Ballad of a Small Player
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4 members have voted
November 9th, 2025 at 7:08:45 PM
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What are you thoughts on the Netflix movie Ballad of a Small Player? Here is the trailer.
Direct: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1B5W55TFyo
It's the movie of a someone who steals a large amount of money from a client under the guise as an investment manager and blows it all gambling in Macau. That's about as far as I should take it.
I have a big issue in that whoever wrote it obviously didn't have a background in gambling and didn't hire an advisor to help make that element realistic. Without any spoilers, I'd like to say the probability of a three-card total of six in baccarat, without it needing to win, for each side is:
Player = 0.038694732
Banker = 0.035547136
I won't even get into the incorrect rules followed in the climatic hand of baccarat at the end. To be fair, that could all be filed under character error in a Sixth Sense kind of way.
If you're interested in the subject of compulsive gambling, the movies Owning Mahony and Uncut Gems are much better. However, Ballad of a Small Player is at least watchable. 99% of the population will not catch the errors in baccarat, which are common in James Bond movies as well. However, members of the other 1% will cringe at certain points.
I just finished the movie and am still processing it.
The question for the poll is what is your favorite gambling movie?
Direct: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1B5W55TFyo
It's the movie of a someone who steals a large amount of money from a client under the guise as an investment manager and blows it all gambling in Macau. That's about as far as I should take it.
I have a big issue in that whoever wrote it obviously didn't have a background in gambling and didn't hire an advisor to help make that element realistic. Without any spoilers, I'd like to say the probability of a three-card total of six in baccarat, without it needing to win, for each side is:
Player = 0.038694732
Banker = 0.035547136
I won't even get into the incorrect rules followed in the climatic hand of baccarat at the end. To be fair, that could all be filed under character error in a Sixth Sense kind of way.
If you're interested in the subject of compulsive gambling, the movies Owning Mahony and Uncut Gems are much better. However, Ballad of a Small Player is at least watchable. 99% of the population will not catch the errors in baccarat, which are common in James Bond movies as well. However, members of the other 1% will cringe at certain points.
I just finished the movie and am still processing it.
The question for the poll is what is your favorite gambling movie?
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
November 9th, 2025 at 9:38:20 PM
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Let me answer with a picture...
