Cards

The Card Counter — 2021 Film with Oscar Issac — Underrated But Generally Accurate

This sleeper film shows the lifestyle of a low-key poker and BJ card counter

Mark Hake
3 min readJun 17, 2024

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Oscar Isac in The Card Counter

The 2021 film, The Card Counter, which stars Oscar Issac and Tiffany Haddish, along with William Defoe, has a generally accurate lifestyle portrayal of the mechanics of a professional gambler.

Oscar Issac, the card counter in question, uses the probabilities of Blackjack and poker to increase his edge.

IMDB — The Card Counter

Here is what I like and can relate to. The card counter makes a specific point of sticking to low wins and not trying to make a ton of money off of the house. That way he preserves his ability to keep coming back.

I do that when I play BJ in the Phoenix and Las Vegas arena. I stick to small wins and keep track of my hourly rate. I try to not overwin. I stick to small gains. I also sprinkle in typical gambling behavior.

For example, I show the casino that I like to play poker, craps, and even some slots. But each time I am using elements of advantage play.

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Mark Hake

CFA, MBA, and former hedge fund manager and investment research firm owner. Email me at mrhake@gmail.com if you have writing/research projects.