Casino Royale is one of the most famous James Bond movies. Building the whole movie around one card game, i.e. Texas Holdem Poker is a masterstroke. It is a movie that revolves around Poker. In the movie James Bond (Daniel Crag) accepts the mission to beat terrorist Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelson) in a high stakes Texas Hold’em tournament.
In Ian Fleming’s 1956 novel, Bond was playing high stakes Chemin de Fer, the original version of card game Baccarat. When asked the producer, Michael Wilson, why the change in the game, he explained that, “Today the big stake game is Texas Hold’em. It is not unreasonable for ten, twenty million dollar pots to be seen. So, when we came to think about what the game would be, Chemin de Fer didn’t seem appropriate, but Texas Hold’em was”. Apart from this, the fact that Texas Hold’em is the world’s most popular variant which makes it the best option to play in the James Bond movies.
In this movie, we get to look at Bond’s Poker playing strategies. He did this with usual flair and style, even after suffering a potentially deadly dose of toxin. Let’s see the poker strategies and tips used by 007 in the movie.
Study your opponents:
Of all the skills in Poker, identifying the behavioral tells of your opponent is probably the most important. It’s not unusual to see players revealing information through their tells in any poker game without being aware that they are doing. Many novice players will try to confuse their opponents. However, it is always better to plant the seeds of doubt. Doubt can be the difference between holding or folding early. Sometimes, it can force a wrong move too. Looking for a sign of stress in your opponents will help you to point out their weakness.
Now you might be thinking what a tell sign is? Early in the game, James Bond put all of his chips into a hand to test his theory that his opponent Le Chiffre is bluffing. Though he lost his hand, he becomes certain about his “tell signs”. Using this behavioral tell of his opponent, he wins the game and disrupts his plans. So, study the table like it is your favorite movie.
Confidence:
To play with confidence is not the same as playing with positivity or wishful thinking. It is merely the realistic belief that you can win the particular hand. Once you recognize the tell signs of your opponent, it is time to bait them. That is what Poker game is all about, to play according to the conclusion you have drawn and start attacking with full confidence. Be decisive in your strategy. Remember that your goal is to trap or persuade your opponent to put more chips in the pot.
At the Ocean Club scene, although Bond had the strongest hand, still he chose to give Dimitrios a false sense of confidence. He maintained his confidence in all the action he takes during his game. So, you should not need to mess with such players when there are other targets at the table.
Psychology:
Bond was on a mission to find out what, Le Chiffre accomplice, Alex Dimitrios is up to. As he reaches the Beach club, he instantly scans the environment to gather the information on how to get closer to what he wants. The Poker game gives an opportunity to Bond to do so because Alex is playing and there is one open seat. Although it appears that Bond focuses on the arrival of Solange Dimitrios (Alex’s wife), but Bond plays three different games at once:
1. He makes sure that Solange observes him at the table.
2. He finds the tactic to take advantage of Alex's arrogant style of playing that makes him bet more than is wise in a single hand.
3. He focuses on not disclosing the strength of his hand, flopped set of Aces, till it’s too late for Alex to back off.
So, what is the result? Bond wins a 1964 Aston Martin DB5. On the other hand, Solange jumps from the front seat, thinking that she will learn more about this mysterious, charming man. But in reality, Bond will be learning more about Alex through Solange.
Rely on skill rather than luck:
Le Chiffre sets a trap for Bond. He was sure that by showing a fake tell, Bond will surely notice and will try to exploit. This results in Bond losing his $5 million buy-ins early in the game. Though his actual hand was cooler and Bond knew that as Le Chiffre was out of his tricks, he can beat him with his skill (besides the poisonous drink given to him which led him almost to die by causing a cardiac arrest). He finds a new backer and starts again with a fresh start. He knew that regardless of how difficult the twists and turns of luck, but ultimately, it is the skill that will win over luck.
Poker is a skill game, where the result of the game depends on the player’s skill and aptitude. To play Poker like James Bond is all about the mindset. It is a game of skill. Remember what he says at the beginning of the game, “In Poker, you never play your hand, you play the man across from you”.
Poker is a very challenging game that can give you immense thrills. If you are a beginner, you can become a professional poker player by following the tactics mentioned above. If you don’t know how to play poker online, don't worry. There are various websites that allow to play for free and will teach you the basics, poker game skills and strategies required to master the game. One such site is Gamentio. It is a perfect portal for newbies to learn and practice online poker tips anytime, anywhere. And, yes don’t forget that to become successful in Poker is possible!
