Sucker Page #5

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What would he say if he could see you now?

But what you really want to know

is if a girl like me

could ever be with a boy like you.

Could you? I mean, do you like me?

No.

Aren't you gonna call my bluff?

And follow your

own heart now

Always

I remember you

Slow down

And try to tell the truth

I have a good poker face.

You act angry when you're lonely,

which is most of the time.

You don't want to play the

Badger, but he told you to.

Your mum left you when you were little.

And one day... One day you'll

have the guts to leave too.

But not yet.

(sighs)

It's only business.

Come on.

LAWRENCE (narrating): The most lucrative

con we ever pulled was the Badger.

Sarah played the Mack.

The suckers were businessmen,

married and in town for business.

All kinds of business.

- Hit me.

- What?

Hit me.

(sighs)

You f***ing liar!

- Don't call me a liar.

- I trusted you.

So I lied to you. Big deal.

- I thought you loved me.

- Grow up. People cheat.

- Go back to the motel.

- What if you need help?

Go back to the motel.

LAWRENCE (narrating): The Badger

followed the five steps of a con,

but was different in

one important respect.

In the Badger, the

suckers roped themselves.

Hey.

LAWRENCE (narrating): The Badger

doesn't rely on a sucker's greed.

It plays on a different

instinct altogether.

You're in a hurry.

You are... so beautiful.

Do you have anything to drink?

Uh, yeah. Yeah, sure.

LAWRENCE (narrating): When

the moment was right,

the Professor would

barge into the room,

claiming to be her father.

The Badger was the one

time he told the truth.

Oh, no.

He'd tell some story

about how she was only 16,

threaten to talk to his

family, his work, the press.

And the sucker would always pay.

Through the nose. Guaranteed.

Please.

But the worst thing about the

Badger was that it was so effective.

We played it night after night.

It's only business.

Share the risk, share the reward.

Hmm.

Dinnertime.

- They grow up so quickly.

- Mmm.

- Hello, Henry.

- Sarah, my dear.

You look more like your mother every day.

Lawrence, this is the Birdman.

Hello.

Are you sure you're ready

for this, Master Lawrence?

- (chuckles)

- (chuckles)

It's an international affair.

Elmsley's in again, and, um,

some serious gambling junkie from Dubai.

And then of course there's Riley.

Now what about the, uh...

Ah, let's eat.

I'll do what I have to to get

you the cards that you need.

Bet big on my deal, but

do not try being creative.

For you, this is just

about good card playing.

- So I've learned it all for nothing?

- They'll carve you up.

At the end, it'll just be

you and me playing cards.

(chattering)

(dance)

[ Riley ] Beautiful.

Isn't she?

Who are you?

You know who I am.

And I know who you are.

What do you want?

A drink.

You should stop following that old

fool around. It's got no future.

- He's not a fool.

- He's always been a fool. Now he's an old one.

- He'll beat you.

- (chuckling)

Let me see. The Little

Red Riding Hood game?

Perhaps a little cold tea in a hip flask?

You play your little game.

I'm going to win anyway.

(continues)

Ever been in love, Lawrence?

No.

(chuckles) I knew it.

You have to work on that tell of yours.

Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me.

Love.

It can make a man do things...

things he will later regret.

I don't think the Professor's

ever likely to forgive you.

Sour old bastard got

what was coming to him.

I'm talking about that little baby girl.

My daughter.

That's right.

He hasn't told you that, has he?

So, Lawrence,

is my secret safe with you?

May the best man win.

Hey, stop!

Lawrence? What are you doing here?

You're in serious trouble. She's only 17.

I'm afraid the only course of

action available to me, sir,

is to contact your family.

- No, Lawrence!

- That is, of course, unless

you can think of another

way we can sort this out.

(grunting)

Get off him!

(wheezes)

LAWRENCE (narrating):

It's all fun and games

until someone loses an eye.

- Sarah...

- Shut up.

Here.

Nothing broken.

I've never been in a fight

before. It really hurts.

No sh*t.

I was trying to be normal for one night.

Sorry.

You shouldn't have followed me.

Just looking out for a friend.

Lawrence, you're not my friend.

I told you, we don't make

friends. It's not what we do.

It's just Dad and me.

He's... not...

He's not here.

You'll never be one of us.

That's why I trust you.

We can do this, Lawrence.

We have to. We can leave him.

Together.

LAWRENCE (narrating): I

know I look confident,

but I got pretty good at pretending.

But pretending is just another lie,

and the Cook's Game

was the real thing.

(clears throat)

You look great, Dad.

Hmm.

This is it, Lawrence,

my boy. (clears throat)

I'll see you there.

Do me proud.

(door opens, closes)

Don't move your eyes to the

right when you're bluffing.

That's my tell? It's that obvious?

Why couldn't I see it?

Think about it.

(chuckles) You can't see

your eyes moving in a mirror.

Time to go, Hamlet.

(sighs)

Ah, what up, dog?

Ooh, yeah, uh

They say these songs

ain't the style no more

When these kids go wild,

man, I ain't so sure

Yeah, uh, check it out, uh

They told me live

within your means, kid

I don't know what that

means, man I dream big

All day, I got these scenes where

we light the night up like gasoline

Turning average into magic

like a pocketful of beans

And it seems so simple But when I turn

the windows of my soul out the window

Point 'em at my kinfolk

- What name, young man?

- Jeremy Fong.

Good luck tonight, Master Fong.

This way, please.

Baby hate the mirror, get

her pretty face all modified

And I wish that I

could change it, love

But ain't nobody

plans this stuff

But it's gonna be all

right I'm crystal balling

Don't worry about that sh*t

We'll work it out in the morning

Get your last call in

This is Master Jeremy Fong.

Oh, you're younger than I expected.

Welcome to the game. Please, take a seat.

I don't recognize you, kid.

Where do you normally play?

Shanghai. Macau, sometimes.

My father's casino.

I like him. If the kid pays, the kid plays.

Macau?

(Chinese)

Sorry. I don't speak Cantonese.

Only Mandarin.

(door opens)

Gentlemen, some of you

may have met Mr. Riley.

Two-time winner of the game.

You've met Rashid.

This is Alex Elmsley, Jeremy Fong and...

Hello, Vernon. How's

that little girl of yours?

Please, Mr. Riley. Keep it nice.

All friends here, Alice.

Now... (cracks knuckles)

let's play some f***ing cards.

You ain't gonna

see me comin'

Got a quick draw

LAWRENCE (narrating): Poker is a

game designed to be played by liars.

But not all liars are equal.

What about you, Professor?

Have you grown a pair?

Two pair actually. (chuckles)

LAWRENCE (narrating): The

inexperienced pretends to have skill.

The skillful pretends to be green.

Screw you, kid.

And so we control the cards.

The only variables

are the other players.

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