Know When To Hold ‘Em: 21 + OCEAN’S THIRTEEN + ROUNDERS + VEGAS VACATION – Movies For The Evening If You Are Gamstop Excluded

Let's say you spent more time than you wanted on online gambling in the recent past. At some point, you began to feel or suspect you might be facing a gambling addiction issue. In response, you thought it would be a good idea to register with the GamStop Self-Exclusion Registry.

Now you face a potential dilemma. While registered with GamStop, what are you going to do to fill all of those hours you used to spend gambling?

If you have had second thoughts about your self-exclusion, you always have the option to simply start gambling online through new casinos via NonGamStopWager.com available to GamStop customers. Assuming you intend to abide by your decision to abstain from gambling for a while, you will likely need something to fill your time.

How about watching movies you never had time to watch in the past? Since gambling was your thing, maybe you might appreciate the ability to live vicariously through a good movie with a gambling theme. Assuming you might be interested in this time-filling option, here are four gambling movies that might pique your interest.

Note: Some of these movies might feed your fantasy of big wins. At the same time, some of these movies might serve as a reminder of how bad gambling addiction could affect you. It's up to you to decide how you feel about each movie. You might also want to note that no meaningful movies have been made about online gambling. Here is to thinking that day is coming soon.

"21" (2008)

This is one of the few gambling movies where a majority of the film takes place in a casino. The movie chronicles the true story gambling activities of a group of card-counting blackjack players who attended the prestigious MIT. The group is formed by a banned blackjack player/MIT professor who recruits math prodigies to serve as his gambling surrogates. After being trained and turned loose on Vegas, the young gamblers learn about the pleasures of winning and the pitfalls of winning too much.

"Ocean's Thirteen" (2007)

In Ocean's Eleven, Danny Ocean and his crew of professional thieves successfully stole $150 million from three Vegas casinos, getting revenge against a rogue casino owner in the process.

In Ocean's Thirteen, the crew is reassembled to go after yet another corrupt casino owner who is opening a new mega Vegas property. While the plot is intriguing, the movie does a lot to teach gamblers about the inner workings of the casino business. As the plot unfolds, Ocean and his crew get the opportunity to burn not one but two casino owners at the same time.

The real appeal of both Ocean's Eleven and Ocean's Thirteen is a tremendous ensemble cast that includes George Clooney as Danny Ocean, plus Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Elliot Gould, Al Pacino, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, and Bernie Mac among others.

"Rounders" (1998)

If you fancy yourself to be a good online poker player, this movie might get your poker-playing juices flowing. The movie chronicles the friendship between two underground poker players who encounter the seedy underbelly of the underground poker community.

Eventually, a series of big losses and accumulating gambling debt leads one of the poker players into a poker showdown with a member of the Russian organized crime community. Meanwhile, the other friend has to get out of dodge to avoid his demise at the grips of the very same Russian mob figure.

Movie-watchers will go through the full gambit of emotions related to winning, losing, and the problems problem gambling issues can bring to a problem gambler's life.

"Vegas Vacation" (1997)

If you are just looking for laughs, you might enjoy this Vegas romp that features the Griswald Family. While the Griswald's have seemingly recovered from their "Wally World" debacle in the movie "National Lampoon’s Vacation" (1983), they are sure to encounter new high jinxes as they arrive in the City of Lights. Gamblers will appreciate the contrast between the fun the family has gambling and seeing the sights while Daddy Griswald is left to deal with a progressive problem he is having as his blackjack gambling losses start to mount. Remember, this is all done for laughs, and the laughs are aplenty.