure of note. Such was the success of this film that it shot to #1 in the United States and Canada during its first two weeks of release. It reinvigorated our interest in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, and helped to inspire countless books, articles and interest in online casino gaming.
Blackjack Strategy from Inception to Cashout
At its heart, 21 is a film about strategy. Based on the true story of an MIT blackjack team, this film tracks the exploits of a senior maths student named Ben Campbell. After having been accepted into the prestigious Harvard Medical School, Campbell finds that he cannot pay the tuition fees totalling $300,000. However, as fate would have it, a professor from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – played by Kevin Spacey – poses the Monty Hall problem to Ben. After successfully solving the math problem, he's invited to join Micky Rosa’s blackjack team. Several other students form part of this team, and they are all led by Rosa. However, Ben's reluctance to accept Rosa’s proposal is short-lived and he grudgingly decides to join the team. What follows is an interesting and effective mix of tactics, strategy, card counting and signalling. This gives rise to possibly the most successful blackjack strategy in modern times, with plenty of subplots thrown into the mix. Were this film made today, Micky Rosa's team would certainly be seen hard at work while they practice blackjack online in preparation for the ‘scams’ to follow. Of course, blackjack is a relatively simple game to play since the objective is to beat the dealer’s hand total while not exceeding 21. Players have the option to hit (take another card), double (take a final card and double your bet), stand (take no more cards), split (split pairs) or take insurance when they feel the dealer is holding blackjack. The game is often recognized as the poster child of strategy-based casino games, since much more thinking goes into making blackjack decisions than say slots gaming. Since there are a fixed number of cards in play at any time, and cards that have been dealt are no longer in play, it is possible to keep a running count of high cards and low cards in the decks. This is done by way of ‘card counting’ and probability. When the count is favourable, the heavy bettors will increase their wagers.
The Closing Credits
Suffice it to say, this film brings together many disparate themes – the old and the new juxtaposed into a confusing and at times emotionally jarring melee. It's a film about opportunity and discovery. It's about winning and losing amid the bright lights and big city action of Atlantic City and Las Vegas. The film’s finale features a regrouping of team members at Planet Hollywood, after some underhanded deals have been concocted between the protagonists and antagonists in the film. Lots of money changes hands and the action ratchets up throughout the film's duration. Such was the box office success of 21 that it grossed $157,927,340 off a rather anaemic budget of $35 million. And yes – it sports a happy ending which is always a plus in today's times!