Casino Scene in Thunderball

Recently, I embarked on a fascinating journey discussing casino scenes featured in the James Bond film series. Our previous discussion started with 'Dr. No,' and this week, we’re focusing on the fourth official film in the series, 'Thunderball.' It’s worth noting that the second movie, 'From Russia with Love,' and the third, 'Goldfinger,' lacked casino scenes, though 'Goldfinger' did showcase a golf betting scene.

Just like in 'Dr. No,' the game being played is Chemin de Fer. To clarify, Chemin de Fer is an older version of baccarat where players bet against the banker, and only one wager can be placed on the Player Hand. After each round where the Banker Hand loses, the chance to be the banker shifts around the table. For detailed rules and the odds involved, please refer to my dedicated page on the subject. Chemin de Fer .

The remainder of this newsletter will focus on the casino sequence found in 'Thunderball.' on YouTube.

The gambling action commences at the 1:04 mark, where the Player Hand has a total of two points, while the Banker Hand, led by the antagonist Largo, boasts seven points. Since Largo is the banker and has won, he opts to continue banking with a bet of 200 pounds. The player challenging him in this hand is unnamed and isn’t Bond.

Hand 1 -- The player who placed a bet against Largo in the previous hand apparently wasn’t willing to match the full 200-pound banker wager, as they only wagered a single 100-pound lamer. According to the rules of chemin de fer, if a player wishes to bet against the banker’s wager fully, they have that option. At this moment, around the 1:10 mark in the video, Bond approaches the table, announces 'banco,' and places a bet of 200 pounds. This sets up a direct confrontation between Bond, who is handling the Player Hand, and Largo on the Banker Hand.

At 1:20, Bond's initial draw consists of two face cards, resulting in a total of 0 points. He naturally draws a third card. If you pay close attention to the 1:25 mark, you'll see Largo display his two cards from the Banker Hand, which suggests he is standing. Although the specific cards aren’t visible, I assume their total adds up to 7. If Largo had a total between 3 to 6 he should have waited to observe Bond’s third card before acting, and had he scored between 0 to 2, he would have needed to draw based on the rules, regardless of Bond’s third card. Subsequently, Largo deals a requested third card to Bond, which happens to be an 8. Bond then reveals his initial cards and declares a final total of 8, which outmatches Largo's 7.

Hand 2 -- In accordance with chemin de fer rules, Largo has to relinquish his banking privilege since he lost the previous hand. None of the remaining players are interested in taking on the role, leading Bond to step up as the banker. A different player graciously vacates their seat for him. After a bit of light-hearted banter, Bond starts dealing at the 2:02 mark. The visibility of the cards is limited, but it’s evident from the conversation that Largo stood with a score of six from two cards, while Bond had a score of seven from his two cards. Bond, having a 7, wins again, and although it isn't shown, the house would have collected a 5% commission on Bond’s winning of Largo’s 500-pound bet.

Hand 3 -- At the 2:22 mark, Largo declares 'banco suive,' indicating he opts to challenge Bond in another round with a direct play. In 'Dr. No,' a similar player simply said 'suive.' Either term appears to be acceptable. What unfolds next is that Largo reveals a natural total of 8, while Bond shows a 9, resulting in another win for Bond and marking his third consecutive victory. This mirrors the events of the third and last hand in 'Dr. No.'

After his victories, Bond departs the table, having triumphed in all three hands. When including the three hands from 'Dr. No,' Bond's winning streak stands at an impressive 6 out of 6 in chemin de fer. He has placed one bet on the Player Hand and five on the Banker Hand. Here are the calculated probabilities, based on the contemporary rules of chemin de fer that were likely in use during that time, encompassing only three situations where player choice affects the outcome, making the odds similar to traditional baccarat.

Player hand wins = 44.62%

Banker hand wins = 45.86%

Tie = 9.52%

The chance of Bond winning all six hands is approximately 0.9052%, or 1 in 110.

Next week, rather than following sequential order, we’ll remain focused on chemin de fer as we move to 'For Your Eyes Only.' If you're eager to dive in sooner, there's an ongoing discussion about all the Bond casino scenes available on my forum at Wizard of Vegas .

Until next week, the odds be with you.

Written by: Michael Shackleford