Casino Sayings

Jun 30, 2020 What Are Gambling Sayings? Gambling and casino sayings are often figures of speech, colloquially crafted mutterings that have existed far too long to even remember, and in fact, tracing the origins of some of these popular sayings is near to impossible. Gambling Sayings and Quotes Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old gambling quotes, gambling sayings, and gambling proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources. True luck consists not in holding the best of the cards at the table; luckiest is he who knows just when to rise and go home.

  1. Funny Gambling Sayings
  2. Casino Night Sayings
  3. Casino Sayings Funny
  4. Casino Royale Sayings

What Are Gambling Sayings?

Gambling and casino sayings are often figures of speech, colloquially crafted mutterings that have existed far too long to even remember, and in fact, tracing the origins of some of these popular sayings is near to impossible. The beauty of language and its intrinsic power to communicate complex ideas succinctly is often an overlooked skill. There are many fundamental concepts and true wisdom that can be extracted from the following simple phrases.

So without further ado, let’s turn you into a budding wordsmith and explore the world’s favorite casino quotes.

Casino Sayings

1. “Gambling is the great leveler, all men are equal at cards.”

This hard-hitting piece of philosophical wisdom is from the mind of Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol a Ukrainian-born Russian writer. Besides contributing a expertly crafted dramatically scripts for theatre, novels and short stories, he was known to produce critical contemporary commentaries on the most pertinent political and social issues of his time.

In this gambling quote, ”Gambling is the great leveler, all men are equal at cards.”, Gogol is clearly highlighting the balanced and unbiased nature of gambling, nobody has more luck than another, regardless of rank or title, in a game of cards, any man can pull cards from the deck. Whilst this is a simple statement, it carries incredible purpose and importance for modern-day gambling theory. Overconfidence, and elements of gamblers fallacy are often found following an inquest into an extremely costly gambling session. Those who pay attention to the lessons of this quote, and remember they do not possess a divine advantage to win at a casino are often more likely to make smarter wagers, and ultimately more profit.

2. “Gambling is entertainment. People go to casinos to be entertained.”

Funny Gambling Sayings

This optimistic view of the gambling industry is more complex than it initially seems. Crafted by Eric Schneiderman, the 65th Attorney General of New York, who was discussing his opinions on the legalization of gambling in his state.

In this gambling quote, “Gambling is entertainment. People go to casinos to be entertained.”, we are reminding the true reason people gamble. There is an undeniable truth surrounding casinos and the general financial sustainability of a long-term gambling career. But what many critics of the industry often forget is the entertainment factor that underpins gambling. Yes, at times it is likely you will lose money, but the reason people choose to travel to Las Vegas or Macau isn’t necessarily to maximize their chances of making a gambling profit, but to experience the atmosphere of a world-class casino and receive an entertainment factor that can sometimes be a priceless experience for the punter. In that sense losses made gambling can also be expensed against the entertainment cost you have received.

3. “At gambling, the deadly sin is to mistake bad play for bad luck.”

This quintessential piece of wisdom delivered by the great Ian Fleming again reminds us of the falsehood of believing in one’s own unique advantage or skill at a game of chance. Ian Fleming was an English author, journalist, naval intelligence offer, and best known as the creator of the James Bond series of novels.

In this gambling quote, “At gambling, the deadly sin is to mistake bad play for bad luck.”, the reader is taken back to all the many times they may have lost in a game of cards or poker. If this is you want to boost your game, check out our blackjack guide and roulette guide, which give you a rundown on everything you need for playing online, including links to rules and strategy guides for both games..

Bad luck and bad play can often be merged and misinterpreted, as any frequent poker player will attest, the more they practice and refine their skill at interpreting cards into probabilities to make calculated betting decisions, the luckier they get. Skilled card players reach the top of their game by meticulously studying the game, understanding the exact mathematics behind each outcome, and using this Bayesian statistics approach to gain small advantages over their fellow competitors, and indeed the casino.

4. “Don’t tell me about your wins, tell me your losses.”

Everyone who has friends involved in the gambling will be able to relate to this famous quote, although tracing the origins of this quote are difficult, it has been a common mantra familiar to track-side punters in Victorian England, and perhaps even further back than that.

Of course, this relates again to the unwitting gambler, who shamelessly pours money into the gambling without keeping accurate records, or any basic tracking mechanism to understand the true nature of their long-term profit/loss. These types of punters are very quick to celebrate wins and paint the illusion that they are a prodigy gambler, capable of making huge gains when it comes to picking horses, football teams or any other type of bet, but when they more than not make dramatic losses, quietness ensues. To counter this, anyone who claims to be an expert tipster should always be prepared to offer a transparent account of their betting history, to give an honest picture of their true skill as a bettor and gambler.

5. “Quit while you’re ahead.”

This timeless piece of advice often given to those who are making above average returns on an investment, in gambling, or in any situation where they have made some form of gain, be it financial, political, social, is one that many of us will have heard again and again.

One of the most famous gambling phrases, “Quit while you’re ahead.”, originates in the early modern period when the impact of Europe on the entire world was increasing. The Spanish Empire was at its peak in terms of influence and power, and one of its most prized philosophers Baltasar Morales was the one to articulate the idea of quitting whilst ahead. People throughout the empire were making tremendous amounts of money through merchant routes, discovering new territories, and venturing into parts of the world never explored. The risk-taking attitude was prevalent, and there were many that would have been urged to reassess the risks and consider settling. This gambling quote is certainly one of its time, not necessarily birthed in direct relation to casino gambling as we know it today, but certainly, one that is adequately applied to the modern practice.

The Intrinsic Wisdom of Casino Quotes

Casino Night Sayings

Casino sayings funny

There are tons of gambling sayings and quotes out there, it would be impossible to cover all of them. But throughout the majority of gambling mantra and philosophy, there are underlying themes and lessons that remain consistent. Frugality and prudence are often emphasized, to be aware of one’s chances without obfuscating and falling trap to the illusion of higher chances of success. Also, to avoid the temptation of greed, if one can successfully resist the urge to chase higher profits, and settle with more modest and well-secured amounts, in the long-run this person will be richer in the pocket, in social relationships and health. All of these gambling quotes can be useful to remember when you are playing casino games for real money. This is true whether you play at online casinos UK or at land-based establishments.

Title Casino
Year 1995
Director Martin Scorsese
Genre Drama, Crime, Biography
Interpreted by
Plot – Sam 'Ace' Rothstein has moved too quickly in the ranks of the Mafia because of his incredible intuition. In 1973 he’s at the head of four casinos in Las Vegas, completely legal if it wasn’t for the part of income that regularly goes into the 'godfathers' pockets, not talking about the fact that Ace doesn't have the license for the activity. Business is going very well and Sam now rules an empire, but he makes two mistakes. First, he decide to marry Ginger, a beautiful unscrupulous player addicted to alcohol, drugs and in love with another man. Secondly, he allows his old friend Nicky, an hysterical killer, to operate in the casino. The dangerous triangle brings to self-destruction.

Casino Sayings Funny

All actors – Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods, Don Rickles, Alan King, Kevin Pollak, L.Q. Jones, Dick Smothers, Frank Vincent, John Bloom, Pasquale Cajano, Melissa Prophet, Bill Allison, Vinny Vella, Philip Suriano, Erika von Tagen, Frankie Avalon, Steve Allen, Jayne Meadows, Jerry Vale, Joseph Rigano, Catherine Scorsese, Oscar Goodman, Gene Ruffini, Dominick Grieco, Richard Amalfitano, Richard F. Strafella, Casper Molee, David Leavitt, Peter Conti, Cathy Scorsese, Steve Vignari, Rick Crachy, Larry E. Nadler, Paul Herman, Salvatore Petrillo, Joey DePinto, Heidi Keller, Millicent Sheridan, Nobu Matsuhisa, Toru Nagai, Charlene Hunter, Dom Angelo, Joe Molinaro, Ali Pirouzkar, Frankie J. Allison, Jeff Scott Anderson, Jennifer M. Abbott, Frank Washko Jr., Christian A. Azzinaro, Robert C. Tetzlaff, Anthony Russell, Carol Wilson, Joe Lacoco, John Manca, Ronald Maccone, Buck Stephens, Joseph P. Reidy, Joe La Due, Fred Smith, Sonny D'Angelo, Greg Anderson, Stuart Nisbet, Tommy DeVito, Frank Adonis, Joseph Bono, Craig Vincent, Daniel P. Conte, Paul Dottore, Richard T. Smith, David Rose, Jonathan Kraft, Michael McKensie Pratt, Patti James, Ruth Gillis, Carol Cardwell, Dean Casper, Nan Brennan, Karyn Amalfitano, C.C. Carr, David Varriale, Darla House, Carol Krolick, Frank Regich, Herb Schwartz, Max Raven, Clem Caserta, Jed Mills, Janet Denti, Cameron Milzer, Leain Vashon, Jim Morgan Williams, Brian Le Baron, Mortiki Yerushalmi, Mufid M. Khoury, Khosrow Abrishami, Richard Riehle, Mike Maines, Bobby Hitt, Shellee Renee, Alfred Nittoli, Carl Ciarfalio, Jack Orend, Linda Perri, Ffolliott Le Coque, J. Charles Thompson, Michael Paskevich, Mike Weatherford, Eric Randall, Gwen Castaldi, Brian Reddy, Roy Conrad, Mike Bradley, Dave Courvoisier, George Comando, Andy Jarrell, Robert B. Sidell, Tyde Kierney, Paige Novodor, Claudia Haro, Sasha Semenoff, Gil Dova, George W. Allf, Madeline Parquette, Nick Mazzola, Jed L. Hansen, Gino Bertin, Mitch Kolpan, Csaba Maczala, Peter Sugden, Rudy Guerrero, Randy Sutton, Jeff Corbin, Sly Smith, Joe Anastasi, F. Marcus Casper, Jeffery Azzinaro, Richard Wagner, Carrie Cipollini, Loren Stevens, Gary C. Rainey, David Arcerio, Haven Earle Haley, Sam Wilson, Michael Toney, , Jeff Burbank, Phillip V. Caruso, Earl Chaney, Frank Cullotta, Billy Gilbride, Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Andrea Kelly, Walter Ludwig, Bobbie Paulson, Bob Pepper, Steve Schirripa, Charles Scorsese, Constance Tillotson, Dick Warlock
show all

Casino Royale Sayings

  • “Now you're insulting my intelligence; what you think I am, a fuckin' idiot? You know goddamn well that someone had to get into those machines and set those fuckin' reels. The probability of one four-reel machine is a million and a half to one; the probability of three machines in a row; it's in the billions! It cannot happen, would not happen,...” (continue)(continue reading)Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
  • “It should have been perfect. I mean he had me, Nicky Santoro, his best friend watching his ass. And he had Ginger, the woman he loved on his arm. But in the end, we fucked it all up. It should have been so sweet, too. But it turned out to be the last time that street guys like us were ever given anything that fuckin' valuable again.”Joe Pesci - Nicky Santoro
  • “I think in all fairness, I should explain to you exactly what it is that I do. For instance tomorrow morning I'll get up nice and early, take a walk down over to the bank and... walk in and see and, uh... if you don't have my money for me, I'll... crack your fuckin' head wide-open in front of everybody in the bank. And just about the time that...” (continue)(continue reading)Joe Pesci - Nicky Santoro
  • “No matter how big a guy might be, Nicky would take him on. You beat Nicky with fists, he comes back with a bat. You beat him with a knife, he comes back with a gun. And if you beat him with a gun, you better kill him, because he'll keep comin' back and back until one of you is dead.”
    Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
  • “It just didn't sink into his head what the Black Book is and what it meant, being banned from every casino is just one thing but being in this book gets you into the brains of every cop and FBI agent in the state, I mean you're listed in there with Al Capone, but Nicky didn't care.”
    Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
  • “In Vegas, everybody's gotta watch everybody else. Since the players are looking to beat the casino, the dealers are watching the players. The box men are watching the dealers. The floor men are watching the box men. The pit bosses are watching the floor men. The shift bosses are watching the pit bosses. The casino manager is watching the shift...” (continue)(continue reading)
    Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
  • “The little guy. He wouldn't be fucking the Jew's wife, would he?” - Remo Gaggi
  • “After the Teamsters got knocked out of the box, the corporations tore down practically every one of the old casinos. And where did the money come from to rebuild the pyramids? Junk bonds. But in the end, I wound up right back where I started. I could still pick winners, and I could still make money for all kinds of people back home. And why mess...” (continue)(continue reading)Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
  • “Listen to me very carefully. There are three ways of doing things around here: the right way, the wrong way, and the way that I do it. You understand?”Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
  • - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: Three fuckin' jackpots in 20 minutes? Why didn't you pull the machines? Why didn't you call me?
    - Don Ward: Well, it happened so quick, 3 guys won; I didn't have a chance...
    - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: You didn't see the scam? You didn't see what was going on?
    - Don Ward: Well, there's no way to determine that...
    - Sam 'Ace'... (continue)    (continue reading)
    Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
    - Don Ward
  • - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: From now on, I want you to put an equal amount of blueberries in each muffin... an equal amount of blueberries in each muffin.
    - Baker: Do you know how long that's going to take?
    - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: I don't care how long it takes. Put an equal amount in each muffin.    Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
    - Baker
  • “This is the end result of all the bright lights, and the comp trips, and all the champagne, and free hotel suites, and all the broads and all the booze. It's all been arranged just for us to get your money.”
    Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
  • “Before I ever ran a casino or got myself blown up, Ace Rothstein was a hell of a handicapper, I can tell you that. I was so good that when I bet, I can change the odds for every bookmaker in the country. I'm serious. I had it down so cold that I was given paradise on earth. I was given one of the biggest casinos in Las Vegas to run: The Tangiers...” (continue)(continue reading)
    Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
  • “Nicky's methods of betting weren't scientific, but they worked. When he won, he collected. When he lost, he told the bookies to go fuck themselves. I mean, what were they going to do, muscle Nicky? Nicky was the muscle.”
    Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
  • “If a guy fucking tripped over a banana peel, they'd bring me in for it.”Joe Pesci - Nicky Santoro
  • - Senator: You were wandering around. You were in the... you were in the building.
    - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: I was in the building? You know damn well I was at that dinner, and you swore to me I would have a fair hearing. Did you not? Did you not? Well, tell me I was at least at the dinner. Allow me that much. Give me that much at least!
    - Senator:... (continue)    (continue reading) - Senator
    Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
  • - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: You know, I don't know if I could do this even if I wanted to. The Gaming Commission would never give me a license. I have at least two dozen gambling and bookmaking pinches on me.
    - Andy Stone: You don't have to have a license to work in a casino. All you gotta do is apply for one. The state law says you can work in a... (continue)    (continue reading)
    Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
    Alan King - Andy Stone
  • “There's three ways to do things, the right way, the wrong way and the way that I do it.”
    Robert De Niro
  • “In the casino, the cardinal rule is to keep them playing and to keep them coming back. The longer they play, the more they lose, and in the end, we get it all.”
    Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
  • “- Vinny Forlano: He won't talk. Stone is a good kid. Stand-up guy, just like his old man. That's the way I see it.
    - Vincent Borelli: I agree. He's solid. A fuckin' Marine.
    - Americo Capelli: He's okay. He always was. Remo, what do you think?
    - Remo Gaggi: Look... why take a chance? At least, that's the way I feel about it.”     - Vinny Forlano
    - Vincent Borelli
    - Americo Capelli
    - Remo Gaggi
  • “The town will never be the same. After the Tangiers, the big corporations took it all over. Today it looks like Disneyland. And while the kids play cardboard pirates, Mommy and Daddy drop the house payments and Junior's collegemoney on the poker slots. In the old days, dealers knew your name, what you drank, what you played. Today, it's like...” (continue)(continue reading)Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
  • - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: I'm firing you. No, I'm not firing, I'm firing you, ya...
    - Don Ward: You might regret this, Mr. Rothstein.
    - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: I'll regret it even more if I keep you on.
    - Don Ward: This is not the way to treat people.
    - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: Listen, if you didn't know you were being scammed you're too fuckin' dumb to... (continue)    (continue reading)Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
    - Don Ward
  • “This guy could fuck up a cup of coffee.”Joe Pesci - Nicky Santoro
  • “When you love someone, you've gotta trust them. There's no other way. You've got to give them the key to everything that's yours. Otherwise, what's the point? And for a while, I believed, that's the kind of love I had.”
    Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
  • - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: So you're a righty?
    - Signaller: Yeah.
    - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein: Now you're gonna have to learn with your left hand.    Robert De Niro - Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
    - Signaller
Sayings
Highlights