Rounders Page #11

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And the whole place stops

when Johnny Chan walks in.

Everybody puts

an eye on him.

After a little while,

there wasn't a crap game going...

'cause all the high rollers

are over there watching him.

Some are playing with him, giving

away their money to this guy to say...

"Oh, I played

with the World Champion."

And you know what I did?

I sat down.

Nah, you need 50, 60 grand

to play right in that game.

Well, I had six,

but I had to know.

What happened?

Played tight for an hour. I folded

mostly, and then I made a score.

- Wired aces or kings?

- Rags.

I had nothing.

But he raised.

And I just decided, you know,

I don't care about the money.

I'm just gonna

outplay the guy.

I'm just gonna outplay

this guy this hand.

- I re-raised.

- Re-raise.

- You played right back at him, huh?

- Oh, yeah.

And he just comes right

back over the top of me,

trying to bully me like

I'm some f***ing tourist.

I hesitate for two seconds.

I re-raised.

And he makes a move toward his checks,

and he looks at me.

And he looks at his cards,

and he looks at me again.

And he mucked it.

I took it down.

"Did you have it?"

"I'm sorry, John. I don't remember."

I got up, and I walked

to the cashier.

I sat with the best

in the world, and I won.

You put a f***ing move on Chan,

you son of a b*tch.

So that's why you made

that run on KGB's place.

That's right.

And I'll do it again

if I can.

Well, then I'm rooting

for you, Mike.

I'll see you around,

Knish.

This is temporary?

Will you be back next semester?

Oh, I think we

both know I'm no lawyer.

I hope my story

didn't discourage you.

No. It inspired me.

I think I was on my way out anyway.

- But now you're here.

- That's right.

- You're in trouble?

- Yes, sir, I am.

Uh, not with the law.

I owe.

- A gambling debt?

- Yeah.

It's not mine. It's, uh...

I vouched for the wrong guy.

Um, so now it's on me.

I understand.

So, what will it take

for you to be free of this?

- I need 15,000 tonight.

- Michael!

Michael!

- You know, I'm not

a wealthy man, Michael.

- I know.

And it kills me

to ask you, but...

I don't have

any other play here.

So, uh, if you can

help me at all...

I hate to see you

like this.

I want to help you, Michael.

But $15,000, l... l...

I know.

[Sighs]

If it must be tonight,

then ten

is the best I can do.

Would you do that?

When my mother

let me leave the yeshiva,

it nearly broke her.

But she knew...

She knew the life I had to lead.

To do that for another

is a mitzvah.

And for that, I owe.

So you take this money...

and you get yourself

out of this trouble.

You hear me?

I know you can.

l... I promise that I'm gonna...

I'll pay you back.

Good luck.

[Mike Narrating]

I've often seen these people,

these squares, at the table.

Short-stacked and long odds against,

all their outs gone,

one last card in the deck

that can help them.

I used to wonder how they could let

themselves get into such bad shape...

and how the hell they thought

they could turn it around.

Just walking in here

makes me queasy.

The brick walls.

The f***ing mopes at the tables.

The musty smell. I feel like Buckner

walking back into Shea.

But what choice do I have?

So, you have my money?

- I owe you that money tomorrow, right?

- Da.

So it's still mine.

For the next eight hours,

it is yours.

But if you

don't have it all by then,

then you are mine.

Well...

I got $10,000.

I'm looking for a game.

- You sure?

- You heard me.

So, we'll play. Heads up.

We both start

with a couple of racks.

Blinds, uh, 25 and 50?

And we don't stop

until one of us has it all.

Let's do it.

[Cards Shuffling]

I'm gonna raise.

Thousand straight.

Very aggressive.

A new day.

And you won't be pushed around.

[Chuckling]

But... I re-raise.

Five thousand.

[Mike Narrating] Doyle Brunson says,

"The key to No-Limit...

is to put a man to a decision

for all his chips."

Teddy's just done it.

He's representing aces,

the only hand better than my cowboys.

I can't call and give him

a chance to catch.

I can only fold,

if I believe him. Or...

I re-raise. I'm all in.

Take it down.

In a heads-up match,

the size of your stack is almost as

important as the quality of your cards.

I chopped one of his legs out

in the first hand.

- Now all I have to do is lean

on him until he falls over.

- Check.

Bet a thousand.

Call. I'll call.

Check.

What's that, 2,500 there?

I'm gonna tap your tap.

Jacks up.

Very good.

Good hand.

Catching that Jack

on the turn.

- You got lucky there.

- Yep, it was luck.

So, that's it then, hmm?

Just like a young man

coming in for a quickie.

I feel so unsatisfied.

I'm sorry.

You must feel proud

and good.

Strong enough

to beat the world.

- I feel fine.

- Me too. I feel okay.

'Course maybe we check

with one other guy, see how he feels.

Grama!

I thought I smelled him.

I'll take what's ours.

'Course you could

let it ride, Mike.

Take your chances.

You could let this happen, Grama?

Sure, partner.

He still has till morning

to make good.

Uh, you know what? I got my

five grand here. That's just fine by me.

- I'm going home.

- Fine.

It's a f***ing joke anyway.

After all, I am paying you

with your money.

- What did you say?

- Your money.

I am still up 20 grand...

from this last time

I stick it in you.

[Mike Narrating] They're trying

to goad me, trying to own me.

But this isn't a gunfight.

It's not about pride or ego.

It's only about money.

I can leave now,

even with Grama and KGB...

and halfway

to paying Petrovsky back.

That's the safe play.

I told Worm you can't lose

what you don't put in the middle.

- Deal 'em.

- But you can't win much either.

Checks!

- [Mike] Double the blinds?

- Yeah.

Table stakes.

Good. Feel free

to reload at any time.

[Speaking Russian]

You must

be kicking yourself...

for not walking out

when you could.

Bad judgment.

But...

don't you worry, son.

It will all be over soon.

Okay.

Check.

No check here.

I tap you.

I'm laying

this down, Teddy.

Top two pair.

It's a monster hand,

and I'm gonna lay that down...

'cause you got two-four, and I'm

not gonna draw against a made hand.

Lays down a monster.

Should have paid me off

on that.

Why the f*** did you

lay that down?

Wow.

Not hungry?

Mr. Son of a B*tch.

Let's play some cards.

[Mike Narrating]

The rule is this:

You spot a man's tell,

you don't say a f***ing word.

I finally spotted KGB's.

And usually I would've let him

go on chewing those Oreos

till he was dead broke.

But I don't have that kind of time.

I've only got till morning.

Not even Teddy KGB's immune

to getting a little rattled.

Enough is enough, Teddy.

Finish the f***ing kid off.

Hanging around.

Hanging around.

Kid's got alligator blood.

Can't get rid of him.

No, I'm not going anywhere.

Double the blind.

Okay.

I call.

Check.

Two grand.

All right, I'll call the two grand.

I'll gamble.

Don't splash the pot.

You're on a draw, Mike?

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