Everyone gambles.
They may call it something else,
like the stock market, or real estate.
But make no mistake.
If you're risking something, you're gambling.
And if you're gambling...
Hey.
...then I'm the guy you want to see.
Do you ever follow up a mistake
with another wretched mistake?
I hate the expression "I hear you."
Because what it usually means is, "I'm ignoring you."
But, Professor Hornstein, I hear you.
It's just that I was planning
on taking my wife skiing in Vermont on break, and now...
And now, the online sports book has your money.
The poker site has some of it, too.
I was hoping, perhaps, you could get it back for me.
I can't get you back what I don't have.
I gave you a coupon for discounted play on the site.
You used it. Lost. That's it.
You got all the answers, don't you?
Of course you do.
Okay.
Professor, you ever heard of Rush Street Capital?
Yeah. I worked there.
One year away from becoming a Portfolio Manager
and a seven-figure bonus
when the meltdown happened and the firm blew up.
But I learned two things from it.
Hard work alone doesn't protect your downside
and nobody plays for free.
What do college campuses have in common
with Las Vegas and Atlantic City?
Gambling is now so prevalent among college students,
it's creating serious problems with few easy answers.
Worldwide, online gambling has reached epidemic proportions.
Four years ago, the big Nevada casinos
thought of online gaming as the competition.
Now, they're realizing that with their brand name recognition,
they can maybe get a big piece of the online action.
With access to high-stakes gambling just a mouse click away,
teenagers are the latest group to fall into the gambling web.
With reports of revenue in excess
of thirty billion dollars a year.
Anyone with access to the Internet
can gamble away their life savings
without stepping foot out of their home.
Department of Justice has indicted
the top 3 major offshore online poker sites.
Players are convinced that a cheater
can somehow see his opponent's hand.
Department of Justice officials announce
that Ivan Block has become a major target of federal investigation
and continues to operate outside
federal jurisdiction in Costa Rica.
With no legal recourse whatsoever.
At Princeton, you're either bred for it
or you bleed for it.
And I can't seem to stop bleeding.
My general concern, Mr. Furst,
is that you are promoting gambling on campus.
My more pressing concern,
the one expressed to me by Mr. Arnaud's father
is that you are encouraging Paul to gamble.
You told your dad that, Paul?
It's his credit card.
The point is, Mr. Furst,
Mr. Arnaud did not send his boy 3,500 miles from home
in order to start him on the road to perdition.
You are supposed to be earning your Masters of Finance
and serving as a graduate teaching assistant.
Instead, you are running some kind of virtual casino.
Gambling is forbidden on campus.
Bookmaking is forbidden on campus.
And if you don't change your tune,
you're going to be forbidden on campus as well.
Now, if you'll excuse us, I'll finish with Mr. Furst alone.
Paul. Thanks, man.
Looked at your transcripts. Spoke to your professors.
Even read some of your papers.
You have a real gift.
I want you to make this place proud.
But you've got your hands in your fellow students' pockets.
I've never stolen anything from anyone.
Dean, I'm not eligible for financial aid
because my past income is too high.
But that money is basically gone.
I owe $21,000 tuition, due next week.
Sixty-grand, total, before I get my degree. And that's if I don't eat.
Welcome to the real world.
It doesn't mean you can live by your own rules.
I'm not a bookie, okay?
My official title is "Affiliate for Online Gaming."
I steer traffic to the website, they pay me a commission.
Hands off. Arm's length.
I get a small fee for each player I sign up.
I'm not living some elaborate lifestyle, here.
It's how I'm paying my way through this university.
What we touch touches us, too, Mr. Furst.
Dean, I'm in marketing.
As am I.
And what I market is this university.
You will close up shop, effective immediately,
or you won't have a school to pay for.
The thing about this game is you can't win
unless you're ready to risk it all.
So, there it is.
Everything I have.
That is a lot of your bankroll in play.
All of it, Craigger.
What do you say, we shut it down real quick?
it must be really nice to have your education paid for,
but the rest of us still have to grind for our Masters.
Is your plan just to gamble for your tuition money?
Whoa, whoa, it's not like I'm shooting craps
or playing blackjack or something.
You're playing poker, Richie.
I'm playing poker against fish, Craig. It's a big difference.
And $17,000 means zero to me right now.
This is my shot, okay? And statistically, it's the right play.
Look, I've been three-tabling.
I find a guy on the fourth,
who's acting like it's his life's mission to give all his money away.
Hold up. Why did you just raise?
Non-weighted game theory.
Because it'll outperform the EV of flatting and he'll spaz in anyway.
Look. See his starting hands and betting patterns?
This guy is a weak player.
This is the type of sucker you find once a year, maybe.
Okay, what are we at?
Fifty. Fifty. Fantastic.
Hey, Richie, it's me, Craig. I'm a very good friend of yours.
You cracked 50? What do you say
you just pull back some of that cake?
Fifty doesn't get me to graduation, Craig.
What did I tell you? This is the one you wait for.
No,no,no, you gotta be kidding me.
How did you know to fold?
We got the next one. Here we go, baby.
Richie, let's go. Stay in it.
Come on, don't bet at that. Fold!
Shit, how did you know to bet at that?
How did they know eight-high was good?
If you're a poker player, a real poker player,
there is no such thing as luck.
Richie, you got to stop, man.
I can't let short-term variance slow me down. That's the sucker play.
This guy plays too bad for me to stop.
If you lose over the long term, there is a reason.
And this guy was too bad to be the reason.
He never showed his cards, he'd just raise or fold.
Raising when I was weak, folded when I was trapping.
That's not good, that's great.
And this guy wasn't great.
When you get beat straight-up, it hurts like hell.
When you get hustled,
it's a fucking dagger in the eye.
You were right. See this right here?
This is way outside the norm.
I knew it. That's why I brought it to you.
I compared it against thousands of players, right?
With at least 2,500 recorded hands.
Look how far outside the normal win rates the guys who beat you are.
What's that, like, over a million to one?
Dude, it's like winning Powerball four times in a row.
Richie? What the hell?
Christ, I haven't seen you in what? Four years?
I don't know, Dad. I stopped counting.
You stopped counting, I count
You, uh, got a minute?
Oh, yeah. Come in, sit down.
What the hell are you doing here? Are you okay?
I'm fine.
What do you need?
Have you got any connections in Costa Rica?
Why? Are you going down to Costa Rica?
Are you gonna gamble? Are you a chip off the old block now?
No, I'm not.
I always thought you were an action guy.
I'm not looking to gamble.
Oh.
Well, what then?
I was hoping you knew somebody who could get me close to Ivan Block.
No. I don't know anybody like that.
That's out of my league. Way out.
He started that site, and he had a dozen competitors.
I know. You're sure?
There's nobody from all the years at the tables?
No, there's nobody.
All the chits are going the other way now, son.
Now, wait a minute. Where the hell are you going?
Come on. Stick around, play a little bit.
Here.
Richie. Richie, you're not even listening to me.
Richie, what about finals, huh?
I got extensions.
Okay, but where are you going?
Costa Rica. Costa Rica.
Did you get your shots?
Because there are monkeys there.
Monkeys that bite you with disease.
Odds are, the monkeys will be the least of my worries.
Do you have any idea how crazy this is?
Look, Block is a businessman.
It's bad business to defraud your customer.
If anything, I'm doing the guy a solid.
"A solid." This isn't about Block, though.
It's about you. You don't know how to lose.
You ever heard of Meyer Lansky? Yes, I know Meyer Lansky.
Right. One thing he wouldn't allow
is a bent table at any of his casinos.
Every flip, every spin, every roll of the dice had to be legit.
Because he understood what gambling is about.
So, what's gambling all about?
Everybody gets a fair shot.
Whether you have one dollar on the line or a million.
Let's think this through for a second.
You're about to jet off to a country you've never been to,
with a language you do not speak,
bluff your way into Ivan Block's posse,
somehow call him out in front of everybody he knows,
and you expect him to just give you your money back and say,
"Oh, that's my bad, dude. My fault."
This school, this degree,
what that means in the world... Mmm.
This isn't my second chance, Craig. This is my last chance.
Welcome to Costa Rica.
There are hundreds of affiliates already
down here for the gaming convention.
And they run the gamut. From the guys with all the money
to the guys trying to get some.
Hey, hoss. If you're looking to gamble in your hotel room later.
I'm all right, man.
You're Pet! I'm Richie Furst.
I steer players to your sites.
Richie. Dude.
Andrew C. Hey, Richie F.
Nice to meet you.
Are you here for the expo?
Yeah, I'm hoping to get face to face with Ivan Block.
Do you know him?
The man is like the Wizard of fucking Oz.
And no one gets behind the curtain.
No one.
All right, man. We gotta go. Take it easy.
Good luck.
Yeah, you too.
We understand you're homesick.
It's not that I'm homesick.
I'm not away at camp.
It's an issue of freedom.
You know what Napoleon said he missed the most when he was in exile in Elba?
Pussy.
You know what he missed second?
Paris.
Now, myself, I don't give a fuck about Paris.
And I got a whole grip of pussy down here.
But I can't walk down Michigan Avenue.
I can't walk down Broadway.
I can't walk down Art Rooney Avenue
and have a Primanti's Kolbassi and cheese.
You know what that's like for a lifelong Steelers fan?
I can only imagine.
We can raise it in committee.
The table's ready. Who's first?
Okay.
Look, guys, we all know what's going on.
You're about to get the kind of blowjob
your wife hasn't given you in 30 years.
And that's great.
I want to help our vaunted leaders let off a little steam.
That's why we're lucky, because you got me down here.
Enjoy your massage.
Welcome, affiliates, to the 2013 Midnight Black Expo.
Please join us poolside for poker and blackjack.
Affiliates, please go to the lower deck to redeem your vouchers.
Super affiliates, please meet in the poker pavilion on the lower level.
Five minutes. I'm just looking for five minutes with Mr. Block.
And I'm looking to be on the cover of Italian Vogue
but it's not gonna happen for either of us.
It could.
Maybe for me.
Why don't you give me your card?
I'll put you on the call list.
on.
Triage this for me, best you can.
Great dress, by the way.
Thank you.
You're gonna have to like it
because I'm gonna be in it for the rest of the night.
No time to breathe, much less to change.
I know. I'm buried with party requests for tomorrow night.
It's going to be amazing.
I've just been over all the details with Ivan.
Excuse me, Ms. Shafran?
Oh, God, I haven't been called that since the last time I was deposed.
It brings back bad memories.
It's Rebecca.
Rebecca, I'm Richie Furst and...
You smell like an affiliate.
Not anymore.
But you want something.
Okay, so there's a couple of ways I could respond to that.
I could say "yes," and you walk away.
I could say "no," but then you'd know I was lying.
And I walk away.
But you haven't walked away yet.
Don't try to con me.
Just tell me straight up what you want.
Okay.
I need to come to that party tomorrow night.
There. How easy was that?
Hey, you! Get down. Now.
All right, fellas.
Let's go.
Is this the guy?
Okay, you got in. What do you want?
My name is Richie Furst.
I was cheated on your site, Midnight Black,
and I'm guessing by the look on your face you don't even know it.
If I had a dollar for every bad gambler who lost money on my site,
and turned around and claimed they got cheated, I wouldn't need a site.
Mr. Block, Iran a multimodal sample distribution
at the Plasma Physics Lab at Princeton.
These numbers are negative-3 sigma.
That means they fall substantially below the standard deviation.
I could have gone to the Internet forums, chat rooms,
exposed the whole thing, but I didn't.
I brought it to you.
Well, I appreciate that.
Thank you very much.
Have a good night.
Sir?
Hey. Come on aboard.
It's not gonna make you sick, is it?
No,no,no. I'm fine.
Good.
I'm a big believer in being the person
who kills what they eat, you know?
The Indians had that figured out.
And not a whole hell of a lot else
until the casino racket in the mid '80s.
Let's try this part again. My name's Ivan.
Richie Furst.
It's a pleasure, Richie.
Welcome aboard.
This is The House.
I never in a million years thought I'd have something like this.
Just got to the point where me and my old partner, Alex Maynard,
looked in the ATM account and realized we had so much money
that it was morally incumbent on us to buy something.
So, we ordered a set of these boats.
We had a good time. A lot of fun.
Is he still involved?
No. Alex, um...
You know, this life has a lot of temptation.
And it just gets a hold of some people.
Alex died of a drug overdose a little more than three years ago.
He was a good guy. He was my...
He was my best friend.
Why The House?
Because the house always wins.
Which is why we don't have to cheat people.
We have the greatest business model in the world.
50,000 players, three cents a second, average rake.
That's just poker, okay?
The rest of the site we're doing $1.2 to $1.9 million a day.
That translates into $750,000 net profit per day.
But the math is right. Am I missing something?
No, you didn't miss anything.
We missed something.
We had a couple of our programmers
who decided it would be a good idea
to write a backdoor into the code
so that they could see player's hole cards.
And they cheated you.
And they cheated other players.
And I'm really sorry and I'm embarrassed.
And that has nothing to do with what
this company and what this site stand for.
You saw it.
The donkeys in Compliance missed it.
This is why they're on airplanes
to wherever the fuck donkeys from Compliance come from.
But you came to me.
You didn't tell anybody else.
Because you know rumors of cheating and bullshit
can affect these sites like fucking bedbugs
and you can never get rid of it.
That took a lot of balls.
Honestly, I couldn't get to you any other way.
Regardless, I'm very grateful.
I am nothing if not world-class at showing my gratitude
so we have checked you in to one of our company's
executive luxury penthouse suites
and your account has been credited
with the amount of money that you lost.
I don't know what to say. Thank you.
Just do me a favor and don't try to win
your tuition online again, okay?
How do you know about that?
How do you think I know?
Studying my player history, ran it through your algorithm,
saw that I was playing way above my mean.
No, none of that shit.
We bribed your roommate, Craig.
Look, Richie, I understand why you did what you did.
I know about what happened with that job on Wall Street.
You were trying to get rich, and you were trying to be respectable.
And you would have, if you had another year and a half.
Those people took your labor...
And my fucking money.
And your fucking money, and they burned it all up.
And now you're fucked.
Because Wall Street's a different place. The rules have changed.
The odds of getting a job at a good hedge fund on Wall Street
are roughly the same as hitting runner-runner flush
in a hand of Texas Hold 'Em.
You probably know what the odds of hitting a runner-runner flush
in Texas Hold 'Em are, don't you?
Roughly four percent.
Well, listen,
I put a little something extra in here for your troubles.
That will get you through your Masters.
I think that ends our business here.
Unless, of course, you feel like sticking around
and taking a shot at a real business.
Guaranteed seven figures in the first 18 months.
Guaranteed eight figures in the first three years.
I have met very few people in my career
who I think can be really, really exceptional at this.
And you are one of those people.
The most important rule in the world is that nobody gives you shit.
You want to do something in this fucking life, you go out and build it.
What do you say?
Is it Newark, or you stick around here with me?
What do you think?
I think any question that starts with
"Either are you back to Jersey or 'X' ",
the correct answer is
I was in. And I took to it like a gambler's son.
He gave me the full run of the place.
I started right in tuning up the affiliate business.
I learned about payment processing, off-shore banking.
He even let me bring in my own people.
They needed some Princeton math, so I gave it to them.
Thirty billion in online gambling
and I was there to make sure we got our piece.
Three months went by like a weekend in Vegas.
Suddenly I have everything I want.
Well, almost everything.
This is a good one to bet on.
His name is Ojo Rojo.
Mister Herrera.
Paid in total. With dollars, as you wanted.
What was once paid in full is now only half.
Next time bring 500.
Here we go.
You might find this hard to believe
because of how welcoming my country can be,
but some of my colleagues in the legislature
believe your kind is ruining Costa Rica.
Me doing damage?
I'm a fountain of money in this shithole.
I put millions into your economy.
I give employment to hundreds of people,
with better salaries than you can pay.
I understand, that's exactly what I tell them.
But they go on and on
about how the gringos and their online gaming money
attracts undesirables, breeds prostitution, even drugs.
How much did I give you already?
Who knows?
If I give someone 5.7 million dollars in three and a half years,
I notice it.
And in return, I expect more than advice on a horse.
I want stability.
Listen to me. You have stability and you know it.
We've been a democracy for over 50 years
because we don't give the people a reason to unseat us.
And the people of this country would love nothing more
than to haul an American in as the face of corruption.
So, that's why it's gonna cost you more money.
Good luck with the horse.
All I had to do was make sure the numbers added up
and maybe shave the player edge here or there,
0.8 for blackjack, 0.6 for craps and 3.4 for poker,
everybody was happy.
Hey. There he is.
Ivan.
Thanks for having me, man.
What do you think?
Uh, crazy.
It's a little over the top, but what are you gonna do?
I invited your buddies, too.
I just can't catch a fucking break.
What are you crying about? You dropped three grand.
You'll pick it up later tonight.
It's like they want me to lose.
Yeah, that's why they build casinos.
No roll. Shooter, you can't slide the dice.
No roll? Fuck you, pay the bet.
Sir?
Pay the bet, you fucking greaseball.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, hey, hey. Take it easy, man.
The stickman is just trying to do his job.
He fucks up again, he's gonna have that stick up his ass.
Why don't you let me take over?
Ladies and gentlemen, the point is still eight.
Get your hard ways in while the dice are in the middle.
Oh, that's great, Zorro, work the stick.
Guess you don't have the stones to play.
How about this?
I'll fade your action.
Just me, or the whole table?
The whole tub.
Huh?
How about that?
If this goes bad, I may need some credit.
Will 30K cover it? We'll call it an advance.
Hey, shooter, try to hit that back wall.
Believe me, she'll appreciate it.
What shot Jesse James? A 45.
Centerfield.
Press it. All the hard ways.
Shooter wants to press it.
Shooter, shooter.
Six, the hard way.
If he doesn't roll a seven and crap out,
this is gonna cost you 100 grand.
The house can't sweat the money.
Hey, shooter, do me a favor.
I'm thinking of a number.
That's the number.
Let's go.
Thanks for playing.
You know what? You forgot the eternal truth.
The house always wins.
That was pretty impressive.
That was pretty lucky.
Thanks for backing me.
It was business. No thanks needed.
This is a single malt.
It's really good. You should try it.
You know, I'm more of a pizza and beer guy myself.
Baked potato with cheese and baked beans.
And look at us now.
Look at you.
Wow.
You really do wear it.
Is this how you worked Ivan over?
I didn't work him over.
You know, part of my job
is getting close to the people
who are close to my employer.
So, that's it?
Just checking me out professionally.
Pretty much.
"Pretty much."
Good luck, sir.
It's the casino toss.
You know how at the casino when they give you chips
they say "Good luck, sir"?
They don't tell you
that "sir" means "dummy", and "good luck" means "fuck you".
Holy shit. Those are fucking crocodiles.
Yeah.
This guy wants me to invest in a crocodile farm for their skin.
He sent me these as samples.
Ivan... Mmm?
I appreciate the invite, man. Tonight was a blast.
Good. You had fun.
You should have fun.
I didn't have fun, I fucking hated it. I don't know why.
It used to be fun.
Started out, it was fun. Fuck.
Started out, it was the greatest thing in the world.
It's like everything you ever thought
you wanted when you were 13 years old.
Listen, I got a guy, he's coming in from London.
His name is Brett Sheck. We call him "Shecky."
He's a super affiliate.
His players would represent over 10 percent of our business.
Okay.
Currently, he's with these pussies at Ultimate Bet.
I think you can sign him.
If you do, it's gonna be on for you.
Because you're going to commission everything you bring in.
And that's when the real exponential money starts.
And I'm excited to see you spend it.
You up for it?
I'm on it.
All right. Good. You want to throw one?
What kind of question is that? Of course I want to throw one.
I love those little slimy bastards.
They remind me of everybody who wants to take a piece out of me.
Looks like somebody made a new friend.
- Yeah, I did. - Well...
Good.
You want me to stay away.
No. I want you to do whatever you want.
God knows I do. Hmm.
You certainly do.
Get some rest, yeah?
You called him on cheating you and got yourself a job.
I think that deserves a round of applause.
What is this? Who the fuck are you?
If I un-cuff you, you're not gonna do anything stupid, like run?
Because I'll shoot you.
The FBI is in the kidnapping business now?
I do whatever I want.
Man, I'm in fucking Costa Rica.
Look, I wanted to get you alone
and I didn't want your boss to see us together.
You should be thanking me.
My name is Eric Shavers.
Don't call me "Eric."
Call me "Agent Shavers."
And you work for me now.
Can we just back up for a fucking second here?
Like I said, you caught him cheating.
But what about...
What about bribing an official?
What about racketeering?
What about stealing the player list from his former job
to start his new website, Midnight Black?
Now, there's rumblings that he wants new territories.
You are gonna be my guy inside.
I don't know what you think I can do, man.
I'm an independent marketing consultant.
Look, don't play me for stupid!
You're too smart for that. I'm too smart for that.
You could have worked at any respectable place.
Any legitimate casino.
Caesars Palace. That's a nice place.
But you chose to sign up with Ivan Block.
I'm not even a principal in the fucking company.
I can go wherever I want.
You can't go to New Jersey.
Or any place that has reciprocal arrangements
with New Jersey, like New York.
What the fuck have I done in New Jersey, huh?
Or New York, for that matter?
You're not that bright for a Princeton man.
It's sad.
I was talking to my associate, Agent Mohr,
and he has a sworn statement from a Dean Monroe
that says you were promoting gambling at Princeton.
Now, if you were my guy, I could make it all go away.
Wipe the slate clean.
But if the sun comes up tomorrow and you're still here,
and you're not my guy
then I pull the trigger.
And you can forget about working on Wall Street or any legitimate casino.
Because you need a license for that, and felons don't get them.
See, I can stand here and say I'm doing it because it's my job.
Or I'm upholding the law, blah-blah-fucking-blah.
But the truth is, I'm doing it because I enjoy it.
Hmm?
I love fucking over Princeton guys.
Because I went to Rutgers.
Ivan! Hey, it's important.
Oh! Ivan! I need to talk to you.
What's up?
Fuck, I'm so fucking terrible at this game, man.
They only let me play because I own the team.
I just fucking got kidnapped by the FBI.
Good.
Oh, that's good?
Oh, I knew they'd hit on you sometime,
I just didn't know what you'd do.
Now I do. Is it that guy Shavers?
Did he give you the line about how I'm a bad guy,
you gotta leave town, all that shit?
Yeah, he's threatened me with jail.
He said I'd be barred from re-entering the country.
Listen, you're not gonna go to jail, okay?
You got grabbed up by the FBI.
I get it. That's really fucking scary.
I was terrified the first time it happened to me.
I couldn't judge you at all
if you want to get on a plane and just get the fuck out of here.
Just ask yourself one thing.
Are you doing something wrong?
Are we?
I make it possible for a fat guy in Cleveland
to play Omaha Hi-Lo in his underwear in his living room.
Shoot me.
I mean, these fucking shoe companies,
they pay a Chinese eight-year-old two nickels
to hand-stitch these fucking things till their fingers bleed,
then they sell them in the ghetto in the United States for 250 dollars.
And I'm the fucking criminal?
Then why is this guy all over me, huh? Why is he fucking with me?
Because he's jealous. He's hating on you, that's why.
He sees what you have, he sees what you're gonna have,
and he's plugging away in a bad suit
and heavy shoes for chump change.
Look, man, even if it was a crime,
there's nothing they could do about it
because they don't have enough jurisdiction
to write us a fucking parking ticket down here.
Richie, I look at you, and I see myself.
You got that same "fuck you" look in your eye.
You've been beat up, you've been knocked down,
you've been kicked around, you've been told you weren't good enough,
and you have something to prove.
Now is the time to do it.
But let me know. Either way, someone's got to deal with Shecky.
Block is a one man industry, Shecky.
He figured out how to take online gambling
and make it sexy, with the money and the women.
Because that's the true crave-able experience.
Know what I crave?
Name it.
Thirty-three percent rake-back on my poker players
and cost per acquisition on my casino gamers.
We're at 30 percent and rev-share.
Well, I'm getting my terms at UB and they're happy to have me, so,
I think I'm gonna stay where I am.
Tell you what, give me a day.
I'll talk to him about matching, we'll lock this thing up.
All right, I'll give you a day.
But then I got to get home,
my wife and I are about to have our first kid.
Ah. Salud.
Cheers.
Ivan.
I spoke with Sheck. Yeah?
A few little things and we're pagando blackjack.
What few little things?
He wants an extra three points rake-back
and to stay at cost per acquisition.
I know it's not the original deal,
but, uh, we still make a huge profit.
No. Fuck him.
If we give him that, every piker who thinks he's an affiliate
is gonna want the same thing. No.
Then I don't think we get him.
Well, then I guess that's it, you don't want the bonus.
You know what I mean? Pack your shit.
No,no,no. Ivan, wait.
I've got this.
Tell me how much room I have to negotiate.
You have no room to negotiate.
You already tried negotiating.
Now, you try leverage.
Everybody has something they care about more than money.
Find out what that is.
Then you gotta do the hard thing.
That little voice in the back of your head right now?
It's not your conscience.
It's fear.
Hey, man.
How you doing?
Thanks for hanging in there, giving me the day.
How could I pass up the chance for marlin?
Are we good to go?
Just got to wait for the crew to board.
Who's this guy?
Oh, he drives the boat.
Here comes your crew.
Permission to come aboard?
God, I love that accent.
Permission granted.
Come on, girls.
Look, man. Eat, drink, fish.
Compliments of Ivan Block.
He's not gonna match the UB terms,
but we do want you to think of us as friends
so, if you ever decide to switch, we'll be your first call.
Have fun.
I'll try.
Hi.
Well, hi.
I'm a fucking idiot.
They are very good-looking.
It's my own fault.
I can't blame you, you're nothing.
I've got everything.
I've got a great wife, a baby on the way, a business.
And I've got to come to Costa Rica and act like an asshole.
I'm sure Block's gonna press the terms now.
No, actually,
the terms are the same ones we offered you.
Block wants you to feel great about working with us.
Question is, where am I gonna be working?
You can still work in London.
Yeah, but will my checks be coming from a Costa Rican bank,
or Caymans, or Malta, or somewhere else?
I've heard the whispers.
Block's not too popular around these parts anymore.
One of the reasons I was gonna stay away.
Player list.
My man. You got it?
Got it.
You're a fucking genius.
Come here, watch this.
Wilson, can you get 30 racks?
500,000 new international players. Right?
Emails, betting history.
By Sunday, 200,000 of these penguins
will be betting football on our site.
By the weekend, we'll be doing nine million.
We'll lose some of them,
but luckily, we got Shecky out there bringing them back for us,
so, we're gonna be all right.
And this is my thanks to you.
It's a little bonus to show how much we appreciate you.
You're a fucking man and you did what you had to do.
Spend it all in one place.
Knock yourself out. Do some degenerate shit.
Do it in my car.
Which one? Whichever one you want.
Thanks, Richie. You're a good man.
Richie. Honestly, this is the greatest night of my life, man.
I can't thank you enough.
You don't look like you're having any fun.
You know, we, uh, can't do this.
If you like me, what's the problem?
You know what the problem is.
You're right, I should probably call you a car.
Mmm.
Immediately.
Get you out of here.
Mmm-hmm.
I think that's the best idea.
My father described this place as a gambler's paradise.
But to be honest, I never really put too much stock
into what my father had to say, ever.
Especially about gambling.
Well, as a gaming professional,
that's exactly the type of customer I want in the world.
You would love him then.
But as your friend, I'm sorry.
As my friend?
Let's just...
No. No, you're right.
Let's not get too excited, okay?
No,no,no. Too strong.
Um, wrong word. "Colleague."
Much better.
I can work with that.
How do you get used to all this?
Well...
There was no "all this" when we came here.
We built it all, Ivan and I.
So, you two were together?
It was a moment. Um...
But it wasn't like this.
Put your bags down. No fucking way, man.
I'm getting out of here and you should do the same thing.
Come on, man. The three amigos. You gotta stay.
What's up, boys?
Hey, Richie.
What a night, huh?
Crazy.
Yeah, fun ride, Richie. I'm out.
Out to where?
Out to home. I'm all the way out.
What are you talking about?
Tell him, Pet.
Just tell him.
Tell me.
I'm leaving my girl's hotel room
this morning when this real hard-ass,
Agent Whatever-the-fuck-his-name-is, from the FBI,
rolls up on me, tells me I'm breaking U.S. fiduciary...
I got braced, too.
Same guy, same speech.
You could tell him to kiss your ass.
He can't touch us down here.
He said some scary shit about Block.
He's a government functionary, Pet.
That's what they do.
Block is the biggest trophy that Shavers could ever take down.
Who gives a shit what he says?
He told me I could be barred from re-entering the country
if I didn't leave now.
So, what are you gonna do, try and re-open your skin?
My brother owns a broker-dealer, he offered me a job.
Wall Street?
I'll be rich, not super-rich. I can deal.
What the fuck?
What?
Oh.
I hide it in there from the maids. They hate bran.
They eat everything else in the kitchen, but they don't eat the bran.
Do me a favor. Invest it for me.
I just don't have time to spend it while I'm here.
I'm in a basement all day.
You should come with.
No. I'm finally in the real shit, optimizing the platform.
That's where the real money's at.
To be honest, super-rich works for me.
Richie, I understand the path you're on.
But you should pack it in, pal.
I can't do it, hoss.
My future is here.
All right, hoss.
See you.
- Hello. - Young Richie!
I got something I need you to do.
It's gonna be a crash course in client relations.
Ivan.
Excuse me, Richie.
I'm sorry, what's the problem?
Send someone else.
Why would I do that?
You don't have any personal feelings in this.
Please.
Okay, look, here's what I need you to do.
Meet Wilson at the casino.
Wilson will give you a key.
You are gonna use that key to go to the cage and open box 765.
You are gonna remove the contents of that box.
300 racks. Domestic.
I want you to give what's inside that briefcase to Mr. Herrera.
He's the gaming commissioner, which makes him Caesar in this country.
Without him, we can't operate.
My friend. How are you doing?
Good, how are you? I'm really great.
Let's make a hug.
I want you to meet a magical unicorn.
Very rare.
Would you like to partake?
I'm fine, thank you.
Okay. Come have a seat.
Sit. Sit.
Let me show you something.
Let's talk about the... Right?
It's something else.
First class.
Not coach. First class.
It's a very nice gesture. I'm good to go.
Right here!
Mmm?
Is there somebody else coming with the rest of it?
The rest?
The rest.
No, that is the entire selection.
Well, maybe we have had a misunderstanding.
Or perhaps your boss is trying to send me a message.
Um...
I'd be happy to let him know that you're unhappy.
Why don't I take care of your tab for the evening, huh?
It'd be my pleasure.
Here. You know what?
Thank you. It's very generous.
I will let Ivan know about this misunderstanding.
Okay.
You think you can buy me
with some cheap whores like some fucking congressman?
Tell your puto gringo boss I'm sending a message.
Ivan!
Block!
Did you get in a fight with your kid sister?
Funny guy. Where is he?
Richie, you were just a little too good-looking for this racket.
Why did you short him?
I didn't short him.
It's an ongoing negotiation.
Then you got more than an ongoing negotiation.
You have a fucking problem.
Did he take the money?
Yeah, he took it.
Then what's the fucking problem, Richie?
I mean, it's the gambling business in Costa Rica.
Occasionally, you get punched in the face.
You let me walk right into it, Ivan.
This is your job. You understand?
If you want a safer job, go work for the post office.
You want a clear conscience? Go start a charity.
But if you want your own fucking island
and your boss says you gotta go out there and take a beating,
go out there, take it, come back to work and say,
"Do you need me to do it again?"
Because right now, lam giving you the keys to the kingdom.
How did you know I'd even make it out of there alive?
How did you know?
Because you're a winner.
Because I believe in you.
And you got hurt. I'm sorry.
But if I'm telling the truth, I'd do it again.
What the fuck you looking at?
Did you see this coming?
Six months ago, Herrera wouldn't have touched anyone I know.
And six weeks from now, that could be me.
Or it could be you.
We're moving up the timetable.
Okay?
When the wrong card hits the board, you can go from a great hand
to one that can't win.
And if you're smart enough,
you get out while you can.
Hey, what's going on?
What is the...
What the fuck?
Hello.
You have been selected because of suspicion of drugs.
I don't have any drugs.
We'll see.
"We'll see"? I don't have any fucking drugs!
I think the lab is going to test positive for Mexican Brown.
That's not fucking mine.
Tar heroin.
Come on, man. You planted that!
Pasaporte, United States, huh?
You're not going to need this anymore.
Oh, Richie, Richie, Richie.
You're making me look bad.
Shavers, look, I believe you.
Everything you said about Block is true, okay?
I'm trying to go home.
You can't go home now. Now that the fun's starting.
Especially not without your passport.
And I know you can't go home now
that the sergeant has his hands on you.
He's been a bad boy.
Now, Richie, this is what I'm willing to do for you, man.
So I'll talk to the sergeant and have him wipe the slate clean.
You'll never know this happened. How about that?
You want me to do that for you, huh?
Sergeant, can you do that?
See that? Look at that smile on his face.
See, that's the problem, Richie.
I keep fucking doing for you, so when are you gonna do for me?
When's it gonna be my turn?
When's it going to be our turn?
What are you, the only guy here not on Block's payroll?
- All right! - Fuck, man!
Why don't you just fucking arrest him?
You guys don't have jurisdictional issues like the FBI!
But if I walk him into a station house or a courtroom,
what do you think he's going to do, huh?
He's going to buy the judge a steak dinner and I don't have a job!
All you got to do is help us and all this goes away.
Otherwise, you better brush up on your prison Spanish
because they don't take too kind
to gringo drug dealers down here.
Richie. Jesus, where the hell you been, man?
What the fuck happened to your face?
Nothing. What did you want to show me?
All right.
So they got me running these credit card security protocols.
And I get in there, into the code,
and I decide to freelance around a little bit, right?
So, I find there's nothing in the individual players' accounts.
What do you mean, "nothing"?
Nothing. Practically drained, dude.
They keep enough in there to cover the floats.
So if any given player wanted to cash out,
the software would find the money and then pay him off.
In the meantime, Block's just using
everybody else's funds as his own.
Wait. So, what are you saying?
This whole fucking thing is a Ponzi scheme.
Hey, Richie!
Block's upstairs. He wants to see you.
All right.
Hey.
Come on in, Richie. Have a seat.
So, Richie, here's the thing.
People often make poor decisions when they're desperate.
You know what I mean?
No.
What do you mean?
Let's say you're being charged by a bear.
You're supposed to stand still.
Most people run and they end up getting killed.
It's understandable, right?
Let me show you something.
I really have Wilson to thank for this.
He don't look like much, but he's a dog
with a bone when he gets an assignment.
This is some surveillance footage he dug up.
Would you look at that?
Take a few years off him and the old guy really does look like you, doesn't he?
This is the Trop in AC.
If I wasn't your friend, I'd say your dad was a deadbeat.
There isn't a casino, a bookmaker, or shylock
from Vegas to New York
that the old man isn't into for some serious wood.
You owe money like that, you get a reputation.
That's how I knew how to find him.
And now hopefully we can get him some help.
And get you some help, too.
This is my favorite part, right here.
Look at this.
That isn't just card counting, that's passing a bobo.
Turns out, the old man's been kiting counterfeit bills
from Tunica to Nevada.
They were about to arrest him
before I grabbed him up.
In fact, I have him over at the Intercontinental Hotel,
just down the street.
Here's the thing, Richie.
Your dad owes $187,000 to some guys that don't fuck around.
But you're my man, and you took some hits for me.
And I don't forget that.
So this is what I did. I bought the debt.
I own the paper on your father.
The only person who can do anything to him now
is me.
Which is good news, because I would never do anything like that.
I hold the debt, your dad stays healthy,
and we can all go back to exactly how it was.
Okay?
Yeah, thank you.
I appreciate it.
Richie?
Uh, come in.
Sit.
See this?
What do you think? This is where they put me.
It's a real soft spot, huh?
It's real nice, Dad.
Yeah, it reminds me of that suite we were comped in Atlantic City once
when you were a kid.
Are you talking about the time you left me all alone in the hotel room
while you were at the casino?
Look, Rich, you know,
I wish I had a time machine, I'd go back and I'd fix everything,
but I don't.
We're here now.
And where do you think "here" is? Huh?
Paradise?
Well, you know, it kind of looks that way to me.
Let's go out on the balcony. Check out the view.
Look, I know where I am, all right?
And I knew exactly what was happening the minute my debt got bought
and they offer me this trip.
Come on.
Been around gambling all my life, and that would be a miracle.
And miracles don't happen.
So you know Block owns the debt.
Yeah.
And I know that's worse than any wise guys walking the boardwalk
because it isn't just me that he's got under his hammer.
Yeah, I know.
Apparently this shit runs in the family.
It doesn't have to.
I just don't want to see you making the same mistakes I made.
Going after this bullshit.
Chasing the action.
Come on, don't let them use me to keep you here.
Go. Run.
Run, for Christ's sake. Just run.
Go back. Go back to school.
I mean...
I've been a dead man walking for the last 15 years.
Dad, try and sit tight.
I'll figure a way to get us both out of this.
No, no, no. Come on.
After all these years, you're still worrying about me?
You're my dad.
That's your mother talking.
he raised you right, guess.
Payoffs are how the casino business in Costa Rica works.
It's why this government doesn't shut Block down.
But now it's time for me to buy some goodwill of my own.
Yeah?
Richie, it's me.
Agent Shavers was right about everything. We should have left.
Shavers? You said he didn't even approach you.
Listen, after the players' accounts, I found something else.
It's a way bigger scam than I thought. We're screwed, man.
Cronin, slow the fuck down.
What are you trying to tell me? Just come see me.
I gotta show you in person.
Hey, Richie. Where you going, babe?
Going home. Yeah?
Why don't you do that later?
Come take a ride with me.
Wilson.
Where are we going?
Don't worry about it. Enjoy the ride, man.
So neither of you guys are gonna tell me what the fuck we're doing?
Get off the boat. Come on.
Richie!
How you doing, bud?
Fellas.
Hey. Richie, remember, um, that whole thing
I was telling you about the Indians?
Not the casino thing, but the respecting what you kill.
Or whatever that hokum shit was.
All right, here's the deal with this.
The over-under is 90 seconds.
Bet is $10,000.
Do I pay you guys enough to jump in on 10 grand?
Yeah, I take the over. How's that?
What the fuck you talking about?
It's so fucking dark, it's gonna be two minutes
before they even get the fucking scent.
I brought two idiots to Latin America, Richie.
It's like sand to the beach, but what are you gonna do?
What the fuck is this?
This is where the Rio Tárcoles lets out.
Ivan...
Your problem is with me, let him go.
Hey, Herrera, if you hadn't acted like an asshole,
you wouldn't be on your knees right now.
So don't try to be noble.
Basically, this place is to crocodiles
what Goldman Sachs is to pricks with skinny ties.
There's just a fucking ton of them.
Cruise ships come down here, they dump off their edible waste,
the crocs have learned to swim downriver
and they know to bite whatever jumps in the water.
This shit
is chicken fat.
I don't know why, but for some reason
these fuckers really like poultry.
All right, go ahead.
All right, ready? Ready to fire it up?
Wilson, keep the clock. Here we go.
One, two...
Fucking Christ, Ivan!
Swim!
What do you want?!
You scared the shit out of them.
Can we fucking pull them back in?
Hold on. Shh, shh.
Do you hear them?
I'm fucking talking to you, motherfucker!
Ivan!
We got fucking money on this, dude. Chill.
You've scared the shit out of them.
Why don't you just pull them back in?
What the fuck is wrong with you?
Dude...
I'm doing this for you, man.
80 seconds.
Would you just pull them in?
What do you need?
10 dimes. 90 seconds.
Jesus Christ!
Fucking bullshit local legend, I guess.
Give me the fucking thing.
All right, calm down. Fuck me.
It's just a little fun, that's all.
Come here. Hey, come here!
Oh, shit!
Now they fucking come!
Do something!
I got it.
Are you all right?
I'm not getting them out. You get them out.
Pull them in.
Holy fuck, man. Come on.
Let's go.
What are the odds? I was kidding around.
I didn't really think crocodiles would come.
We just got lucky, I guess.
Are you all right, Richie?
You seem a little worked up, a little sweaty.
Is it the hot night or...
Are you okay?
Yeah, I'm good.
Okay, good.
Terrific.
All right, clean them up. Let's get them out of here.
Good luck. Hey, how did that horse do?
Ojo Rojo.
I'm fucking with you.
I know this isn't a good time.
All right, let's go. Let's go.
See you soon, Richie.
Cronin?
Andrew?
Cronin.
Fuck, man.
What's happened?
Did Block send you?
No, he didn't send me.
Something's happened to Cronin.
He was cooperating with the Feds.
But you knew that already, didn't you?
I didn't. Bullshit.
Let me ask you a question.
When I talk to you, am I talking to Block?
Not anymore. I wish I could believe that.
You can. You can trust...
No, I can't trust you.
I did trust you!
I didn't know that he was going to use you.
Stop fucking lying to me!
Ivan is set to pull out of this place in a week.
We're moving to Antigua.
And?
And he's looking to hang things on someone.
A mark.
Me.
And when he's gone, all of those people that we've crossed,
they're gonna come looking for you.
How long have you known this?
I started wondering after two years.
By the third year, when we left the Caymans,
I knew for sure that he was stealing.
But by that point I was too far in.
I'd signed a contract, there was a paper trail.
That's what Ivan does to you.
He figures out exactly what you want
and he gives it to you.
I'm sorry.
I hope so.
Because what I have to do
to get out of this,
I can't do it alone.
The payoff merry-go-round has to keep spinning.
And I need operating cash to buy my way out.
So it's less for them and more for me.
I'm just hoping I'll be gone before the hammer comes down.
Boys.
Gotta love this country.
Yesterday you wanted to kill me and today we're like brothers.
We are not fucking brothers.
I need to talk to Herrera.
He's gone, he left the country early this morning.
Then we need to talk.
Esteban?
Esteban!
Where is he?
I put together a savings account for this guy, El Capitan.
Yeah, that's his real name.
Is this gonna work?
I guess we'll see.
Where the fuck is Cronin?
You tell me. I thought he was working for you guys.
You don't understand cooperation, do you?
You're supposed to keep me posted on Block.
Circumstances have changed. What's changed?
Block has my father.
Well, if you had told us, we could have kept him safe.
But you didn't. So where the hell is Cronin?
I'm on the phone with him
and the next thing I know he fucking disappears!
Shit.
You know what? You guys are so full of shit.
You blackmail me! You beat the shit out of me!
You say you can protect me, protect my father.
You can't even protect the only source you had!
Fuck both of you. I'm done.
You're going to fucking help us! You understand me?
I'm not doing shit!
You want to arrest me? Fucking arrest me!
I'll fucking kill you! I don't give a shit!
All right, let him up!
We went about this all wrong. I'm sorry, are you okay?
I'm sorry.
But I don't have time to fucking play with you.
Take a picture with me.
Happy smile, gringo.
Here we go.
Good.
Now you have 48 hours to get me what I need on Block.
A piece of evidence that will hold up in court.
If you don't, he gets that picture and your life goes to shit.
Let's go.
Come on, Cronin, what the fuck did you do with it?
Cronin really got his nose in it.
Layers and layers of financial crimes.
Block using player accounts as his own piggy bank.
Laundering money and, of course, Block's contingency plan.
Me.
on, my God.
There's enough evidence on here to put Block or me
away for a long time.
Have you been booking travel?
I have.
I put everything I have into it.
Planes aren't cheap.
Thank you.
Block has been siphoning the player account money
and directly routing it to bank accounts with my name on them.
But when this goes public it's going to look like I own them.
All the bank account info, the missing money, everything.
Ivan's told me to pack.
We leave in 48 hours.
Everything's ready in Antigua.
You know I'm with you.
New love.
What are you doing?
Uh, you know, I was just leaving.
I was gonna go make the rounds.
One last payoff to El Capitan.
This isn't poker, this is my life. And I have one play left.
Push all my chips in and hope to get lucky.
Did you bring something for me?
I am a man of my word.
Very good. I'm also a man of my word.
Hey, where you going?
You know, for being such a smart kid,
you make some dumb fucking moves, you know that?
You don't think I know who that guy is?
Where he works, what he does? Hmm?
You don't think I know what you're trying to do?
You're done, Richie.
I think you should just walk outside and get in my car.
There's gotta be some kind of deal you and I can make.
Thank you, Richie, but I'm well taken care of.
I think you should stop embarrassing yourself,
walk outside, and get in the motherfucking car, man.
You don't think I'm taken care of, too?
Richie Furst.
Shavers.
We found Cronin beat half to death, but he's alive.
Thank God.
Where are you? Are you bringing me evidence?
No. I'm bringing you something better.
Block timed it perfectly.
He's out the door by the time the bribes stopped
and the police took everything down.
Yeah?
Hey, Richie. Where are you?
At the office.
Ivan, what the hell is going on? The site's been frozen.
Listen, Richie, you're about to get arrested, okay?
I'd love to tell you that I was gonna come down to the police station
and bail you out but we both know that's not true.
Sorry it worked out this way.
I like you, you're a good kid.
But it is what it is.
Sorry, pal. Bye-
You all right? Yeah, set.
You'll find another boyfriend when we land at the next stop.
Younger and dumber next time.
Dumber won't be easy.
Where the fuck is Wilson?
I haven't seen him.
Let's go. He'll have to fend for himself.
Do you mind? Sun.
I love new beginnings.
Any new industry, the first 10 years,
it's like Russia after Communism.
It's all strength and will.
And now, it's time for a little nuance and finesse.
Every player has a leak in his game.
Even Block.
All you have to do is find it.
You really saw me coming, didn't you?
The cars, the boats, the money, everything.
You handpicked me, and you slow-played it perfectly.
What did you expect me to do, Richie?
Walk into my party,
accuse me of cheating in front of all my friends.
I can't let that go by.
That's the problem with your generation.
You guys sat around with your vintage T-shirts
and your participation medals
and you never did anything.
And you got too big and too greedy.
Okay. What are you gonna do about it?
You don't think I own this place, too?
And where exactly do you think this is?
Bienvenidos a Puerto Rico, Ivan!
Territory of the United States of America.
The Captain, a man of his word.
I knew deep down you were just homesick.
You know what your biggest problem is, Ivan?
You talk and you talk, but you don't actually hear yourself.
Well, I did.
And you're just like every other gambler who comes onto your site.
You press it, when you should have folded and moved on.
Later on, when you're in prison,
that voice you'll be hearing in your head
isn't your conscience,
it's fear.
Ivan Block, you're under arrest, my friend.
How's it going, fellas?
Better than you.
Money laundering, racketeering, wire fraud.
Look under your feet. That's American concrete.
Kiss it, because you'll be sleeping on it for a long time.
We'll see.
That's the great thing about America, we go soft on financial crime.
Maybe eight months on a farm, something like that.
Maybe I'll see you around, Richie.
Good luck, sir.
Get this piece of shit in the car.
What about him?
Him? He's a cooperator.
Yeah, don't worry about him.
Think about him banging your girl while you're in jail.
Now, here's the good part.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
You have the right to an attorney.
If you cannot afford an attorney,
a really fucked up one will be provided for you.
Listen, I want you to get Richie Furst.
I want to start this debriefing ASAP.
You don't think he's on that plane?
You got to be kidding me.
Go with the ground crew!
Hey! Somebody stop that plane!
We had a deal!
Shit!
Agent Shavers? Yeah?
I have something for you.
Thank you.
He's a free man.
Let's go!
What would you do?
Back to Jersey, or...
I've never even been on a private plane before today.
You get used to it pretty quickly.
Maybe I already have.