Original subtitles

This program contains some material that many parents would find unsuitable for

children under 14 years of age. Parents are strongly urged to exercise greater

care in monitoring this program and are cautioned against letting children under

the age of 14 watch unattended.

Previously on Tilt.

Where did you go?

Where the hell are you?

Listen, Seymour's waiting.

He said to get all you guys.

I'm out. Excuse me, Matador? Yeah.

Your book's the reason I'm here. Would you sign it for me?

Oh, sure.

This ain't America, kid. This is Vegas.

We're trying to build a bankroll, Seymour, all right? We're going to hurt

matador. It's a cash game. You've got to get out of the kiddie pool and start

making moves.

We're going to do this. Oh, it's payback time.

I see you about getting into a game.

It's a high -stakes area.

You might be more comfortable down there playing a few sets.

I'm looking for a no -limit game.

Up here, we spread a 50 -hundred game. The swings can get pretty rough.

Guess I'll need chips.

A law enforcement officer into a game with us. I saw he was a sucker and you

beat him out of his stake.

He bought a lousy eight grand in my game.

I want you to lose this to him in a public place at a table with Tropical

You got moves.

Moves. Yeah.

Cash? No.

I can stake you. Luke, put up security tape on table two.

From two nights ago, about 10 o 'clock.

Sir, those tapes were wiped.

Wiped? We reached them on schedule.

Who moved up the schedule?

Who told you to do it? I will leave you here, leaking on the concrete.

Who the hell now?

The matador.

Cleaning you all over the place.

What are you up to, and who are you working for?

Who do you work for, but you want to try for two?

No! Seymour Anderson!

Seymour!

Seymour Anderson!

I'll say this.

There's no such thing as a poker pro.

No matter what Norman Chad says on the telecast, it's a total myth.

I butter my bread with guys like this.

They come out here by the plane load, the bus load, the car

load.

They think they got the game clocked because they can riffle chips with

hand.

Bet? 200.

Call.

Brunson, Gus Hanson, Nadell.

Ain't nothing special.

Watch them on TV back at my house in Aliquippa.

It's just so freaking obvious to me that they're bluffing. I know, man. I can

always tell what they've got.

Oh, sure.

It's obvious when ESPN is showing you their hole cards.

There's no hole card cam here.

You want to know what I'm holding, you're going to have to read my face.

Little advice, kid.

If you're going to wear the shades to keep me from looking at your eyes, don't

adjust the frames whenever you catch an ace.

Oh.

Oh, honey.

Don't give your stack a handjob every time you're going to raise.

Why not? I raised $500.

But Aliquippa, you're the best.

You don't know it, but tonight, you're my ATM.

Pump it up.

Attaboy.

I'll hang in.

Call.

Call.

I bet.

A thousand to go.

I'm all in.

I believe him.

Me too.

It's your big mistake.

You're letting him off the hook.

This is how you should handle a bull.

Should I call?

Never ask a barber if you need a haircut.

Because the answer is always yes.

Aha, see that? You told me everything.

I call.

Club, who are you and I?

The king.

Next case.

You know someone once said, if they're helpless and can't defend themselves,

you're in the right game.

When you put the Tudor girls to the river, they're bound to get cracked from

time to time.

You should always keep something in reserve.

Excuse me?

Tudor girls? Oh, they were the queens of England.

Played them pretty hard against me.

Yeah,

I remember.

Surprised you do.

Well, you came on real strong. You made an impression.

Didn't get your name, though.

Eddie Towne.

Eddie?

Don Everson.

Eddie Towne.

You weren't just beat.

You were cheated.

You made an impression on another fellow, too.

Old Tropical Henry.

Told you about me.

No, he didn't tell me, Dick.

He was too busy waving that money all over the place.

I've known Henry for many years.

Staked him to a lot of games.

I know he didn't win it on his own.

Then it became obvious where it came from.

So you're his bank.

It'll be yours, too.

I'm listening.

Not here.

What did I do?

You asked for a game, I put you in one. Now I'm humping quarters because you

don't own a hardware store. You're a cop.

You steered me.

You set me up in a rigged game. I tried to talk you out of playing that game.

Now what do you want?

Information.

About how it works, who's involved.

Who, you?

Who, me?

You know what happens to the outside man when the pressure builds up on the

guy's inside?

I don't know and I don't care.

He gets thrown to the wolves.

Get

up.

You keep messing with us, you'll wind up like that net bar crapple.

And damn.

Why two?

First, because of how you look. Second, because it means you're canceling

dinner. You got a game, right?

What makes you say that?

Come on, Maya.

Only time you dress like that is if you want the table to think you're playing

with daddy's money.

Come on. Let me in on it.

I'll give you some easy action.

What did you do? I was angling.

You ever turn it off?

I'm from here for it to turn it off.

South Philly, right?

Yeah. Yeah, Philly.

Lawrence Hill.

William Regan.

You know, when I heard Ted was going to be rooming with the son of the

university department chair, I'll tell you, I was thrilled.

At least there's one room on campus that won't be party central.

I hope not. Nice to meet you both.

Excuse me.

Listen.

Don't think I don't know.

The pressures that come with being my son, especially on this campus.

But also remember this.

I didn't have the benefit of an example to follow.

I had to get to where I am by scraping and fighting. There were no Dr. Marshall

in the walk in the Ivy League halls when I arrived. Look, I know, Pop.

Okay, the hard work forged you.

I ain't afraid of it either.

Eight.

First is the Argo of the streets.

Then the streets themselves that lure the privileged clean it up, son.

I've given you the gift of a good name.

Don't embarrass it.

Well, you made it out.

Yeah. Yeah, I rose up out of it somehow.

Seymour says there's a pretty decent 30 -60 pot limit game being spread at the

Colorado tonight.

Mm -hmm.

Okay.

Better watch out.

Hope you don't get swept up by hotel security dressed like that.

Not a hotel.

Not a hotel, huh?

I'm supposed to see you about my bill? Your bill has been taken care of.

It's good they're friends in a hospital. You never know when you'll need them.

Sam. Oh, look at you.

I never should have brought you around this.

Sit down.

I asked to be.

Besides, I got sloppy.

Might as well have given them directions.

Did my name come up?

Who do you work for?

Yeah,

forget about it.

What happens now?

You disappear.

Where am I gonna go?

That better be your little secret.

I don't have any money.

No, you do.

Keep it under your hat.

How long do I need to stay for?

Just until it's done.

Then we work together again, right?

Yeah, we work together again.

I'll do better next time.

I know you will.

Let's get out of here.

Miami. Hey, Phil.

Nice to see you. Come on in.

We've got a last -minute arrival. Table's full, but it should open up

Thank you.

Now, see, you and those jacks are like Fat Joe and the KFC, man. You can't lay

off even though you know they're killing you.

Excuse me, gentlemen.

My name's Clark.

How nice for you.

So you like to watch that big voice play, huh?

Even more fun to watch them lose.

How'd you find this game?

Friend took me off.

Seymour said no doubling up. You're beefing my action. My action now.

What are you doing here?

$5 ,000 buy -in with a bunch of stupid conventioneers who take a drink after

every hand they play.

This is my game. You know, I think we settled that.

Actually, I heard there's a pretty decent 30 -60 pot limit game being

over at the Colorado.

You should check it out.

You

know

what? On second thought, I'm feeling kind of antsy. I'm not going to wait

I'll catch you next time. Sure thing, dear.

So, Eddie, did you know that when the French invented playing cards, that

each suit stood for a different class of society?

I mean, the hearts represented the church, the spades symbolized the army,

diamonds were the aristocracy, and the clubs, the peasants.

Six hundred years later, not much has changed.

Clubs are still bleeding to the diamonds and being reassured by the hearts that

the spades are protecting their interests.

Ah, plus the chants, right? Oh, hey, that's good French, Eddie.

I used to hear my Spanish.

Yeah.

So, uh, so you got face to face.

You understand the next move?

Yeah.

I'm not going to kiss his ass.

He's surrounded by that. Sick of it.

Yeah, that's what you kids want to think, that, oh, people hate Gatsby, but

believe me, Eddie, when your ass is used to getting a tongue bath, it's real

hard to go back to the shaman.

Now, you've got to win him money at the table. That is all he's going to respond

to. Yeah, I can do that. Good. I know you can.

Crackle, okay?

Just heard some talk around the tables.

Yeah, yeah, that was my fault. I was going to tell you.

Are you rethinking this? Because I would understand if you were.

No.

I'm not sure what Henry's told you about my approach.

Not a word.

Oh!

Never even said approach.

Anyway, what I do know is that there's a lot of people out there gunning for me.

And believe me, baby, they're gunning.

I'm a big trophy.

Some people may even try to cheat me.

So I need to be protected.

Keep things even.

Agreed?

Hey, I'm not here to disagree.

When I see a strong young player with the makings of becoming a real pro, I'll

put him in a game.

I'll bankroll him.

Take a piece of him.

50 % of the winnings is mine.

It's kind of like the farm system of poker.

If you sit with me, you play to win.

But you got to watch my back also.

Keep the momentum going.

Keep things on even keel. Make sure the scales don't tip too far to one side.

I think he understood what I meant when I said the word even.

What do you think?

Sure.

But why me?

You got a good table image.

You're kind of like a new breed.

When I sit down at a table with all those dirt kickers, you'd think the

just came to town.

With you and I, it would be different. Red state, blue state.

You know what I mean?

No, I have no idea.

I think you might have made a mistake there, Henry.

I could get to liking this kid.

Even Wally Pipp wasn't dumb enough to bring Lou Gehrig to batting practice.

Hanging in my basement next to the six -point Buckeye bag last winter. I think

you can help me make that happen.

I don't hunt.

My brother was Wayne Nickel.

He tried to get you to help him before Everest had him murdered.

I read about him. Look, I feel bad for you if that's the way it happened, but I

never met him.

You're going to help me prove what my brother couldn't.

You ran the sportsbook at the Colorado.

Lowball worked for you and Everest had a piece.

You know where the bodies are buried. I don't know. I can't help.

I know an associate of yours got busted up by Everest.

I want him on the record about it.

Look, I can't tell you what I don't know.

Does Everest cheat or worse?

Got rumors.

You want more information?

Go spread some money around. There's plenty of people who know things who'd

happy to tell you for a few bucks.

You're talking to an old man trying to figure out a way to make his life work

a town that has long since passed him by.

Good luck, pal.

Do you, um, do you have that K7, Brad?

Yes, I do.

I bet the pot.

Huh.

Me too.

Hi, Paul.

I lied about having the seven.

Yeah, well, me too.

You thinking about whether or not to bet?

Oh, I know I'm going to bet. I'm just thinking about whether or not I'm going

take you to dinner after I win this hand.

Why don't we decide that later?

I bet the pot.

Which I do believe puts you all in.

I call.

I got the king.

Me too.

So we split it. It's meant to be.

I also have the ace.

Well, we're still on for dinner tonight, right?

Let's have to hit the ATM. Oh, I'm sorry, Brad. I only date card players.

Yeah? Well, I am a card player. No.

You play cards.

Different.

That's no way to conduct a lap dance.

No, you tease them during the first song.

You wait for the second song to lose the top.

Then when they're ready to pop and the third song hits, that's when you drop

everything else.

Maximum payday.

But I don't think it's going to matter in this case because I'm still bendable,

so you're not hireable.

Next.

Who's next?

I am.

You're not next.

And you won't be able to wait for the second song once you see these.

Wanda Cole.

Come on, just take a quick look.

Wanda, let's see what you've got under the hood, please.

I've been waiting here all morning. And you're going to keep waiting.

I told you we might not get FDA approval on the first go -round. It's part of

the risk of these pharmaceutical options.

Neil, I don't need a primer on derivatives.

No. What you need to do is satisfy your margin call.

$20 ,462.

I've kept my guys down at settlement off you, but they're not going to wait

forever.

How much longer do I have?

If you're not holding that closing bell today, I'll start amending the rest of

your account.

Liquidating your blue chips.

First thing tomorrow.

Lately She

bastard

You suck.

Oh, that's a very nice thing to say.

You're getting in the way of my plan.

This is a private conversation.

Why don't you sit down?

Young lady, do you really think that anyone in this town would ever hire my

daughter to dance and parade around on some show stage?

I need money to live a certain way.

You've got a big living space and plenty of spending money.

What do you want?

I can live.

How much do you need?

A stack and a half.

A stack and a half?

I don't suppose that's enough to ensure that I'm not going to find out that

you're part of a two -girl act at the Desert Dream show palace, huh?

Maybe.

How about having dinner with me?

Well, I have these now.

I put a little 21 tonight.

Why don't you do that after dinner?

Probably could.

You

can

look up now, Eddie.

You're going to love this.

Omega -3s from fish oil, spirulina, prune juice, and kelp.

Liver detoxifiers.

It's making me picture it looking to you.

Come on, drink it.

Reoxygenates the blood after all that dead air in the casinos.

Huh? No, it keeps your mind sharp.

Because if we are not sharp, we are going to get gutted.

Are you worried?

Of course.

Tulane, how are you?

But I always knew this is where it could come apart.

No amount of planning can prepare Eddie for what it's really like on the inside.

When you're running with the matador, nothing's off limits.

Point at it, it's yours.

Cash, your pockets are packed with it.

Action, as much as you can choke down.

Broads, forget it.

So how's a kid gonna keep his head on straight with all that at his feet?

You think he's gonna get sucked in? Of course he's gonna.

The question is, can he pull himself out the other side?

Mark. Sir.

So, how'd you do?

Winning session.

Uh, no, it didn't go my way.

That's all.

This is a new day.

I want you to go to the house of Ching.

House of Ching?

I don't feel like chow me.

Then don't order any.

See, when dealers get off shift, they go there to play a two -table, $1 ,000 buy

-in, no limit.

With patience, you can pick them off.

Okay, I'll get after it.

I need to go.

Yeah? Mm -hmm.

See you later.

Hey.

Hey!

Bad enough you stole my game, but now you're hiding the profits, too? Look, I

told you I didn't win.

You forget my friend Phil runs that game, and he said you cracked it for 20

grand. What do you want?

The pockets are empty.

All right? You know, we all chose a profession. We're not giving a damn

another person's positive.

And I think that's the part you like best, just being up for yourself at the

table. And you know what? So do I.

But in this case, it's not helping. We're supposed to be in this together.

What, so you think you got a read on me now?

Huh?

I'll take the stairs.

All right, move the line on Denver. Just took six times from McCann the other

way.

The signals want to get down in Cleveland.

No, already kicked off. Action's closed.

Seize all of that. There will be formal proceedings.

It can all count on expulsion.

You are a selfish young man.

Forget what it does to my reputation. You've taken these young men down into

your gutter with you.

What is it, Clark?

It's just the money.

I didn't give you enough.

It's not about what I'm giving.

It's about what I can get.

For myself. It's what you always talked about. Doing it on my own.

Well, you're on your own.

Good luck.

Pooker has put us in the middle of a genuine phenomenon.

And Don Everest is threatening that.

You've got tournaments on TV every single night.

It's the only thing my kids will watch.

You've got online poker getting more hits than porno sites.

This is ground zero for poker. And once they're here, we got them. So, what

we've got here is a threshold moment.

It's like golf was in the 50s.

You know, back then, the players used to make deals with each other all the

time.

The final pair would just cut up the prize money so they could both eat.

until the TV money got so big that everybody's eating steak anyway.

And then they cleaned up their act, because they realized that under public

scrutiny, even the slightest hint of collusion would bring down their sport.

I thought you had to work up a sweat before something could be called a

I'm just saying, you know, poker's not a backroom game anymore.

It's in the spotlight.

And the Gaming Commission's going to be looking at it closer, too.

If we keep treating it like it is, it's going to disappear.

It's going to take all those nice new pockets with it.

The reason this casino is ground zero for poker is we have a legend of the

who plays here every day.

He's like the damn Pied Piper. People follow him wherever he goes. And I don't

want them following him to another casino.

And the reason I pay you is to deal with it.

And to deal with the Gaming Commission.

So, anything else?

No.

No, Jimmy, no.

I saw something special in your career.

It said no one's ever been able to pick up a tell on you.

Oh, hell, I'm easy to read.

I smile when I got a good hand, and I drown like hell when I get a bad one.

So that's your secret?

Yep, that's all there is.

I call.

Me too.

I know what that means.

That diamond hit you, didn't it, Don?

I'm not telling you.

Nothing.

It's a hell of a laydown I'm making.

Throwing away two pair.

I'm not drawn for a full house against that.

Made flush.

That was a quality play.

Congratulations.

Don't watch too many of those specials.

I'm going to have to start worrying about you.

At least I can say I'm losing to the best.

He is the best.

Oops.

You had rags?

Nothing? You're not mad at me, are you?

Let's see if you can bluff me out of another pot today.

That was great coffee housing out there.

We had old Jungle Jim on tilt.

Just keeping things on that even keel you were talking about.

You made your flush though, didn't you?

That obvious?

Why'd you throw it away then?

I just thought that's how it worked. You think I'm a cheater?

Guess I misunderstood.

But I'd take luck out of the game if I could.

Truth is, without luck, I'd never lose.

I was okay with that for a real long time.

I figured it was just part of the game and part of life in general.

Then one day a few years ago, I was heads up against this kid, a little

-waisted son of a millionaire.

Thought he was Amarillo Slim or something like that.

And I had him beat, and all in hand, two cards out of 48 would help him.

And wouldn't you know it, perfect catch.

He goes runner, runner on me and wins on the long shot.

It's 989 to 1. He hits both those cards.

And if that's not bad enough, takes the money, my money.

Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, he starts dancing around like some kind of

a crazy animal.

Like, who's the matador now?

Where's my cape?

Yeah, well, what can you do? That's poker.

Well, I guess that's a small -time way of thinking of it.

If you think the game starts when you buy your chips, I kind of figure it

when you get up in the morning, and I don't think it's over even when you walk

away from the table.

That's yours.

This is 5 ,000. Yeah.

Hi.

Oh, hey.

I guess that probably turned into a yes, huh? I thought I'd throw you a bone.

Oh.

This is Eddie.

This is my daughter, Dee.

Hey.

So you work for my father now?

I don't work for him.

He's just a young poker player. A very promising young poker player.

Would you grab my jacket and I'll see you outside?

No problem.

You look promising.

So, uh, if you don't work for him, maybe I could put you to work.

Well, there are some jobs I am willing to do.

I need to know where someone went.

Why am I going to tell you that?

For that.

Now, how am I supposed to recognize the passenger?

He doesn't have a face you'd forget.

You tricked me at the table last night, huh? I was just playing poker, nothing

personal. Oh, no, no, no.

Poker's I bet, you bet. Not I bet, you know what I mean?

You make your eyelashes at me, make me think I get to screw you later.

Threw me off my game, right? Learned to concentrate. No, you insulted me. Oh.

Took my mind off the game.

You think you know me?

Huh? You don't know me.

You don't know how committed to something I can be. Oh, I want it.

Listen, you cost me money, a lot of money.

You're going to pee me back one way or another. Let go. Are you hearing me?

Huh? Let go.

Hey. I don't think the lady is enjoying your conversation very much.

All right. So why don't you just take it on down the road?

All right. Look.

Got to keep the roughneck element out of here.

You all right?

Yeah. Table disagreed.

Yeah, well.

Part of getting it done is letting them believe that it was their fault that

they lost.

And not that you took them.

It's good for repeat business.

Thanks. All right.

Don.

I bet you had a real sweet game going on over here. It's not picking up for you,

Don.

Oh, come on, you know me.

I don't mind picking up a few small parts on the way to the big one. Yeah,

game's getting stale. It's about to break.

Yeah.

Maybe I'll freshen it up a little bit. Hey, come on, Don.

My father's in the county. He's just a couple of grand for raising his bail.

Looks like she's got enough there to bail us both out.

Who knows? Maybe I'll be the answer to her prayers.

Let's play.

I should have never stole your game.

You all right?

How'd you come up with it anyway, another game?

No, I was just saying, I, uh...

Restructure my portfolio.

Too young to be carrying blue chips anyway.

It's our money now.

This is going to Seymour to hold.

Seymour.

You treat him better than a father.

Why?

Oh, come on. I deserve to know what I'm a part of.

Seymour and Everest used to run the sportsbook at the Colorado when I met

He wasn't going to win any Samaritan of the Year awards, but something about me

must have gotten to him.

My father was locked up, and I almost had his bail money when Matador cleaned

out.

That's raw.

The next day, there was a betting slip with a note from Seymour that said to

cash it right away.

It was a $40 ,000 winning ticket on a game that had already gone off.

He'd both dated it.

Nice.

The next day when I went to cash it, they wouldn't honor it and Seymour was

gone.

And I heard that he'd been beaten almost to death and was in a hospital outside

of town.

That Everest and the rest of them had done it to him.

And what about your pops?

He died in jail.

Seymour lost everything trying to help me.

The point is, whatever he was before, he's a good man.

See, that's half the point.

Other half is that I mean if you cross the matador even a little bit he will

take you out That's what you want to do now What do you think?

Let's do the best thing there to do in a

hotel room $500 freeze -out. Yeah.

Oh, but hey

You'll have to spot me that buy -in.

I've known my daddy to run with a high -ruling crowd, but this is a whole new

thing.

Well, maybe I was just waiting for somebody who likes to play 21.

Drink?

I don't think so.

Not on your daddy's home field.

Where then?

Honey, it's me.

I'm going to need you to wire some money.

Twelve hundred.

I know I said I was coming home, but now things have developed.

I realize he was a son of a bitch much of the time, but he was my brother

than that.

I'll sell my Winchester when I get home. Just wire it.

Fine, you sell it.

Just send the money.

I can't come back now. I'm getting closer.

I miss you too.

Love your kids for me.

Donnie.

Just like you said.

I put a man on him. He's not going anywhere.

When were those taken?

Less than 24 hours ago.

There he goes.

This could hurt us.

Yep.

Most players don't know their risk tolerance.

They fool themselves into putting up more of their bankroll than they're

comfortable with.

And this causes them to play tight when they should play loose and press when

they fall behind.

Thing is, if you're not comfortable at a certain height, you're going to get

crushed.

But you can handle it.

And I mean really handle it so that your heart's at 60 beats a minute when

everything you've got's in the middle of the table.

Then you know the difference between sleepwalking and really being alive.

I'm trying to show you to somebody all day.

On the next Tilt. Boy, McIntyre just flew in from Australia.

My line of credit here is over ten million dollars.

One visit from this guy bumps up our fiscal quarter. Get him in here. Going

a game like that with less than a million dollars is like shooting

with a pop gun.

Look, I need a hundred cash for a venture I'm getting into. When you took

company funds to play that Matador guy, you forfeited the raft.

Well, there are two ways we can play this then.

Pretend it didn't happen, or...

Admit that it was fun and enjoy the ride.

Which is it going to be?

I need you to play. It's a high -altitude game.

How high?

300 ,000 by him minimum. I'm sitting in the big game, and he's bankrolling me,

and I keep half my take.

Guess who's back in town?

Our old pal Seymour.

Bad news.

You can't win alone here. I'm not out here.

It doesn't matter how good you are. I won't stop.

I don't care if the police here refuse to help me. I'll do it myself.

Mac, let me ask you a question.

With all you got, Why do you got to play me so hard?

You're the only man who's ever consistently beaten me at anything.

And that can't stand.

I'm all in.

You know, blood is blood. I don't begrudge him his effort, but he's going

wake up Everest if he hasn't already.

And we are coming to the hard part.

It's a private session.

I just want to have a little chat with my friend.