21 & All In: Gambling & Casinos

I. Talk to a group of three students about the following questions:

1. Have you ever been to a casino? Talk about your experience. If you haven't, would you like to? Why (not)?
2. Are casinos legalized where you live? Do you agree with this decision?
3. Should casinos be prohibited? Why (not)?
4. What about lotteries?
5. What do you know about cards games? Can you play any? What are the rules?
6. Is it okay for children to play cards even if no money bets are involved?
7. Do you think the life of a professional gambler is glamorous? Justify it.
8. Casinos make a lot of money. Is it fair that clients cheat or use illegal tricks to win their bets over?
9. Should gambling be considered a disease, like an addiction, for example?


II. Talk to your partners and match the vocabulary and the definitions about gambling:

1. Banker

2. Blackjack

3. Bet

4. Chips

5. Color up

6. Hand

7. House

8. Jackpot

9. Fold

10. All-in

11. Bluff

12. Hit


( ) When a player converts chips of smaller denominations to larger denominations.

( ) the dealer in card games.

( ) The casino or any gambling facility.

( ) To throw your hand away when it's your turn to act.

( ) The cards that a player holds.

( ) to wager

( ) When a player bets all his/her chips.

( ) a table game that requires a pair of cards to total 21. A winning hand should be higher than the dealer’s cards without going over 21.

( ) The round-shaped tokens used in gaming instead of cash. These are bought at the gaming tables and converted to cash at the cashier’s booth or cage.

( ) To make other players believe that one has a better hand

( ) A big win on a slot machine.

( ) It means the player wants another card.


Answer Key: 5, 1, 7, 9, 6, 3, 10, 2, 4, 11, 8, 12


III. Watch the first segment of the movie 21 and answer the following questions:

- Describe what you saw in the segment:


1. What game are they playing? How do you know it?

2. Is the main character cheating? How do you know?

3. Is he working by himself?

4. Is he right or wrong? Why?

5. Which words presented in the vocabulary exercise could you use to describe the segment?




IV. Now watch the segment of the movie All In and answer the questions that follow:




- Describe what you saw in the segment.

1. What game are they playing? How do you know it?

2. Is the main character - the young girl - cheating? How do you know?

3. Is she working by herself?

4. Is she right or wrong? Why?

5. Which words presented in the vocabulary exercise could you use to describe the segment?

WRAP UP - CLASS DISCUSSION:


1. What do both scenes have in common and how different are they?

2. What do you think will happen to the main characters after the scenes?

3. Which of the two games is more interesting? Poker or Blackjack? Why?

4. What should happen to the main characters in the movies? Why?