Rounders Page #11

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straight up. That's not me.

- I told you, I'm always gonna

look for that edge. Always.

- What's the edge now?

We owe 15 grand in a day.

What do we do?

It's easy. We get

the f*** outta Dodge, all right?

We just steer clear

of the city for a while.

We'll hit the road. We'll be up again

in no time. This'll all blow over.

- We'll have a ball.

- Not a f***ing chance

I'm gonna live like that.

- You talk to Grama.

You get him to stake me.

- It's not gonna work, okay?

We're not dealing with Grama.

You said

Grama's on his own.

- You told me Grama's on his own.

- KGB bankrolled him.

- So you've just f***ed us

right in the ass.

- Yeah, all the way, okay?

So you see what I'm saying?

No fooling around. It's highway time.

Are you with me or not?

No, I'm not this time.

- Give me the keys.

- You're really gonna go back there?

Yeah.

I'll see you

when I see you.

Hey. At least you're

rounding again, right?

You're gonna thank me

for that someday.

[Engine Starts]

[Car Driving Away]

[Mike Narrating] Fold or hang tough.

Call or raise the bet.

These are decisions

you make at the table.

Sometimes the odds are stacked so clear,

there's only one way to play it.

Other times, like holding a small pair

against two over cards,

it's six to five,

or even money, either way.

Then it's all about feel,

what's in your guts.

Well, look at you.

Look at me.

Come in.

No.

- Where's your friend?

- Uh, he's gone.

- He's gone.

- So you brought my money?

- I'm a little short.

- How short?

The whole way.

There must be

some kind of story.

Well...

as you can see,

I can't pay you.

I see you're

banged up pretty good.

You never should've vouched

for that scumbag.

Maybe not.

- You're leaving me no outs here.

- Why?

I can't trust you two

aren't playing me.

I'm not the one

working with a partner here.

You wanna take it up with KGB,

you go right ahead.

Otherwise, you got one day,

or this'll feel like a Swedish massage.

[Door Slams]

- Hey.

- [Knish] Hey, what's up?

You look like Duane Bobick

after one round with Norton.

- What the f*** happened to you?

- Ah, Worm.

When are you

gonna listen?

I'm listening.

What do you need?

- Huh?

- I need... I need 15,000.

- Fifteen?

- Yep.

I need a blow job

from Christy Turlington.

- Get the f*** outta here. $15,000?

- Seriously, Joey.

What can you do for me?

Five hundred dollars is not

even gonna get me started.

Goddamn it, Mike, if 500 won't

help, what's two grand gonna do?

What kind of trouble

you in?

I'm in the worst kind,

with the worst guy.

- KGB?

- Yep.

Come here.

Didn't I tell you...

to never let that guy

get a hold of you?

- You told me a lot of things.

- Yeah, yeah. And you don't listen.

I tell you to play within your means,

you risk your whole bankroll.

I tell you not to

overextend yourself, to rebuild,

you go into hock for more.

I was giving you

a living, Mike,

showing you the playbook

I put together off my own beats.

That wasn't enough

for you...

This is one time I don't need

you to tell me how I f***ed up.

I know I f***ed up.

What I need from you

is money.

- I need whatever money you can give me.

- See, that's the thing.

This time

there is no money.

I give you two grand,

what's that buy you? A day?

No, I give it to you,

I'm wasting it.

- That's f***ing great.

- You did it to yourself.

You had to put it all on the line

for some Vegas pipe dream.

Yeah, I took a risk.

I took a risk.

You see all the angles.

You never have the stones to play one.

"Stones"?

You little punk.

I'm not playing for the thrill

of f***ing victory here.

I owe rent, alimony, child support.

I play for money.

My kids eat.

I got stones enough

not to chase cards, action...

or f***ing pipe dreams

of winning the World Series on ESPN.

You want me to, uh,

call some people,

try and buy you

some time, I will.

Place to stay, or the truck.

No problem.

But about the money,

I gotta do this. I gotta say no.

That's fine.

I understand.

- Hey, listen.

- What?

I put it all on the line.

That's true.

And you know what?

It wasn't a bad beat.

I wasn't unlucky.

I got outplayed.

I got outplayed that time.

But I know I'm good enough

to sit at that table.

It's not... It's not

a f***ing pipe dream.

I don't doubt your talent.

I never...

I never told anybody this.

About eight, nine months ago,

I'm at the Taj, it's late,

and I see Johnny Chan

walk in.

And he goes,

he sits 300-600.

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.

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