Nobody Knows Card Counting Like Rain Man

by Edward Rogers, News Staff Writer

February 6, 2009

If you've seen the movie Rain Main before, your first thought is probably not going to be about gambling. Heck, your second and third thoughts probably won't be about gambling. And that's because Rain Man isn't a gambling movie at all. It's a movie that explores the relationship of two brothers, the notions of money and greed, and autism - a portrayal of which won Dustin Hoffman an Academy Award.

In fact, Rain Man took home four Oscars, including Best Picture, Screenplay and Director - and was nominated for a total of eight in the year 1989. So, besides the fact that Rain Man is obviously an excellent film, why on Earth are we including it in the casino news section at OCS? Well, for one, it's been doing the rounds recently on television stations around the world. I suppose it's been doing that since 1989, considering the movie has grossed well over $400 million worldwide. Not bad for a $25 million production cost, eh?

Secondly, Rain Man does actually offer some insight into the world of gambling. Specifically, it's at the Blackjack table where lots of card-counting action goes down. Historical in a sense, this particular scene shows how casinos fought against card counting back before the automatic shuffling shoe was put into service. And it also shows just how effective card counting and the basic blackjack strategy really are!

Basically, what happens is this: Charlie Babbit (played by Tom Cruise) and his autistic brother Raymond (played by Hoffman) go on a road trip together. Broke and not far from passing through Las Vegas, Charlie learns that Raymond has a razor sharp memory (he's memorized an entire phone book). This prompts Charlie to teach Raymond how to play Blackjack and put some card counting to use in the casino. Sure enough, the two hit the mother-load in the casino, and consequently get thrown out on the suspicion of, you guessed it - card counting.

While there certainly is some dramatization going on, the scenes in Las Vegas offer the same thrill you'd get being at the blackjack table yourself. You can't help but cheer for the two brothers as their Las Vegas pit stop becomes something of a turning point. Rain Man is a definitely a great overall movie to watch - even if you've already seen it. So check you local television listings - It's doing the rounds once again.

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