The plan was simple; gather up a bunch of old army buddies and rob all the gambling casinos on the Las Vegas strip.  This was the plot of that greatest of Rat Pack films Ocean's Eleven.   Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and the rest of the gang made the casinos their playground in real life as well.

 

The Rat Pack's favorite casino to gamble was the Sands.  This is where they hung out during the filming of Ocean's Eleven and it became the coolest spot in the universe.  The Rat Pack filmed during the day, did two live shows nightly at the Sands Casino, and drew crowds and publicity wherever they went.

 

Just picture it; Dean gliding through the casino and spotting a pretty girl gambling and informing the dealer that he would deal this hand (his days dealing blackjack back home in Steubenville, Ohio came in handy).  Or Frank holding court in the steam room after a day of filming and night of partying. 

 

Theirs was a different Las Vegas.  This was a time when the casinos catered to the true gambler.  Since the demise of the Sands in 1996, the casinos have sought to create a more family-friendly atmosphere.  The Rat Pack would have ran for the exit - can you imagine a casino as a family environment?  While it may line the pockets of the casinos, this trend is not viewed positively by the true gamer. 

 

In honor of the heist of the five casinos by the Rat Pack in Ocean's Eleven, the staff at Rat Pack Memories have reviewed dozens of online casinos and selected the five that cater most to the true gambler.  These casinos are the most honest and reliable, and offer cashback and special plays.  We have used their services and they have consistently been exceptional.  There are a lot of online casinos, but there are a few that stand out from the crowd both in playability and reliabilty. Click here to read the reviews.