Casinos play a big role in the Hollywood movie industry. Over the years they have formed the backdrop, or even the main subject matter, of many of Americas biggest blockbuster movies. They have proven themselves to be versatile and fertile filming ground, housing big box office hits ranging from the slick stylings of Ocean’s Eleven through to comic classic The Hangover. Many a classic cinematic oeuvre has taken gambling and poker in particular as its central character, including Croupier, The Sting, Maverick and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. And not only did Daniel Craig’s debut performance as Bond climax with a momentous poker scene in the fabulous remake of Casino Royale, but Sean Connery’s great Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever, also chooses Las Vegas and the casino culture as its home.

This glamorous stage has, undoubtedly, encouraged many of us to get in on the action ourselves and the world of modern entertainment has provided us with many different forums in which to do so. Casinos are springing up all over the country and are becoming an increasingly popular alternative to hitting the nearest nightclub on a Saturday night. Whilst they may not look quite the same as the movie sets, the atmosphere is there as is the all important adrenaline rush when the cards go down.

Casino holidays to Las Vegas have also become more popular and more affordable, particularly within the market of stag and bachelorette party weekends. Packages including flights, accommodation and entry into the glitziest casino on the boulevard get more competitively priced every year.

And then of course there is the enormous online poker scene, available through internet portals such as Sky Poker, to name just one. Online poker platforms allow users to connect and get playing instantly, meaning that the glitz and glamour and the thrills and spills of the classic poker table are only ever a few clicks away.