Did You Catch this Iowa Mention in This HBO Max Movie?
The Card Counter is a movie that was released in September of 2021 and is now available to watch on HBO Max. It's about a gambler who travels around the United States from casino to casino, staying in random motels, while he plays poker or blackjack. He goes by the name of William Tell and we never really find out if that is his real name or not. He keeps his identity pretty private and if ever see the movie, you'll find out why.
Overall I would say it's a decent movie. The subject matter is interesting to me and I've always enjoyed movies where you find yourself cheering for the bad guy. The acting is pretty good and the story is decent but this movie moves at a terribly slow pace. It's really drawn out and can feel like it's getting long at times.
An Iowa casino was mentioned in the movie when the main character is talking about the "greatest poker hand ever played." He's talking to his younger sidekick about one of the best hands of poker he'd ever seen and the casino he mentions seeing it at is a real casino in Iowa.
Blackbird Bend Casino located in Monona County Iowa is mentioned in one of the best scenes in the movie.
At first, I wasn't sure if this was just something made up for the movie or if it was a real place and it turns out, it's a real casino. Without wanting to give too much of the movie away the main character is basically explaining this crazy hand he witnessed at the Blackbird Bend Casino and how one of the players has a 2% chance of winning and they end up getting the card they need to win the hand. He then tells his sidekick that he's never been back to Iowa since.
I thought it was pretty cool for the movie to do a little bit of research and use a legitimate casino in the state as opposed to just making something up. This movie is probably something you wouldn't want to watch around younger kids and is out now on HBO Max.