Ben Affleck – card shark?

While awaiting the filming for the upcoming “Batman vs. Superman” movie, Ben Affleck decided to drop by the casinos in Vegas for some rest and relaxation. He was recently reported to have been banned from playing blackjack, as he has apparently become too good at the game. Accused of counting cards, Affleck is still welcome at the casino but is no longer allowed to play blackjack at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

It is interesting to see Affleck actually turn out to be a decent card player.  After all, his part in the movie Runner Runner was rather bland and the movie left a lot to be desired. It does seem that during his time spent filming though he did at least pick up a trick or two, or he at least found the desire to play cards as a hobby. Of course, it is not the first time Affleck has been seen at the tables, as he has participated in various World Series of Poker events over the past several years and has been known to be a big player in Vegas.

This is especially true when we introduce Matt Damon, another big card player. Obviously a good friend of Affleck, he has been seen in Vegas with him playing cards. However, his movie career has arguably been a little brighter, and he was fortunate enough to lead the classic Rounders, a much better take on the world of poker than Runner Runner. Of course, Rounders had live play instead of online play, and actually included some history. The film itself is based in history. As writer Dany Willis explains the term was popularized by the Texas Rounders, a group of players who traveled together, gambling on “anything that they could find to gamble on.”

While Damon has had a fair bit more success with gambling than Affleck, the two remain friends. In fact, Damon has acknowledged his pal’s skill in card playing. Hopefully, Affleck can transfer his skill at the poker table into skills in his upcoming movies as, despite the likes of Argo and The Town in recent years, many people still have mixed feelings on him – as the wailing after his casting as Batman proves.

Both actors enjoy large paychecks and are slated to star in upcoming big-budget movies. Affleck’s star will probably soar even higher when he appears as Batman in DC’s next certainly-to-be-a-hit movie, the sequel to Man of Steel “Batman vs. Superman”. At the moment, the movie will be released in May 2016. Well, as long as they don’t change the date—the same date applies to Marvel’s next movie, Captain America 3, which certainly had us here scratching our heads.

Damon has his share of the spotlight on the horizon, too. As much of a hit as Rounders was, Harvey Weinstein has promised the filming of a sequel, titled Rounders 2, even admitting to eyeing up Robert De Niro as the villain in a recent interview. Following his successful partnership with Miramax, Weinstein is campaigning to make sequels to a lot of old hits, and Damon seems up for the idea. While poker movies have not typically been huge blockbusters, Rounders became a cult classic in its own right and the sequel is sure to be popular as well. With the same starring cast (Damon and Ed Norton) and director (John Dahl), this is a movie to look forward to.

Whether or not Damon ends up gambling his way out the door of Las Vegas casinos like his buddy Ben Affleck remains to be seen. They’re both definitely a big fan of card games, as their repeated sightings both in Nevada and Hollywood’s versions of Vegas prove. Incidents like these show that even celebrities are just people—when it comes to the rules, at least. Having a big name and a lot money doesn’t make you all that special in Vegas, and you will get kicked out of a casino just as quickly as anyone else. Still, I’m sure we will see more of Affleck’s exploits in Vegas soon enough.