Casino Page #7

SHERBERT apologizes to ICHIKAWA and his entourage as they

all get off the jet.

SHERBERT:

Ken, I don't know what the hell went

wrong. I'm awfully sorry.

ICHIKAWA:

This is a big problem. Big problem.

SHERBERT:

I can't understand it. These

mechanical things, you know, they

happen. Hey, be-better here than

(gesturing to the sky)

up there, you know what I mean?

INT. LAS VEGAS AIRPORT RESERVATION DESK - NIGHT

SHERBERT arguing with TICKET AGENT as ICHIKAWA and entourage

look glum.

ACE (V.O.)

Then he missed the commercial flights

connecting with Japan.

AGENT:

I'm so sorry. There's a convention

in town, and all flights are booked.

SHERBERT:

A convention?

(Turning to ICHIKAWA)

I can't believe that there's a

convention. It's never... ?

ICHIKAWA:

What can I do?

EXT. TANGIERS CASINO - NIGHT

A smiling ACE greets ICHIKAWA and his entourage as they drive

up and get out of Tangiers limos.

ACE (V.O.)

We got him back ...with a whole floor

of rooms for himself.

ACE:

I'm sorry you missed the plane.

ICHIKAWA:

You want to get my money back, right?

(Chuckles)

ACE:

No, no, no. No gambling. No.

INT. TANGIERS BACCARAT TABLES - NIGHT

ICHIKAWA, with the Japanese woman, picks up some chips and

places them on the table. ACE and SHERBERT watch from behind

a barrier.

ACE (V.O.)

He bet one thousand a hand instead

of his usual thirty thousand a hand.

A dealer's hands slide two cards on the table.

DEALER:

The bank wins a natural eight over a

five.

Another dealer's hands place two chips on a table. ICHIKAWA

looks on.

ACE (V.O.)

But I knew, the trick with whales

like Ichikawa was that they can't

bet small for long. He didn't think

of it as winning ten thousand, he

thought of it as losing ninety

thousand.

ICHIKAWA places a larger bet.

ACE (V.O.)

So, he upped his bets...

A dealer picks up some chips from a rack and places them on

the table.

ICHIKAWA is now seated with stacks of chips in front of him.

ACE (V.O.)

...until he dropped his winnings

back and gave up a million of his

own cash.

DISSOLVE TO:

ICHIKAWA, hours later, his chips depleted. ACE and SHERBERT

still watch from behind the barrier as millions in chips are

back in the dealer's racks.

ACE (V.O.)

In the casino, the cardinal rule is

to keep them playing...

Move in on ACE as he smokes a cigarette.

ACE (V.O.)

...and keep them coming back. The

longer they play, the more they lose.

In the end, we get it all.

INT. TANGIERS CASINO - NIGHT

ACE, with pit bosses next to him, looks out over the huge

casino where hundreds of thousands of dollars are being poured

into machines.

ACE (V.O.)

In Vegas, everybody's gotta watch

everybody else.

Camera reveals the DEALER at a craps table.

DEALER:

Six, an easy way. Six! All right,

who's gonna give me...

The DEALER places some chips on the table.

ACE (V.O.)

Since the players are looking to

beat the casino...

THE CAMERA IS ON THE DEALER.

DEALER:

...both dice must hit that back wall

each and every roll. All right, make

a six!

CAMERA PANS TO A WOMAN AND A MAN AT THE TABLE. THE WOMAN

TOSSES SOME DICE.

ACE (V.O.)

...the dealers are watching the

players.

WOMAN:

Gimme a six!

DEALER:

Come on, baby, make a six!

A BOX MAN, seated mid-table is watching the DEALER.

ACE (V.O.)

The box men are watching the dealers.

CAMERA PANS TO THE DEALER.

DEALER:

(Humming, fielding,

every roll.)

CAMERA PANS TO A FLOOR MAN, STANDING DIRECTLY BEHIND THE BOX

MAN.

ACE (V.O.)

The floor men are watching the box

men.

CAMERA SWISH PANS TO REVEAL A PIT BOSS STEPPING IN, SCANNING

THE FLOOR.

ACE (V.O.)

The pit bosses are watching the floor

men.

SWISH PAN TO A SHIFT BOSS SURVEYING THE CASINO.

ACE (V.O.)

The shift bosses are watching the

pit bosses.

SWISH PAN TO SHERBERT.

ACE (V.O.)

The casino manager is watching the

shift bosses.

SWISH PAN TO ACE.

ACE (V.O.)

I'm watching the casino manager.

CAMERA SWISH PANS AND TILTS UP TO A VIDEO CAMERA MOUNTED

INSIDE A GLASS DOME HANGING FROM THE CEILING.

ACE (V.O.)

And the eye-in-the-sky is watching

us all.

SWISH PAN TO:

INT. TANGIERS-EYE-IN-THE SKY MONITOR ROOM - NIGHT

Video monitors show a dealer fanning a row of bills. Swish

pan to ACE and SHERBERT watching the monitor. ACE lights a

cigarette.

ACE (V.O.)

Plus...

SWISH PAN TO SURVEILLANCE CATWALKERS ADJUSTING CAMERAS AND

SPYING ON PLAYERS BELOW WITH BINOCULARS.

ACE (V.O.)

...we had a dozen guys up there,

most of them ex-cheats, who knew

every trick in the house.

INT. TANGIERS CRAPS TABLE - NIGHT

Ginger squeals as she throws the dice across the table.

HIGH ROLLER:

Come on, come on.

She rolls a winner.

GINGER:

Yes!

HIGH ROLLER:

Thank you. Very nice.

GINGER:

(Chuckles)

I told you I was hot tonight.

INT. TANGIERS EYE-IN-THE-SKY MONITOR ROOM - NIGHT

Sound out:
The monitor shows GINGER and the HIGH ROLLER

cheering, she throws her arms around him. The crowd goes

crazy.

SWISH PAN TO ACE LOOKING ON INTENTLY.

On screen, GINGER's hand sneaks a chip from the rack and

subtly moves it towards her purse.

INT. TANGIERS CRAPS TABLE - NIGHT

Sound in:
GINGER slips the chip quietly into her bag.

HIGH ROLLER:

(Off-screen)

Let's go. This is for Ginger. Come

on. This is for Ginger.

The HIGH ROLLER notices GINGER's hand on her purse. She

pretends to have taken out her lipstick.

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