Tag Archive: Ian Fleming

James Bond is almost synonymous with bedding hot women, the Walther PPK and gambling at the casino. For over 60 years, we've watched him at the casino gaming tables. His favourite game is baccarat, yet we have seen him try his hand at poker. But the question is, was he any good at it? In Casino Royale, he plays head-to-head at Texas hold'em with the evil Le Chiffre. The game is really just a plot point, with little seen of the gameplay. But Bond does win, even if only by being reckless.

The traditional upmarket casino is the perfect setting for James Bond. Cool, collected and suave, they both epitomise the glitz and glamour of big money with an undercurrent of money laundering and criminal activity. So it's no surprise that Ian Fleming's protagonist can be found seated at the baccarat table, often face to face with his nemesis. With practice, you too can learn to play like 007.

We love the sheer grittiness of Daniel Craig in Casino Royale. Yes, he's playing a macho killer secret agent, but he takes the role seriously and doesn't send it up or chew the scenery. The script is on point and also updates Bond for Millenials. In this respect, he's a more caring and sharing Bond. He even gets his heart broken, which makes a nice change in that it's a total reverse of his usual policy towards the fairer sex. But we disagree with changing the casino game from baccarat to poker.

There are any number of theories as to the origins of the casino table game of baccarat. Some claim that it's roots lie in ancient Italy. Others believe that the game came from the Far East. But what we do know is that the game became very popular with the French aristocracy. In the UK, a baccarat scandal involving the Prince of Wales helps propel the game into the public consciousness. Interestingly enough, the game called "baccarat" being played in most US casinos, is actually Punto Banco.