This is New Country 95.5, country from the heart...
...sending out a big welcome to all the hopefuls...
...for the 2003 World Series of Poker.
Here's a George Jones classic for all you players in the game of cards...
...or the game of love.
Evening.
One-fifty.
Brand new. Never been used.
I got three of them. One-fifty.
- It cost 500. - 150.
- I need three. - Sorry.
You have three digital cameras.
- All the same. - Pretty much.
Well, here's what you can do with four cameras...
...that you can't do with three.
You take two of the cameras, you price them identically.
The third camera, you price a little less. The fourth camera, you price a little higher.
Customer comes in wanting to buy a camera.
Figures the least expensive camera's either a bargain...
...or there's something wrong with it.
But it gets him thinking. It gets him talking to you.
In other words, you've got him in the game.
Odds are, he doesn't take camera number three because he reads it as defective.
But it pushes him towards cameras one and two...
...which he already thinks are a good deal...
...because of the higher price of camera number four.
Or maybe he's drawn to camera number four.
I mean, why is this camera more expensive?
You tell him it's never been used.
You point out that cameras one and two have never been used...
...the only difference is, camera number four is still in the box.
Now, he does one of two things.
He either buys one of your cameras at the regular price...
...which he now thinks is a bargain...
...or, he springs for the one in the box...
...because he plans to give it to someone as a present...
...and he needs the box so it looks new...
...and not like some camera he just picked up at a pawn shop.
You're good.
So by purchasing this camera in its box...
...you increase the value of the three cameras you already have.
You work this hard at your day job?
Only problem is, my cameras all have boxes.
What?
I'll tell you what.
If you can show me your boxes, I'll give you my camera for nothing.
But, if you can't, you pay three bills for mine.
You're pretty sure of yourself.
You don't have the boxes, do you?
I'll give you the 150, plus 50 for the entertainment...
...but that's as high as I go.
Done.
What about this?
What's it worth?
To me or to you?
Well, it's worth a lot to me. It was my mother's.
She used to take it off...
...and then one day my dad took off with it to get some cash.
How did you get it?
I won it off him in a poker game.
It was too late to do my mom any good, though.
Sorry to hear that.
Plain band. Nothing special.
I could give you a hundred, you'll have your three.
- He told me it was worth more than that. - So sell it back to him.
I'm not selling it to you. I'll be back for it.
What's your name?
Huck.
Well, Huck, I'll give you another buck and a half for the ring...
...and you have 120 days to come back and see me.
Hey, Huck.
There'll be a seat available at table four in just a few minutes.
- Thank you. - Eight to call.
What time can you have it here?
All right. If that's the best you can do. Get it here as soon as you can.
Beating up on a whale. Some real estate guy from Florida.
I guess you could call that a tell.
He's stuck a quarter mil and change.
I'm down with the little fish tonight, Tommy.
- Swimming with the guppies for awhile. - Okay, kid. Good luck.
Three-Fifty.
Small blind. Big blind. Sir, you wanna post?
Yeah.
- Water, Huck? - Yeah, thanks.
I raise.
Well, let's raise it up, then.
- Fold. - That's a good decision. You too.
All very good decisions. Especially you, water boy.
How do you like that river, water boy?
Sixteen is the bet.
It'll only hurt for a little while.
Really.
You're betting like you have the eight for the belly straight.
Or you might have caught a third seven.
No matter how I look at it, you probably got me beat.
Then again...
...maybe you don't.
It's raised to 32.
Thank you.
Screw it.
Never touch another player's cards.
Nothing. You raised me with nothing?
Sometimes nothing's enough.
- Let's line them up, please. - Show cards, please.
Pair of queens.
Maverick. Jacks and queens. Two pair is good, sir.
The winner.
Thank you.
Gentlemen. It's great to be alive, isn't it?
Raise.
Sometime today, sunshine.
You in a hurry?
Places to go? People to see?
Maybe.
Let's see if we can get you there a little faster, cowboy.
Raise.
Back at you.
Giddap.
Okay, it's eight, 10,000...
...two hundred and twenty-eight. Do you want that in cash or chips?
Give me the ten in chips, Larita.
Robin, grab Huck's box for me, please.
- What time's your shift end? - Not for another three hours.
My first bad beat tonight.
Get it over.
- What was that? - Here you go. Here you go.
All right, the over and under is three. All right, I got the under, who's got over?
- Hey, Huck. How you doing? - Hey, Eddie.
Hey, three times over the net pays off, five pays double.
- You want some of the action? Okay. - No thanks, Eddie.
All right, all right. Who's got ponytail's side?
That's payday. That's payday.
Come on, you can do better than that.
Smell this, it's new.
- Smells good, right? - Yes.
But it's not cologne or deodorant or anything...
...it's just me.
It's just like my natural... I know it's weird...
Sorry. Time got away from me.
It happens.
I know, but I keep saying it won't happen again.
But it does.
And I'm late.
So you guys are?
Yeah.
- Nice to have met you. - Nice to have met you.
Do you always intrude on private conversations?
Well, it seemed like an intrusion might be welcome.
So you're a mind reader?
Body. Your body language indicated a certain lack of enthusiasm.
You might have been wrong.
- Huck. - Billie.
- New in town? - No.
Really?
See, you are wrong every once in a while.
Hey, sorry I'm late.
That's what he just said.
Yeah, but he's a poker player, Billie, so you can't believe anything he says.
- Busted. Suzanne. - How you doing, Huck?
- Great, now that I've met your friend. - My sister.
- Your sister? - My little sister.
Little sister. Even better.
Ginger. Hey.
- Hey, Huck. - Ginger.
This is my sister, Billie. She just got in from Bakersfield.
- This is Gary. - Hey, you work at the...
- At the Venetian. You're the gondola guy. - That was last year.
I'm a Nubian slave at The Luxor now.
- We gotta go. - Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
- See you Saturday at the party? - Yeah.
Hope you enjoy your visit.
Suzanne.
That was a fast withdrawal.
Yeah, well, Huck's not one to waste any time.
Boy, you're up.
You're my sister, there's no way I'm letting that happen.
Bad news?
There's quite a few who would say it's a good time.
- Does that include you? - No.
I had Huck's number pretty early on.
- What number is that? - Hustle 10, commitment zero.
Maybe he hasn't found what he's looking for.
Billie, no. Don't even think about it.
Come on, we've been through this before.
Some people don't wanna be fixed.
They like things just the way they are.
French toast. Bacon on the side.
Fruit. Strawberries only. Hang on a second, Lucy.
Why don't you just go rest up a little? We never close.
No time like the present, Tommy.
Oh, I should've gotten away from that.
- Hey, Huck. - Hi, Huck.
- Have a seat. - What's going on, Huck?
Fasten your seatbelts. Huck is here.
What's for breakfast? And don't say "you are."
Eighty-six for low.
Eighty-seven.
- Ace wins for high. - You win the whole pot.
Nice deck.
- Look who's here. - Good morning, gentlemen.
- Well, he's back. - Hey, good to see you.
- What's going on? - Good to see you.
Big Buckle, good to see you. Sammy, Chau.
- Good to see you. - Michelle, my belle.
Oh, I've missed you, L.C. You in town for the tournament?
Yeah, well, someone's gotta try and stem the tide of those couch potatoes.
- Is there an empty seat? - Right here between me and Chau.
Twenty thousand.
Couldn't go another World Series without you, L.C.
So how was the south of France?
French.
They hate our politics, but they love our games...
...I'm happy to say.
Yeah, looks like the kid has got the jump on everybody.
He's really hot.
- What's new and different, kid? - Your hair, for one thing.
Kid tries to bring out the worst in people.
As I get on in years, like all human beings, I become acquainted with vanity.
How about you? Still blasting away?
Thousand to go.
Re-raise.
Nice to play with you again, kid.
What do you say, fellas?
Not a spectator sport.
Five thousand.
How deep are you?
Oh, I've got about eighteen thousand.
Okay.
I'm putting you all-in.
Well, I'm gonna have to call you, L. C...
...because my pretty ladies are just dying to step out.
Well, they'll be in good company.
Three Kings.
You son of a bitch.
You're the only man I enjoy losing money to.
Loan me twenty, L. C?
Is there anybody who doesn't owe you?
Just you, kid. Just you.
Raise you 60.
Eight thousand.
It's an interesting situation.
I had you sitting with a medium pocket pair.
Nines wired, perhaps, which would give you a set.
You had me figured for a straight draw. Now, the question is:
Am I four to a flush, too?
With a pot this size, I'll call you no matter what you raise.
The prudent thing would be to just call, protect your chips...
...so you can play again, another day.
No, Prudence, the question is...
...you talking because you got the diamonds, or because you don't?
You and I both know what the book says you should do, kid.
Is that what you do now?
Just play by the book? You might as well play online.
Raise.
I'm all-in.
You sure? Now, you can pull it back if you want.
I'd bet more if I had it.
- You would? - Yeah.
I'll let you throw in that charm of yours...
...that wedding ring you're fond of carrying.
Although, I notice you don't have it with you.
You're right, I don't.
But I'll put up the pawn ticket that redeems it...
...against that wristwatch you're wearing.
Yeah?
Okay. May I?
Get out of here.
A buck and a half?
You must have been up against it, kid.
I know that ring's worth a lot more than that to you.
And my watch is worth a lot more than that to me.
My father's 1938 Bulova.
He wore it through the war, but I'll take that bet.
Anybody mind?
Are you kidding? Come on.
This is between you two.
But we're happy to watch.
So insane.
I got you covered.
Possible flush...
...open-ended straight draw.
How are you fixed?
Pocket nines.
Imagine that.
Let's see the river.
Diamond flush, the winner.
That hurts.
Too bad, Huckleberry.
Sometimes it pays to be prudent.
Hey, Huck, you know what your problem is?
You.
You're a great player. You know the math.
You read your opponents as well as anybody I've ever seen.
The trouble is you're a blaster. You always have been.
Thanks for the analysis.
Listen, go for broke, you're gonna wind up broke.
He drew lucky. I caught a case of second best.
You want sympathy...
...you'll find it between shit and syphilis in the dictionary.
If you don't leave your volatility at home...
...you'll never be in the same league... - What do you want?
I want you to play with my money.
It'll even you out. It'll make you a better player.
Your money's not involved, your emotions will be less involved.
I'll stake you the ten grand buy-in to the World Series, we split the winnings.
Let me ask you something, how much do you weigh?
Oh, 150, give or take a little.
How much you think I weigh?
- One-eighty-five. - One-eighty-five.
Now you tell me, how well do you think I'm gonna play...
...with an additional 150 pounds on my back?
Give or take a little.
That is an arbitration clause, but it may not be binding here.
We may be in luck. Why don't you read me paragraph two again...
...one more time from the top.
- Hope this isn't about money. - You got any money?
It's good to see you, Huckster.
- 1-900-Mental. - Is this a real psychologist?
Yes, all of our psychologists are board certified and accredited.
- That's a relief, because... - One moment, please.
Okay.
- 1-900-Defend. Please hold. - I have a...
Yes. This is Dr. Shuman. May I ask your name?
Yeah, Toby.
What seems to be the problem?
- It's my girlfriend. - Come on, Jack.
Turn into 1-900-Loan, spot me a thousand to get me going again.
What did I just tell you?
- Dr. Shuman, are you there? - Sorry, Toby, yes.
- When I drive by, she's out. - What do you think she's telling you...
...with this chronic behavior? - I don't know.
I'm wondering if I shouldn't put you on with our relationship...
...and commitment therapist, Dr. Gregory.
- Okay. - Keep him talking.
- You're playing a losing hand. - Really, you think so?
This is a case of throwing good money after bad.
- You should just get out, Toby. - Thanks, doctor.
Hold on one moment. Our contract specialist will be with you presently.
- What are you doing? - What?
Rule number one, be a listener. Listen.
- I can't help you. I want to, but I can't. - Jack, come on, you know I'm good for it.
Why does everyone try to take advantage of me?
Cheryl, I am hearing you express your pain...
...and I'm feeling empathy.
You understand, don't you, doctor?
Yes. From my own experience, I know how disheartening it is...
...to feel that you're being taken advantage of by friends.
- All they do is take from me. - Exactly, Cheryl.
When the motives become monetary, it's parasitic.
It is parasitic.
Julie split and took the kids. I think she means it this time.
- She always means it. - No, I'm telling you.
She does not even wanna talk about talking about it.
You might need to dial 1-900-It's-Over.
Thanks.
I don't even go to restaurants.
- You okay? - I don't have anybody to talk to.
No.
Don't you ever get lonely?
I don't know what I'm gonna do with myself.
I feel as though I'm stuck here waiting for my life to start.
- If I could just hit a button... - With friends like you? Never.
- Still not getting nickel one. - Damn.
That's not fair to you, Cheryl. Are you gonna accept that?
You locked out?
Either that, or I just enjoy sitting on staircases.
How long before Suzanne will be back?
I don't know.
- She was gonna loan me some money. - Oh, yeah?
Well, I've got...
...$19, is that enough?
That's all you brought with you?
And a thousand dollars in traveler's checks.
Excuse me.
Hello?
Yes. This is she.
Yes. Hello.
Tonight? Yes.
All right. Thank you very much.
I got a job. Singing at Dean's.
- Dino's? - You know the place?
Sure.
It's my first job singing professionally.
Oh, we should celebrate. This is an occasion.
You're right. It is.
Well, let's go.
Good luck to you.
Thank you.
Discipline's the key. We have serious celebrating to do...
...so we only play until we double our money.
- Do you know how to play poker? - I know that three of a kind beats two pair.
Very good.
Binion's Horseshoe Casino in downtown Las Vegas...
...proud home of the World Series of Poker.
The 2003 Omaha event will commence in two hours in Benny's Bullpen.
Blinds, please.
Okay. In Texas Hold 'Em...
...each player gets two cards that no one else sees.
Then five cards are dealt face up on the table.
Now, these are cards that everybody can use.
If you think you have the best two cards...
...or two cards you'd like to draw to, you bet.
And, if you don't, you fold.
Raise.
Call.
Four players.
- Check. - Check.
If, for instance, someone had a king in the hole...
...they'd now have two pair. kings and fours.
One more heart and you've got a flush.
That's right. Of course, the trick is to not let the other players know...
...when you got something good. - Okay.
Hence the expression, "poker face."
Three players.
- Check. - Check it.
Forty.
Raise it to 80.
I call.
Call 80.
- Check. - Check it.
Check it.
- What are you doing? - Forty.
I'll raise.
Raise it to 80.
I give her a king and a queen in the hole for an ace-high straight.
- Yeah? - Fold.
I call. I've got Broderick Crawford.
Tens and fours. Two pair.
A straight.
Ace-high straight. The winner.
Nice hand.
Over and out.
How did you know?
It was the way she bet before the flop, and the way she bet after the flop.
A good fold is as important as a win. Sometimes more important.
Pair of kings. Kings are the winner.
This is fun.
- Blinds, please. - Hey, Huck. How they falling?
Lester. Billie Offer.
Nice to meet you.
Ready Eddie bet me 20 large I couldn't live in the Aladdin bathroom a month.
- You gonna take him up on it? - I'm thinking about it.
Want a piece of my action if I do? 30 days in the bathroom.
How hard can it be? Maybe I can even get him to give us odds.
I'm kind of financially handicapped right now.
So, Billie...
...a hundred bucks says I can make it...
...to the end of the room without touching the ground.
- Bet. - Bet.
Fold.
Call 40. 20 to call.
Three players.
- Send the hundred over. - You still owe me $1000...
...from miniature golf, remember? Shovel against a rake?
Then put it on my account.
Did that man have breasts, or is he physically challenged?
Well, someone bet him 50 grand he wouldn't get breast implants...
...and keep them for six months.
Guy named Zembic did it 12 months a couple years ago...
...said the women went wild for the breasts, so Lester took the bet.
Raise. Play for 80.
Well, he should wear a more flattering blouse.
Hey, Huck. Can I get you anything?
No thanks, Sherry.
You must play a lot. You know so many people.
Well, this is what I do.
What, like a job? You don't work, you just gamble?
Well, who said it's not work? It's the work this city's all about.
I'm all-in.
Raise. All-in. Playing for 35.
35 to play.
Call.
Why'd you turn your cards over?
Well, he's out of chips, so there's no more betting.
Two players.
Pair of queens.
Unless he gets another nine, we've got him.
Come on, nine.
- Come on, nine. - Come on, nine.
- Yes! - Yes!
Three nines the winner.
- Thank you. - Well, you beat him once.
- It doesn't work like that. - Well, maybe it should.
L.C. Great to see you. How you doing?
- It's been a while. - Yes, it has.
Blinds, please.
- Hello, Huck. - Hey.
Hey. You remember Isabel.
- Beautiful as ever. - Thank you.
- I hear that your left pocket is empty. - Really?
- How you hitting them? - Down the middle.
Yeah, we should tee it up. It's been a long time.
I went and got this out of hock.
It's nice to have it back.
I have a feeling it's gonna bring me luck.
- I'm L.C. - Hi, I'm Billie Offer. Nice to meet you.
- Thank you very much. - Is he related to you?
- Why do you say that? - Because your eyes went all quiet.
Blinds, please.
In poker, we call that a tell. He's my father.
Dr. Laura says, "If you live your life angry at your parents...
...you're only hurting yourself."
Well, who said I was angry at anybody?
- Raise. - Call.
- You know what, I should get going. - Five players.
I don't wanna be late my first night of work.
- Anybody mind? I owe the lady 1000. - Nobody cares.
Your stake, plus a 20 percent return.
- You don't have to. - Fair is fair.
Do you mind cashing it in yourself?
I've got the best of it right now. I really shouldn't leave the table.
And I'm sorry we didn't get around to the celebrating.
No, don't be. I haven't had this much fun since junior high.
Thanks, sugar.
Raise.
- Raise. - Re-raise.
- What are you watching? - Australian games. Not bad.
Helps with March Madness withdrawal.
- Got any money? - I don't loan to gamblers.
- I gotta get up the 10 for the World Series. - Save your money. That's a sucker bet.
Against a thousand computer geeks.
Hey, foul! He's fouling him. That's a foul.
How about advancing your rent?
I'm paid up through the NCAA Finals 2008.
- You wanna buy the house? - You grew up in this house.
Plus, the bank already owns it. 30 seconds.
All right. Just dribble out the clock. Come on.
Okay. Pick it up. Get it back. Get it back. Get it back.
I'm heading back East tonight.
Hey, you haven't seen my digital camera, have you?
- I was so nervous. - Didn't show.
I didn't expect to see you so soon.
You're not trying to rustle me, are you?
What about that celebration?
- It's kind of late, isn't it? - This is Las Vegas.
I don't know.
- Can it be Chinese? - Let's go.
Thanks.
- Can I get you something to drink, sir? - Billie?
Do you mind if I get my fortune cookie first? I like to think about it during the meal.
Could you bring her a fortune cookie before we order?
What about you? Don't you wanna read your fortune?
I can't afford to be superstitious.
- Don't you believe in luck? - I believe in skill.
Although, it did seem the cards ran a little better for me when you were around.
- What happened to "the best of it"? - Turned into a little bit of the worst of it.
Maybe after dinner, we'll go play some pok...
Hey. Billie Offer, Chico Banh.
- My pleasure. - Hello.
- You get a seat yet? - I'm working on it.
- He doesn't look Mexican. - Vietnamese.
Grew up in Texas. Speaks Spanish better than he does English.
Plays tournament poker better than anybody.
Really?
What? What's it say?
"Big contest is yours to win and riches too."
Let me see that.
"He who thinks too much is thinking too much."
Got you, Mr. I-Can't-Afford-To-Be-Superstitious.
Okay.
When someone says "left pocket," what does that mean?
- It's where you keep your important money. - Like the money to enter the tournament.
And the winner of the World Series is the best there is?
Tournaments are for the public. You know, the perception of who's best.
To determine who's best, you'd play head-to-head...
...no limit, with your own money.
Then why do you wanna play in it? Did your father win it?
Twice.
Was he always a gambler?
He was an English professor when he married my mother.
She stuck by him until he left her, after he stole everything he could.
The leaf doesn't fall far from the tree.
You hate him, but you still play poker.
He taught me to play. Pennies, nickels, and dimes on the kitchen table.
I could never beat him and he never let me win.
Mama was a piano teacher...
...and she taught her students Brahms and Chopin...
...but her real love was Nashville.
We used to sing together, all around the house and in the car.
And I always wanted to try it for real.
So your mother must be proud of you.
She died last October.
But tonight, I almost felt like she was listening.
You know what I think?
I think everybody's just trying not to be lonely.
- You cold? - A little.
Thank you.
- Where's all the furniture? - I'm redecorating.
Come on. Let me show you what I've done with the rest of the place.
- All-in. - How much you got?
Twelve thousand two hundred.
- Coffee? - Yes.
You've been running over everybody all morning.
Don't chase what you can't catch.
No matter what's prudent, sometimes you gotta play your gut.
I think I got him.
- I think he knows it too. - Don't let your ego get involved.
If you're so sure, want a side bet?
- Yeah. - The ring?
Against 500.
The price of poker's gone up.
- You're on. - Which one of you am I playing?
Or is this a team?
Call. Stuck on deuces.
Deuces?
All you got is deuces? And you call me with this shit?
Deuces the winner.
That was a great call.
- Thanks, Robin. - Thanks, Huck.
- How did you do? - Not bad.
Where you going, Huck? That real estate guy just walked in.
We're starting the big game.
- You stole from me. - Borrowed. I... I had it way up.
Borrowing is when you ask!
- You'll get it back, I promise. - I worked hard. I needed it.
I've got responsibilities and bills. I'm trying to get a place on my own.
If I'd have won, you'd have a share. Just like before.
You think that the only person that matters is you.
What you need, when you need it!
- You're a sick pony. - Puppy.
Billie? Look, it was wrong, but I'm gonna pay you back.
I'm not a bank! You can't make deposits and withdrawals whenever you feel like it.
- Wait. Just let me... - Don't say it.
You say whatever you think somebody wants to hear.
It's dangerous to be around you.
That's why you came to the club, isn't it?
You knew I had the money.
Decided why not get some put-out at the same time?
- It wasn't like that. - Here. You missed some.
We're a couple minutes away from the Super Satellite.
Winner gets the $10,000 seat at the No Limit Texas Hold 'Em event.
- Hey, Bill. - The Super Satellite?
- How many entries you have? - Well, let's see.
Slug your way through 44 wannabes, and you got your seat in the big one.
Two and a quarter if you wanna try it.
- I call. - And then there were three.
Mr. Ray Zumbro, Mr. Huck Cheever...
...and the current chip leader, Ms. Shannon Kincaid.
Cheever? L.C. Cheever's son? And you play cards?
That takes balls.
Heads up.
I'm all-in.
Call.
Two pair. Kings and deuces.
Kings and eights the winner.
She did play well.
Must be tough playing in the shadow of your father.
Little coffeehousing for distraction?
No, you wouldn't be bothered by anything like that. I mean...
...you wouldn't have gotten this far if you couldn't stand on your own two feet.
I'm all-in.
You're not trying to steal the blinds, are you?
How much does he have?
Jesus, old man, when you gonna learn to count, huh?
It's 20 a stack. See? 20 a stack.
Fifty-one hundred, sir.
Call.
Pair of eights.
Tens to eights.
Tens to eights still stand.
Pair of tens are still tall. Last card...
The tens stand up. Mr. Cheever wins a seat in the World Series.
Sorry I won't be seeing you at the big dance.
Hey, wait a minute, there's only two burn cards.
What?
Mr. Cheever. Mr. Cheever.
- I'm afraid we've had a misdeal. - What do you mean you've had a misdeal?
No card was burned, the dealer neglected to burn a card before the river.
That's not my problem. A card laid's a card played.
I'm sorry, but house rules require a card to be burned before any cards are turned.
And in the event of this situation the card is put back, it's used as a burn card...
...and then a new river is dealt.
Take back the six.
Burn it.
Deal the river.
- Yeah! Yeah, baby! - A set. Three eights the winner.
Guess you won't be needing to press your dress quite yet, Cinderella.
I heard about the misdeal. Boy, talk about a bad beat, huh?
Okay, so you put up the 10, we split anything I win fifty-fifty.
- Seventy-thirty. - What happened to sixty-forty?
Went away when your tens went down to a set of eights.
Okay. Sixty-five-thirty-five.
Fine, seventy-thirty.
I need an extra 1200.
It's that or no deal.
- You took the bet. - It's like stealing money.
Look at him. Checking up on me. He's still hoping I'm gonna sneak out.
He's having a party now, three days into it.
In a week, you'll be begging to get out of here. You play any golf lately?
- A little. - "A little."
- Four handicap and he says "a little." - Six from the black tees.
I'll tell you what. I'll bet you 5000 that you can't run five miles...
...shoot 18 holes of golf, 78 or under, in three hours or less.
- Forget it. - Room service.
Oh, yeah. Put it right here, boss.
Paulie's right outside that door, just in case you're thinking of trying anything.
Think about that bet, Huck.
Comfort food.
- Hi. - Hi.
I'm truly sorry, Billie.
I want you to give me another chance.
Why should I?
You know what you said before about everybody trying not to be lonely?
I feel like we have a chance at something special here.
And if you cut it off now, we'll never know.
Why don't you just come have breakfast with me, see how it goes?
Thanks.
- Don't you ever sleep? - I don't need much sleep.
So you play poker instead.
Why do you like it so much? Is it the money?
The money's just a way of keeping score.
Poker is competition in the purest sense.
Doesn't matter who you are, or what you are...
...everybody's equal at the table.
But you can't have sympathy and win.
In order for you to win, someone else has to lose.
It seems so cruel.
So you just gamble all the time?
I never bet on sports, never play against the house...
...and I only bet on my skills against the skills of other people.
That sounds like an alcoholic saying, "I only drink tequila."
What about Festus, or whatever his name is...
...jumping across the floor? You bet on that.
The chair thing's an old gag, and I did it for you...
...because I thought you'd think it was funny.
- Miss Offer. - Mr. Cheever.
I thought you might be here.
I hear Roy Durucher's backing you.
You know I'd have backed you if you'd asked me.
If I'd asked.
Hello? Yes.
Excuse me. Yes, it is available.
This is the second time I've seen you with her. Must be some kind of record.
- She thinks I'm compulsive. - Are you?
If I am, I'm not hurting anyone but myself.
Touché.
It was good when I figured out how to play poker and have a life too. I recommend it.
The Grecian Formula's in aisle three. Or did you come for the waffles?
Not a bad idea.
Well, good to see there's something of the old town left.
Now, humor me a minute.
How would you have played this?
Okay, here's how it went. Seat three, he bets. Seat four, he raises.
Seats five and six fold. Seat seven calls. Seat eight folds.
Seat one raises over the top. Seats two and three fold.
Seats four and seven call. Only three players left to see the flop.
You're seat four. The raise and the call. You're sitting on something.
Yeah.
The flop comes. King of spades, four of clubs, jack of hearts.
Hand one checks. I bet. Hand seven folds.
Hand one...
...raises.
Sandbag. Probably two pair or three of a kind.
Most likely. To be certain, I make a small raise and he...
Calls.
- Why do you say that? - He reads you for pocket aces.
Wants to drag you along, get another bet in before he puts the hammer down.
Risky. I might improve.
Well, if he's two pair, he's 74 percent favorite. Three of a kind makes him 90.
- Yeah. - Okay.
Two of us left. On the turn, six of clubs. No help. I check.
- He bets. - I call.
Okay, on the river what should show up?
Another ace.
Makes me the man and a half, three aces.
So I bet. He says:
"I don't think you had aces going in. I think you got stubborn with a bully ace.
I think my hand is still tall."
And he raises. Big.
Something doesn't feel right. Like...
...I'm about to walk into Hydra with his nine heads, so I just...
I call and I turn over my pocket aces.
And he rolls over...
Two clubs. One of them a king.
You got it.
A club flush. On the come-all-along.
That was a $267,000 lesson.
I should have gotten away from it.
I had such a hard-on for my aces, I never looked beyond the obvious. So...
What's the worst thing can happen to a poker player?
Lose his nerve.
What else?
Nobody's better than anybody else at the big tables.
They have different styles. Different ways of doing things...
...but everybody knows how to play.
The key to winning is watching and understanding.
There's things I don't see anymore.
A blind spot.
It's just a hand. Could have happened to anybody.
You saw it.
Okay. Guts. Head to head. A nickel a pop.
- Why not a dime? - Let's go.
Two thousand dollar burn.
I'm in.
- I'm with you. - Queen, seven.
Queen, ten.
It's coming.
- Check. - I'm in.
Re-ante.
I'm in.
Call.
King, ten.
Beat you, slick.
Check.
- I'm in. - Call.
Pair of tens.
I'm in.
- I've improved. - You needed to.
- Call. - Caught the cowboy, kings and tens.
Caught the bullet and his little friend, aces and threes.
You might want to think about quitting, because I've got the best of it.
- Re-ante. Four thousand dollar burn. - I don't wanna clean you out.
You playing or not?
You're not gonna be happy till you have nothing left.
I'm in.
Call. Jack, four.
Nice read.
I'm weak, but not quite that weak. Jack, five.
I'm in.
It's yours.
This was your stake for the big one. Take it.
I don't want it.
Pick it up.
Pick it up!
I could have played it safe. That's not who I am.
You got it backwards, kid.
You play cards the way you should lead your life...
...and lead your life the way you should play cards.
Maybe everybody has a blind spot.
Maybe everybody has to learn from their mistakes.
I sure learned from mine.
Fun game?
Yeah.
You've come a long way since pennies, nickels and dimes on the kitchen table.
Excuse me a minute.
Boys will be boys.
Fathers will be fathers.
I tried to give it back to him.
You could leave it on the table.
Then the waitress would get a $10,000 tip.
Well, if he's gonna take anything from me, he's gonna have to win it, all right?
And that's not likely to happen.
Maybe giving and receiving are more complicated than winning and losing.
Maybe so.
Good day, Miss Offer.
Right. Right. Right. Okay, Eddie.
He'll go for it. He'll go for the ten.
Want to come along? As moral support?
Sure. I'm getting an education on what it's like not to be compulsive.
Come on.
Just so we're straight. You have to run five miles...
...shoot 18 holes of golf, 78 strokes or under, in less than three hours.
And the ball has to be in the cup before time expires...
...for $10,000. Bet?
She holds the stopwatch.
She holds it where I can see it. Bet?
Bet.
- You ready? - Ready.
Get set.
Go!
Nineteen seconds, 20, 21, 22...
Billie. Every couple of minutes will do it just fine.
Twenty minutes.
You've gone three miles.
There it is! Thirty-nine minutes, ten seconds.
- Pop the trunk! - Pop the trunk, pop the trunk.
Hit a duck and it's two strokes.
All right, you get the golf cart. We'll meet you on the green.
Great shot!
Forty minutes, 10 seconds.
- How many shots? - Four. Damn it.
Here. Move over, I'll drive.
Forty-six minutes and 50 seconds.
Fore!
- Playing through. - Hey. What? Who is this?
Yes!
Two hours and 13 minutes, and you're two shots ahead.
You're in the rough, Huckster!
This is the last hole, Huckey-baby.
You only have seven minutes and 45 seconds.
You bogey this, you're toast.
That's 75.
Only three more.
Wow! They should have put some hazards on this hole.
- Yes! - Shit!
- Seventy-six shots. - All right, all right!
Two hours, 57 minutes and 40 seconds.
You shank this, it's all over.
- Get in the hole. - Stay out of the hole.
Go ball, go.
Yes, baby. Legs, Legs, Legs!
Good boy. Good boy. Yes, yes, yes, yes.
All right.
It's not an impossible putt. I think Jack Nicklaus made it once.
Two hours, 59 minutes, and 46 seconds.
Forty-seven, 48.
- Your dick's beginning to sweat. - Forty-nine, 50, 51, 52...
Your arms are heavy. ... Fifty-three, 54, 55...
...fifty-six, 57, 58.
Yeah!
Three hours and two seconds.
You lost.
Yes!
Yes! Yes! I win! I win!
I win. I win.
Yes!
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Three hours and two seconds.
Two seconds, baby! Yeah!
- Hey, where you going? - I'll catch up with you.
Where's my money?
Come back here.
How come you couldn't have helped me out a little?
Helped you out?
Yeah, just a couple of seconds.
You mean, cheated?
Is that what you mean by moral support?
I'm stuck 20,000 and I still got no entry fee.
I don't lie, cheat, or steal for anything or anyone.
All you had to do was give me a little edge.
Call it what you like, it's cheating.
It was two seconds! Anybody would have done that.
Well, I don't believe that.
It's the way it is.
You always have the hard answers, don't you?
How do you live with yourself?
- You mean the easy answers, Billie. - No, I mean the hard ones.
I don't wanna see you anymore. Just stop this thing.
Billie, what are you doing?
Making a good fold.
- Dude, what happened to your furniture? - Who are you?
Mr. Durucher was upset to hear you lost his ten grand to Ready Eddie.
Tell Mr. Durucher he's got nothing to worry about.
We'll get a seat in the big show.
Nice pool.
Shame there's no water.
Hey.
You got 24 hours to return Mr. Durucher his money...
...or get a seat in the tournament.
What happened to you?
Is Billie here?
Do you believe in karma?
Is this a trick question?
Everyone over 21 gets what they deserve.
Come on, Suzanne. Give me a little more than that.
I'm sorry, Suzanne, about everything.
Her seeing me wasn't her fault. It was mine.
I know you, and I know Billie.
What are you doing here? This isn't your style, going out on a limb.
Some people think I spend my whole life out on a limb.
Maybe at the poker table. But in real life you play it pretty tight.
More power to Billie.
She got through to you.
She went back to Bakersfield for a couple days.
So this thing, safe to assume it's about money?
I got a day to clear it up.
Oh, what's that old poker saying about a chip and a chair?
If anyone could turn nothing into something, it's you, Huck.
Trouble is, you always throw it away.
Night, Huck.
- I can almost predict these cards. - Déjà vu.
I have something you said you valued.
Buck and a half, just like the pawn shop.
Five. Fair's fair.
Thanks.
Huck.
Good skill.
I got a seat in the tournament.
You came all the way out here to tell me that?
You're the only one I wanted to tell.
You were right not to cheat.
You've been right about a lot.
Hard answers...
...my telling people what they wanna hear.
Ever since I was a kid, I've always been able to talk my way out of things.
But when I told you we had a chance at something special, I meant it.
I just wanted you to know that.
We will high-card for the button on table number 58.
That's my ace.
The button starts on seat number five.
- The button starts here, boys. - All right, dealers.
Put the button at seat number five.
Dealers, make sure you're checking receipts.
Make sure everybody's at the correct table and seat.
Two minutes till we start the World Series main event.
Here at the featured table, the hole card cam...
...is being used for the first time at the World Series...
...even though no one will see what the camera sees...
...until the tournament is broadcast...
...the camera's getting mixed reviews.
Two-time world champion L.C. Cheever, your thoughts on the hole card cam.
I made a good living for a long time because people don't know how I play.
I'd rather keep it that way.
There you have it. Like it or not...
...poker as a spectator sport is about to undergo an enormous change.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the World Series of Poker.
Dealers, shuffle up and deal.
Let's get those cards in the air.
Jack Binion's father, Benny Binion, started the World Series in 1970.
Today, there are over 800 players.
Five days from now, the winner will receive 2.5 million dollars...
...the richest individual prize in sports.
We're down to 320 players.
We're halfway through day number two.
Good luck.
Ladies and gentlemen, Doyle Brunson has just been eliminated.
Sam. You're out?
This guy over there, he never played a live tournament in his life.
And he beat me. I don't know if this makes me feel better or worse.
So, I hear Huck's doing really well in the tournament.
Good.
That's nice.
We're breaking another table.
Only 135 players remain.
Dealers, please check all incoming players' seat cards.
Look who's here.
I managed to get my dress pressed, after all.
Heads up.
Thirty thousand.
All-in.
Do I really like these cards...
...or is it just the irresistible lure of sending you home?
- How much to call? - It's about 150.
I mean, do you need an exact count?
Call.
Ace, king high.
Pair of fives, the winner.
Nice hand.
Michelle has aces and jacks, two pair, and wins the pot.
It's three a.m. We'll stay until we eliminate one more player.
Then the final table will be set.
The action is to Huck Cheever.
And Huck raises it to 40,000. And Frank folds.
Jason re-raises to 100,000. Michelle folds.
And L.C. folds. Chico folds. The action is to Karim Kasai.
- All-in. - Karim Kasai is all-in.
Josh is out. The action's to Huck Cheever.
Huck folds. And the action's back to Jason Keyes.
- How much? - He's asked for a count.
I'm somewhat surprised at the play of Huck Cheever.
He has the reputation of being a blaster. He's playing very patiently here.
- Fifty-two to call. - Fifty-two thousand more.
- Call. - And he's called.
Action's complete. Let's see them.
Ace, queen.
Karim Kasai has Ace, Queen. Jason Keyes, two kings.
Two kings versus ace, queen.
And the flop...
...is a three and two queens. - Yes! Beautiful!
Karim Kasai has made trip Queens.
Beautiful! You like?
The women, they love me.
The turn card coming up is a jack.
Karim Kasai looking to double up. One card left, and here it is.
Is a king.
A Full House for Jason and Karim Kasai has been eliminated.
Congratulations, everybody.
That's it. We've reached our final table. See you in the morning.
- Bad beat. - Now let's get some sleep.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome.
We have reached the final table of the World Series of Poker main event.
That's tournament director, Gil Edwards...
...about to introduce the players at the final table.
And the players are, in seat number one, from Toronto, Canada...
...680,000 in chips, Mr. Josh Cohen.
In seat number two, from Tucson, Arizona, 551,000 in chips, Jason Keyes.
Jason Keyes, the amateur internet player from Tucson, Arizona...
...playing in his first live tournament.
In seat number three, 664,000 in chips, from Detroit, Michigan, Frank Belando.
The retired owner of a tire dealership is living his life's dream.
In seat number four, from Las Vegas, Nevada, 790,000 in chips, Huck Cheever.
In seat five, from Houston, Texas, he's a former world champion...
...420,000 in chips, Chico Banh.
In seat number six, also from Las Vegas, 1,344,000, Michelle Carson.
Michelle Carson, the second woman player in 33 years to make it to the final table.
In seat number seven, with 753,000 in chips...
...from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ralph Kaczynski.
In seat number nine, from Monterey Park, California...
...1,072,000 in chips, David Chen.
Hey, guys.
And our chip leader, in seat number eight...
...most recently from the south of France, two-time world champion...
...2,116,000, L.C. Cheever.
L.C. and Huck Cheever.
The first time ever a father and son have competed against each other...
...at the final table of the World Series.
The blinds are eight and 16,000...
...the button will start in seat four with Huck Cheever.
Good luck, players. Shuffle up and deal.
The action will start with Ralph Kaczynski.
Ralph folds.
L.C. raises to 50,000.
David folds.
Josh is out. Jason folds. Frank folds.
Huck re-raises to 250,000.
Chico folds.
Michelle folds. The action is back to L.C. Cheever.
You trying to steamroll us, kid?
Another 200,000, you can find out.
I know you're reckless, Huckleberry...
...but I also know you don't wanna be the first to go out.
L.C. folds, and Huck Cheever wins the first pot.
The action is still early here at the final table...
...but Huck Cheever remains consistent.
He's the only player refusing to show his cards to the hole card camera.
Even Chico Banh and L.C. Cheever, two former world champions, have acquiesced.
And the river is a five. Chico Banh wins the pot.
Nice hand.
Josh Cohen is our ninth place finisher.
David bets 250,000.
And the river is a jack.
Huck Cheever wins the pot.
David Chen finishes in eighth place.
I'm all-in.
Michelle Carson is all-in.
I call.
Frank calls.
Frank Belando finishes in seventh place.
- Nice playing with you. - Here, you take this.
Thanks.
How much does he have left?
About... 270.
Raise.
400.
Ralph re-raises to 400,000.
L.C. folds. The action's back to Chico Banh.
Call.
Chico's all-in with two eights.
Ralph Kaczynski has ace, king. Two eights versus ace, king.
And the flop.
Flop is a king, a seven and a deuce.
Two kings for Ralph Kaczynski. Two eights for Chico Banh.
Unless the Spanish-speaking Vietnamese catches another eight...
...it's hasta la vista for Chico Banh.
And the turn.
It's a three. Only an eight will save Chico Banh.
And the river...
...is a jack.
Chico Banh, our sixth place finisher. Takes home $200,000.
Good luck, Huck.
And the flop.
Queen, nine, six. All clubs.
L.C. bets 200,000.
Huck folds.
- Call. - Michelle calls.
The turn card is a deuce of clubs.
You have to assume they both have flushes.
The question is who has the highest club in the hole.
L.C. checks.
Michelle bets 400,000.
L.C. calls.
And the river...
...is an eight of clubs.
L.C. checks.
- I'm all-in. - Michelle Carson is all-in.
- Call. - L.C. calls.
Michelle has a king of clubs for a king high flush.
Very nice.
But not nice enough.
- Jeez. - A straight flush.
L.C. Cheever has eliminated Michelle Carson with a straight flush.
The last straight flush at the final table in the World Series of Poker...
...was 1994. There were none before that.
Go get him.
And Michelle Carson, our fifth place finisher, wins $320,000.
Nice hand.
Yeah. It's usually not the big hands that do it, though.
Twenty-eight years ago I was head to head with Doyle Brunson at the final table.
He caught a 10 on the river for three 10s, and he won the tournament.
It was his time.
Two years later, I knocked Bobby Baldwin out with a pair of jacks.
It was my time.
This could be my last chance to win this thing again.
Tournament's too big. Luck's too much of a factor now.
Why do you even care? You got nothing to prove.
You've already won it twice.
Legacy.
If I could win a third time, I'd be in the book.
On the first page.
Well, one way or the other...
...we're making a kind of history here. You and me at the final table.
Yeah, that's one way to look at it.
How do you look at it?
You can call it what you like. What goes around, comes around.
That's a long time ago, Huckleberry. Your mother forgave me.
Why can't you?
What makes you think she ever forgave you?
She told me so when she gave me back her ring.
You stole the ring.
That's right, I did.
Hocked it. Redeemed it. Gave it back to her.
She never wore it again.
Before she died, she gave it back to me.
I kept the ring because your mother's forgiveness meant a lot to me.
Well, then, why did you gamble with it? I won it from you, remember?
Because she's your mother.
- Hey, Eddie. - Welcome back.
- Here you go. - Thank you.
He's the man.
Huck raises to 90,000.
Raise.
Ralph re-raises to 300,000.
L.C. folds.
Jason folds.
Having fun, Ralph?
Huck folds, and Ralph wins the pot.
Jason raises to 100,000.
Huck calls.
And Ralph calls.
Three players in the pot. And the flop.
Jack, four, three. All different suits.
Huck checks.
Ralph bets 350,000.
Jason calls.
And Huck calls. This pot is now over one million dollars.
And the turn...
...is the king of hearts.
Huck checks.
I'm all-in. Nine-fifty.
Ralph Kaczynski's all-in for 950,000.
Jason folds.
Call.
Huck calls.
Ralph Kaczynski can't be feeling too good about this.
In fact, he probably feels a little like a bear who's walked into a trap.
Ralph Kaczynski has kings and jacks, two pair.
Huck has a set of threes.
Kaczynski needs a king or a jack.
Anything else, and Huck Cheever has knocked him out of this tournament.
And the river.
And the river is a queen.
And Huck Cheever has won the pot.
Ralph Kaczynski wins 440,000, with his fourth place finish.
We're down to our final three.
Yeah, that was smooth play, man.
Huck is first act on the button.
Huck calls 40,000.
L.C. raises to 100,000.
Jason folds.
- I'll just call. - Huck calls.
What do you mean, "just call"?
Take it any way you want. It's just a call.
And the flop.
The flop is seven, five, deuce, rainbow.
Let's play for three.
L.C. makes it 300,000.
Raise.
Your three, and three more.
Huck raises to 600,000.
Interesting raise, Huckleberry.
Just call.
L.C. calls.
Turn.
Turn is a deuce of spades.
Another five to go.
L.C. bets 500,000.
- Call. - Huck calls.
The pot is now two million dollars.
Now you smooth call.
The book says:
"If you're holding the bullets now would be the time to go over the top."
Go all-in.
The river.
River's the eight of hearts.
So, here we are.
Here we are.
How much do you have?
About 650.
I think I have you, Huckleberry. All-in.
L. C Cheever is all-in.
Huck calls.
And he'll double up, or be out.
- Call. - Huck calls.
L.C. has two kings.
Kings, nice hand.
They're good.
L.C. Cheever wins the pot.
Nice playing, Huck.
Huck Cheever, is our third place bencher, winning 650,000 dollars.
Huck.
This is it, we're down to the final two players for the world championship...
...L.C. Cheever and our chip leader, Jason Keyes.
Make way for the two point five million in cash.
Huck. I put you on queens, right.
Right, queens.
Huck, could we have a couple of words with you?
Knocked out by your own father. Kind of cold-blooded, huh?
L.C. re-raises to 620,000.
Jason raises one more...
Well, somebody who understands the game very well once said:
"Poker's cruel. You can't have sympathy and win."
L.C. Cheever is all-in.
Excuse me.
The action is for Jason Keyes. This could be it.
- Call. - Jason Keyes, calls.
L.C. has ace, king.
Jason Keyes has ace, queen of diamonds.
Jason Keyes needs a queen, and the river.
It's a queen.
Jason Keyes is a world champion of poker.
And L.C. Cheever, our runner-up, wins 1.3 million dollars.
Huck! Hey!
You had the bullets, didn't you?
Your kings were good.
No. You gave it to me. Why?
Let's just say I thought it was your time.
Well, you were wrong about that.
So, where to now? Back to France?
Tunica. Then Atlantic City.
- Tournaments? - Yeah.
They're flying a couple of us old-timers down, comping the entrance fees.
The game is being marketed now. They need celebrity gamblers.
Like everything else, they wanna pretend it's the way it used to be.
Let's play.
- Play? - Yeah.
Right now. You and me. Head to head. Come on. Like the old days.
Do us both good.
Clear the air.
As far as I'm concerned, the air is clear.
Then you'll play better.
Come on.
Cut for deal.
Angelina, we need some change over here.
Got you! Pennies, nickels and dimes.
- Night, Billie. - Night, Andy.
Can we talk?
Outside. I need some fresh air.
So, how did the tournament go?
- Win some, lose some. - Easy come, easy go?
Yeah, same old story.
And the money's just a way of keeping score.
Yeah.
Except for my left pocket winnings.
The important money.
Four dollars and 37 cents.
Pennies, nickels and dimes.
Like on the kitchen table.
You got it.
You let your father win in the tournament, didn't you?
You were there.
Am I that easy to read?
When you know the tells.
Guess what, buddy? You just lost 20,000 dollars.
Thirty days. It's a month. You lose.
Hate to tell you this, there's 31 days in May.
Well, how many days in August?
- August? - Yeah.
Thirty, I think.
- Double or nothing says there's 31. - Bet!
Yo, buddy!