Gamblers have a reputation for being bold, daring, and adventurous at least in the movies. They’re not afraid to be different from the crowd or take risks just for the fun of it. Although gambling is seen as an undesirable behavior by some people today, gamblers have been around since ancient times. Accordingly, there have been a lot of famous gamblers throughout some of our favorite comics and video games,
In this article, we take a closer look at five of the most famous gamblers in pop culture. We also explore how these characters are connected to the gambling world and why they enjoy throwing their money away so much.
Gambit
Gambit from X-Men is one of the most famous gamblers in comic history, and he loves to take risks with his fellow mutants when it comes to facing evil forces that might be lurking around every corner.
Gambit’s main weapons are playing cards he imbues with kinetic energy, lending a pinkish glow to the cards as he uses his mutant powers to manipulate them. He’s known for having a good time and is always up for an adventure.
His love for gambling often gets him in tough spots, but he always manages to come out on top—and we love him for it.
The embodiment of the lovable scamp archetype, Gambit is a fan favorite for his charming, unflappable, and risk-taking personality.
Two-Face
Two-Face, the villain from Batman is known for being a ruthless killer with an affinity for all things gambling. He began his life as straitlaced District Attorney Harvey Dent but after an accident, he
Two-Face loves to play games of chance because he believes in Lady Luck, even when his luck runs out and gets him into trouble. His obsession with flipping coins to make decisions about what course of action he will take keeps both himself and Batman on their toes at all times.
Two-Face is introduced to the concept of gambling through his famous coin that he uses to make a decision between good and evil. However, we don’t actually see Two-Face’s main foe, aka Bruce Wayne, indulge in gambling. Even so, there are still many slot machine games for Batman fans to enjoy.
Despite his deadly tendencies, Two-Face is an iconic DC comic book character that was brought to life with great success on the silver screen by Aaron Eckhart in The Dark Knight.
The Penguin
Another Batman character, The Penguin is a cold, conniving criminal mastermind with an affinity for the finer things in life. He’s always decked out in the finest suits and is a smooth talker that can convince anyone of anything with his silver tongue.
He’s known to be a bit of a dandy and has no problem using his cunning demeanor to get what he wants out of anyone that crosses him. Even though The Penguin doesn’t appear as if he would have any interest in gambling, his base of operations is a nightclub and casino called the Iceberg Casino, which is a perfect cover for all of his illegal activities.
Despite his sinister reputation, The Penguin is a splendid casino host—as long as you don’t cross him. Iceberg Casino is one most famous hangouts in the Gotham underworld, and it’s no surprise that The Penguin is the one behind its success.
Chance
Unlike other characters on this list, Chance doesn’t just gamble in his free time as a way to decompress. Chance, whose real name is Nicholas Powell, is a professional gambler by day—once night comes, however, he becomes the supervillain Chance.
Chance is a master of probability and became obsessed with the concept, applying it to his own supervillainy.
As a gambler, Chance—as Powell—began to grow weary of high-stakes casino gambling. Needing more excitement, he began to hire out his services as a hitman.
The coolest thing about Chance is that he makes bets with every client. He only accepts the payment if he is successful; if he fails, Chance takes it on the chin like a real gambler and forfeits the payment.
The Witcher
The Witcher is a series of action role-playing video games, based on the popular comic book series from Dark Horse that follows the adventures of Geralt of Rivia, a renowned monster hunter.
The Witcher games allow players such as Geralt to gamble with dice poker and a unique trading card game called Gwent to increase their income.
Although Geralt doesn’t have to gamble, it’s a key part of the gameplay that helps players build their character and earn special rewards. The game of Gwent was itself released as a stand-alone game and has enjoyed a lot of success ever since.
