Rounders Page #12

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- 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?

Go away.

This one

is not good for you.

And in my club, I will splash the pot

whenever the f*** I please.

Okay.

[Sighs]

I'm gonna check, Teddy.

That's right.

Big daddy...

bets...

the pot.

That's 4,400.

All right, I'm gonna call you, or else

I won't respect myself tomorrow morning.

Respect is all you'll have left

in the morning.

Last card coming.

Check.

It hurts, doesn't it?

You can't believe

what fell.

All your dreams... dashed.

Hopes down

the f***ing drain.

Your fate, he is sitting

right beside you.

That ace could not

have helped you.

[Chips Rattling]

I bet it all.

You're right, Teddy.

The ace didn't help me.

I flopped

a nut straight.

Motherf***er!

[Speaking Russian]

- Motherf***er! That is it!

- [Grama] That's it?

What the f***

you talking about?

- Take him down, Teddy.

- Nyet! Nyet! No more!

No! Not tonight!

This son of b*tch,

all night he check, check, check.

He trapped me!

Well, you feeling

satisfied now, Teddy?

'Cause I can go on

busting you up all night.

Nyet! Nyet!

He beat me.

Straight up.

Pay him.

Pay that man his money.

Turned my ten grand

into just over 60.

Paid 15 to Grama, six went back

to the Chesterfield.

As for Worm,

well, I figure we're even.

And after the ten going back

to the professor,

I'm back where I started,

with three stacks of high society.

Hey.

- You look like hell.

- Ah, well, you should've

seen me yesterday.

- Are you okay?

- Yeah, I'm okay. You?

Now I am.

So, you're

outta here, huh?

Yeah, I'm... I figure

there's nothing left for me here.

Listen, um, will you

give this to Petrovsky?

I... didn't want to wake him up.

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