California Split Page #9

Just a little bit, right?

No, you want to get straight to the game?

Gotcha.

Boy, you're walking fast, man.

Good. Keeping going.

Gotta give you a little smile

every now and then.

- I won't break your concentration.

- Concentration?

This must be the place, William.

You ask the guy over here.

- Which way to the poker room?

- To your left.

Charlie, please come here a minute.

Stop wasting time.

Look, I'm not superstitious...

but touch Dumbo's trunk

before we start to play.

For me, right? Ever seen an elephant fly?

A little rub.

Okay. Oh, yes.

We're all together.

Keno?

Keno. We got to touch a little keno, too.

Who knows,

we might get the $25,000 jackpot.

- This is it?

- I think this must be the place.

I don't know

if these are past winners or losers.

- Deuce and pair.

- Ten?

William, I think it's heaven.

Hi, fellows. What can I do you for?

I'll have some J&B Scotch straight,

with some soda water on the side.

William, have a drink. It'll loosen you up.

No, I'll have some coffee.

- The coffee's right over there, honey.

- William, you are a straight dude.

Coffee. Just keep it together.

Don't get in the way of the concentration.

Ace, you're the boss.

It's a sweet game, it is. $2,000 buy-in, right?

You fellows here to drink or play?

My partner here is the player

and I guess I'm the drinker.

Hughie?

Player.

Next up.

You're low.

Let's run them down.

Let's start with the bald guy

with the moustache.

- The tightest player there.

- Absolutely right.

Percentage player,

doesn't take many chances, right?

No flair. The guy I say is part

of a two- or three-man combination.

No sweat, but if you find him after

the fourth card, you're not in the hand...

unless you've got the nuts. Right.

Cowboy. Lyndon Johnson

is definitely his hero.

I figure he owns a piece of the town.

Haberdashery, looks like

he sells cowboy hats.

He's got the rhythm of the game.

It's his rhythm, but with your

natural ability and your strength...

you don't have to let him have much.

Keep talking.

The kid? He's seen

The Cincinnati Kid too many times.

He's been trying to beat this game

from before he was born, right?

I got him. On to Specs.

He's a doctor and he's been here

playing this game forever, right?

- He'd rather lose a patient than a hand.

- Very good.

Not much of a problem,

he don't want to get involved too much.

Red Coat.

Red Coat. My call is small-time, right?

That's your chair, right? One-time buy-in

and he used to be a cha-cha dancer.

I don't know, but that guy's falling out

and that's where you're gonna sit.

Empty chair.

Who could tell? Bit of luck.

Very tall stack of chips.

A little impressive, but unless

it's Claude Rains in The Invisible Man...

and you see

your chips floating up away from you...

you know the game is too tough for us

and we go on till we hit something else.

How about Bright Eyes?

Man sitting there?

Deep drawl, Mississippi, best in the game.

I figure he learned

to play in the Ku Klux Klan...

with a big sheet over his head. Tough man.

What's the Chinaman's story?

The Chinaman. What can I say?

Looks like he's a royal prince.

His father probably made a fortune

selling frozen egg rolls, right?

When he starts talking,

when he starts yapping...

you know he's cracking.

I got to have a drink.

Give me a double Scotch, will you?

I'm beginning to feel the pressure.

- You did very well.

- You want cognac in your coffee?

Keep passing. Okay, he goes once more.

- I'm all in.

- He's all in for $70.

There goes the chair. It's the one we picked.

Goodbye, Mr. Cha-cha.

I got a straight flush going to the deuce.

- Eight and seven.

- Six high.

- Doc is the winner. You win it all, Doc.

- Too tough for me, gentlemen.

Sorry to see you go.

So long. Seat open.

You're on, baby.

And a new player.

$2,000 buy-in.

Purples are $100, reds are $20

and the yellows are $5.

He's supposed to be playing, right?

- He's a dynamite poker player.

- Is he?

He needs to be dynamite in that company.

- I'm Bob Hood.

- How are you? Bill Denny.

Good to see you, Bill.

Any major moves in the game?

Any big winners or losers?

Nothing much yet.

They only just got started yesterday.

Slim. What can I do for you?

- When do you get a break?

- Couple of hours.

- You got time, do something for me.

- Sure. Anything for you, Slim.

In the second race at Santa Anita,

there's a horse running...

and I need to make a little bet on it.

Right.

- What's the horse's name, Slim?

- Ole Blue out of chute Number Two.

- Ole Blue?

- Ole Blue out of chute Number Two.

No. Second horse

in the second race at Santa Anita.

- That's reliable information?

- Yes, sir.

- The second at Santa Anita?

- Yes, sir.

Great, thanks.

I'll put a little taste on that myself.

Good.

- You don't wanna risk it in that poker game?

- I'm playing right now.

- You're playing right now?

- That's me...

that good-looking fellow in the brown coat.

Good luck to you. I won't play hard at you.

- Let me know about the horse.

- Will do, Slim.

Is that guy for real?

Somebody told me a funny story about him.

That guy usually have

that much money on him?

Yeah, he's got a roll.

- That's the most money I ever saw.

- Mellow roll.

I hope William takes it away from him.

Oh, look down look down

That lonesome road

Okay.

Before you travel on

Yeah, look up look up

And seek your maker

Before Gabriel blows his horn

I got a good one. You're gonna like this.

Oh, look down look down

Look down, your fly is open

No, that's not right.

Well, whatever. You didn't like that?

I'm out. Excuse me.

And suddenly I banged into this...

- You got a glass of ice water?

- Too hot for you in there?

William, you make a little... Up a bit.

I can't settle down with you here.

- What are you saying?

- You got to go.

No. I mean, I got to sit here.

I'm not in the action. I got to watch.

Let me watch. Right? I gotta watch.

You're not telling me that I'm getting

in the way of your concentration, are you?

You telling me I'm interfering

with your game, right?

Oh, God. Okay, then you got to lay

$200 on me.

Give me $100, $50. Give me $25

so I can play, get into some...

Ice.

Do you want in?

Yeah. I want in.

Okay, he comes back.

We're not going to fight.

Put your coat back on.

- Now you mean business.

- I feel like playing awhile.

- Let's accelerate it a little.

- Come on, what are we here for?

- How do you do?

- Fine. How are you?

I'm very well. I'd like...

I'd like $1,000 worth of credit.

I have no account, what do I have to do?

You gotta loan on the house?

Well, I don't... What do you have to do?

I'll tell you. Then you just

give me a roll of nickels...

and I'll just kibbitz for awhile

'cause I ain't getting no credit here.

Doctor just calls. Forty to you.

Are you raising?

I got a cherry. I got two cherries.

Excuse me.

I got two cherries and nothing happened.

Pit boss?

Let me have a pit boss. Is there a pit boss?

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