[Narrating] My name's Benny Silman...
and this is probably the worst day of my young life.
You know, there's nothing like the taste of your own blood...
to start you thinking about the beginning--
things you maybe could have done differently.
Me? I grew up like any other kid did in New York.
I learned how to break dance when it was cool.
I played stickball.
I even sold lemonade on street corners.
You name it. I had dreams--
Ideas of what I wanted to do with my life.
You could say I had a future.
But by the time I was a senior in college...
the FBI was calling me a criminal mastermind.
Strangely enough, all of this could have been avoided...
if I had just listened to my mother.
This is a very bad idea.
Ma, what do you-- Why--
I just don't understand why you have to go to school...
so far from home.
Because I'm-- How many times I gotta tell you?
Take these.
It's just something I gotta do, Ma.
It's just-- I gotta get outta here.
Ma, it's like-- Just something different.
Did you wanna pack the menorah?
Yeah, I'm not gonna forget the mini-menorah.
I'm-- Look.
There it is.
So, you're all set.
Don't cry, Mommy.
Shh.
[ Sniffles ]
You're my whole world, honey.
Look at that. I'm gonna miss that face so much.
I'm gonna miss this face.
I still don't understand what is so special...
about this Arizona State. What? What?
#All right, dig it #
My moms couldn't understand why her only son...
would travel all the way across the country to go to college...
but what I couldn't really explain to her...
was that for a kid like me from New York...
going to Arizona State was like...
stepping into a Coppertone commercial.
See what I'm talking about?
I mean, it had everything that New York didn't:
the sun, the fun, the hotties.
Remember that feeling after a long winter...
when you could finally wear your shorts outside for the first time?
Well, that was A.S.U.
Every single day was like the first day of spring.
# Cold cooling at a bar #
#And I'm looking for some action #
# But like MickJagger said, I can't get no satisfaction #
#The girls are all around #
# But none of them wanna get with me #
# My threads are fresh, and I'm looking def #
#Yo, wassup with L-O-C? #
#The girls was all jockin' #
#At the other end of the bar #
# Having a drink with some no-name chump #
#When they know that I'm the star #
# So I got up and strolled over #
#To the other side of the cantina #
# I asked the guy, ''Why you so fly?'' #
# He said, ''Funky Cold Medina'' #
Yo, who are you?
Why? Who are you?
I'm T-Bone.
You from New York?
Yeah, I'm Benny from Brooklyn.
Yo, I'm from Staten Island.
Yo, get the hell outta here!
How you doin'? Roommates, buddy! How you doin'?
- Yo, that flight was like-- - Oh--
Both: Long!
Yo, man, you gotta check this out.
All right.
This is-- I'm so-- Yo, fellas!
So that's, like, T-Bone like the meat?
Yeah, it's like a nice filet mignon, you know?
Adam from Manhattan, I'd like you to meet Benny from Brooklyn.
What is this?
They put all us New Yorkers in one dorm?
I guess so.
This is the Mook from Massapequa.
Mook, Benny from Brooklyn.
What's up, Benny? Yo, Brooklyn?
Yeah.
You coming out with us tonight?
We're gonna light it up.
We're gonna go to A.S.U.'s own private amusement park.
Benny: Besides the sun, the fun, and the hotties...
one of the biggest perks of going to A.S.U....
was the fact that it was #1 8 in gas...
and two six-packs away from Las Vegas, Nevada.
Dean Martin: # How lucky can one guy be? #
# I kissed her, and she kissed me #
# Like the fella once said #
#Ain't that a kick in the head #
#The room was completely black... #
Yes, boys, I think we may have arrived.
Mook: Yeah!
Come on, Benny-boy.
#Ain't that a hole in the boat #
Good evening. Welcome to the Riviera.
Thank you, my friend.
Keep the change, big fella.
# ...And keep grinnin' #
# If this is just the beginnin' #
# My life is gonna be #
# Bee-yoo-ti-ful #
# I've sunshine enough to spread #
# It's just like the fella said #
#Tell me quick #
#Ain't love a kick #
# In the head #
Benny: For me, Vegas was love at first sight.
There was something about all the lights, money, and action...
that just got under my skin.
# Like the fella once said #
#Ain't that a kick in the head #
# Like the sailor said, quote #
#Ain't that a hole in the boat #
# My head keeps spinnin' #
# I go to sleep and keep grinnin' #
# If this is just the beginnin' #
# My life is gonna be #
# Bee-yoo-ti-ful #
# She's tellin' me we'll be wed #
# She's picked out a king-size bed #
# I couldn't feel any better or I'd be sick #
#Tell me quick #
#Ain't love a kick #
# Oh, ain't love a kick? #
#Tell me quick #
#Ain't love a kick #
# In the head #
Benny: As for school, after spending all night at a blackjack table...
putting in some class time didn't sound so bad.
- [Snoring] - Professor: 2 minus X...
times Y to the first power...
minus 1 plus Y...
times negative1 over 2 minus X squared equals...
2 minus X plus Y...
over 2 minus X squared--
Yes.
Mr. Silman...
do you know the answer?
Mr. Silman?
2 plus 2Y over 2 minus X squared.
Correct.
Yes...
2 plus 2Y over 2 minus X squared.
So what? What? Don't be so sensitive.
Jesus Christ.
Wait a minute. A pecker like you from Brooklyn...
is a Cowboys fan?
- I like Dallas! - Maybe when you were 1 2, Benny--
Dude, they got the bangingest cheerleaders.
You, my friend, you are a scab.
Oh, I'm a scab? Come on!
He's right, Benny. You're a punk.
I'm a punk? I'm a scab, and I'm a punk.
You're a punk, and your Cowgirls are gonna get slapped around tomorrow.
My ass, they're gonna get slapped.
Aikman's gonna throw for, like, 400.
- 400? - Dallas is giving 1 3.
Smith-- He's out. He's got a knee injury.
That backfield's gonna be mighty thin.
Still think they're gonna do it?
This is Troy.
You know the guy. Every campus has one.
If you wanted anything, he was your man...
but his bread and butter was makin' book.
Why don't you slap some dollars down on your donkeyboys now, huh?
Hey, man. Put your money where your mouth is.
Fine. Fine. That ain't nothin'.
You know, I'll put, like, uh, #200 on the Cowboys.
200 it is.
You don't got #200 to blow, Benny.
You ain't gotta worry about me.
My boys are gonna pull it out. Watch. Watch.
They pulled it out, all right, Benny.
They pulled it out, and they played with it...
for four quarters is what they did!
That's two large you owe Troy now.
What are you gonna do now, big shot?
Two. Two bucks. Two bucks. Keg's in the room.
One, two. Two bucks. Two.
All right. Keg's in the back.
Two bucks. Two bucks. That's it. Keg's in the back.
Two bucks.
What are you giving me here, man?
Get in there, man.
Yo, hey, what's up, Hedake?
What's up, man?
Now, right around this time...
is when I met Stevin ''Headake'' Smith...
the leading scorer for the A.S.U. Sun Devils...
and one hell of a ballplayer.
That was a sweet game last week.
- Who are you? - Benny Silman. It's a pleasure.
What's up, Benny? This is my boy Brady.
What's shakin', Benny?
- This your party, man? - Yeah.
What's up with the ''C.M.A.''?
''Cover my ass.''
[Giggling]
[Sniffs]
I love the smell of baby powder.
Hey, whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Wait! Wait! Wait!
You're not leaving yet, are you?
- Apparently. - Now, hold up.
Hey, yo, the keg's in the back, fellas.
Ain't no charge, all right?
I'm gonna talk to you later.
Yeah, you take care of business, man.
All right. Hey, um...
we were in the same calculus class last semester.
Yes, we were. You don't remember me?
Rarely were we in the same calculus class last semester.
Yeah, well. [Chuckles]
Numbers always kind of came easy for me.
Is that right?
You know, we got economics together. You know that?
I got Mitchell, too.
I've never seen you in my economics class.
Yeah, well, you know, I really only show up...
for, like, the midterms and the finals.
Well, that's all that's important, right?
Yeah.
So what's your name?
- Callie. - I'm Benny.
This is Marissa.
Marissa, is it?
- We have to-- - Wait! Wait!
No, you can't leave already.
What? Your friend gotta leave?
Well, we just got some momentum going here.
We just started talking.
I got class in the morning. I'm sorry.
Well, listen, you know, if you got class tomorrow...
then that's OK, because maybe we could make it a short night.
Hey, T, where you going?
Benny! Yo, Benny!
I have an econ midterm tomorrow.
You do?
Yeah, and we're in the same class, remember?
- Oh, right. - Benny!
- We do. - Yeah.
See? Look at me. I forgot.
Study hard, Benny.
- What? - [Mumbling]
What are you doing? Are you gonna come out here...
and do this whole, ''I love you, bro'' crap here on the front lawn...
with the plastic ass?
I'd take a bullet for you.
What are you doing?
I'd die for you, man.
Thank you. Wonderful, and--?
That's all I'm saying.
- Get outta here! - What, man?
[Car Horn Honks]
Damn.
Benny: It was Troy.
He was in the neighborhood...
looking to settle up the 200 I owed him from the Dallas game.
You see, this was my plan. I had figured...
that if about 200 people came to my party at #2.00 a pop...
I could pay for the beer, take care of the DJ...
and cover my debt to Troy.
- Hey, man. What's up? - You all right?
I was just in the neighborhood...
and I thought we could take care...
of that unfinished business that we had.
Right.
Having a party?
Yeah,just having a few friends over, you know.
Huh. I didn't know you were having a party.
Yeah.
Um... I'm about 40 short, man, I mean, I'm sorry.
But we're rollin' in another keg...
and I should have the rest by midnight, if that's cool.
Well, all right. Don't worry about that right now.
Are these-- Are these people your friends?
Well, yeah. The ones that don't puke in my room.
That's funny.
Can I talk to you for a second?
Yeah.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
All right. Come here.
You like this car?
This car's phat, man.
Yeah.
I bet you could throw a hell of a party...
in the back seat of this, huh?
Oh, yeah.
Hey, baby, can you get out? I need to talk to Benny for a second.
Benny: Nice car.
Thanks, man.
She's a pretty girl, huh?
Oh, yeah, she's a knockout.
Well, Rebecca and this car...
they have one thing in common...
upkeep.
Upkeep costs money, Benny.
Where do you make your money?
I got a job... at Rossi's.
Rossi's, right.
Well, let me tell you, selling underwear in some department store...
isn't gonna get you a car like this or a girl who looks like that.
- I work in Suits. - Sure you do.
You work for me, you can make #1 ,000 a week.
#1 ,000?
That's right.
Doing what?
You know what a stake horse is, Benny?
No.
Well, it's somebody that's backing you.
Bankrolling your operation.
In your case, that'd be me.
Now, all you have to do is you just get...
a few of your friends here together. You start gambling.
You want me to be a bookie?
That's right. Take the bets...
if they win, you give 'em some of the bank-- my bank.
Well, what if they lose?
Well, collecting, that's not so pleasant...
but that's why I'm willing to pay you up to a grand a week.
Oh, whoa, nah, 'cause first it was a grand.
And now it's ''up to'' a grand.
[Laughing] All right. All right.
Well, you know, you keep your #5-an-hour department store job.
I'm offering you a chance to make some easy money, OK?
Now, at most, you're gonna work 1 0-1 5 hours a week tops.
I mean, the action-- That doesn't really ever start...
until the day before a game.
You get 1 5% of my cut.
So if you book #1 0,000 in bets...
I clear half that, you get 7 50.
- 7 50? - That's right.
No offense, but I feel like the longer I'm talkin' to you...
the more money I'm losin'.
Well, that all depends upon how hard you wanna work.
All right, well, what if there aren't any winnings?
Seriously, what if we lose?
Benny, Benny, Benny, we're the house.
The house never loses.
You want a couple of beers?
I got class.
You do, and it's about to start right now.
Can we have a couple of beers, please?
You got that remote?
All right, Benny, here's the deal.
Ever since the tortoise first lined up against the hare...
there's been some joker willing to put a deuce down on one of'em...
and someone just as willing to book the bet.
Now, what you're gonna be doing is...
you're gonna be taking bets on the spread.
I know what the spread is.
No, you think you know, but you have no idea.
Thank you.
It's pretty easy to understand, though.
The spread represents a number of points...
that one team is favored over another.
For example, the Bills.
They might be 6-point favorites at home over the Dolphins.
Essentially the Bills are giving the Dolphins...
an extra 6 points at the end of the game...
so that if you bet Bills, they had better win by 7 points.
Otherwise, I hate to tell you, kid...
the smart money was on the fish.
Calculating the spread, you have match-ups to consider...
win/loss records at home and on the road...
a West Coast team traveling east...
is gonna have more jet lag...
than an East Coast team traveling west...
injuries, the playing schedule...
emotion, motivation-- all these things factor in.
It's tricky. You gotta do your homework.
But that is what's gonna put money in your pocket...
and that's what it's all about, Benny...
putting money in your pocket.
Benny: What a rush.
Troy opened my eyes to a whole new way of life...
a new religion.
And I gotta tell you, I gotta tell you...
I gotta tell you I was a believer.
[Telephone Rings]
Men's Suits, this is Benny. How can I help you?
Hey, Benny,Josh.
Yo, what's up,Joshie?
Hey, put me down for 50 on Denver.
50 Broncos, cool.
Bottom line, I loved it.
I mean, you know, technically...
what I was doing was illegal...
but, come on, you ever throw a 1 0-spot into an office pool...
because you had a little tickle in your tummy...
for your favorite team?
[Telephone Rings]
Men's Suits, this is Benny. How can I help you?
Benny, it's Billy.
Hey, what's up, Billy? What you need, bro?
Give me Rams for 1 00.
1 00 Rams.
Besides, I was making bank...
like #2,000 a week.
Yo, that's-- That's more money than I ever seen...
in my entire life...
and Troy was right.
It seemed like we never lost.
You know, that's what was so crazy.
Like, these kids were losing money...
and there they were right back the next week to bet again.
Excuse me, young man...
[Telephone Rings]
I'm sorry, can you just wait?
Just one second, sir. I'm sorry.
Men's Suits, this is Benny. How can I help you?
Yo, B-Man!
What's up, Fat Larry? What's shakin', bro?
We swingin' last night, or what, bro?
Yeah. You know, that was off the hook, bro. It was.
What you think about my girl Sylvie?
Yo, she was tight. She was tight.
Yo, you knockin' boots, or what?
Nah, I ain't tellin' you.
What you need, bro? What you need?
200 on the Bills, baby.
200 on the Bills.
You got it.
All right...
I'm sorry. I was wondering if this tie--
[Telephone Rings]
Ah, gosh.
[Ring]
- Uh-- - [Ring]
Eventually, it became pretty clear...
I was gonna have to devote more of my time...
to my extracurricular activity.
Hey, Callie!
You remember me, right?
Benny. Benny Silman.
Yeah, how could I forget?
Good, well, how'd you do on that midterm?
Um, I passed. How about you?
Oh, I got, like, a 96.
90-- You got a 96 percent?
Yeah.
Unbelievable.
I don't know. I surprised myself.
Oh, wait, no, I get it. I get it.
[Mocking] Numbers always kinda come easy to me, right?
Ooh, wow. That's, uh, pretty good.
No, seriously, yeah, that's not bad.
Uh, I think you kinda missed...
a certain Scarface thing that I got working.
Well, I'll have to work on that.
Maybe we could work on it together...
you know, I could coach you.
Or, uh, maybe I could help you with your homework or something.
Homework? That sounds so romantic.
Let me ask you something.
How's this workin' for you?
What?
This whole smart-ass attitude.
Offering to do girls' homework...
so they'll go out with you?
Oh, whoa, whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Hold up, now.
I never actually offered to do your homework for you.
- And that would be wrong. - Mm-hmm.
I don't do bad things.
How many dates you get like this?
Not one, so far.
So you come here a lot?
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
They got a pan-seared Chilean sea bass.
Ooh, I love sea bass.
- Do you? - Yeah, how do they prepare it?
They put it in a pan, and they sear it.
They put it in the pan and sear it.
With chili juice, yeah.
I'm gonna have to make you cook that for me sometime.
I can make one, I mean, I'm not as good as this place, you know?
Plus the bartender's got the hookup, you know what I mean?
Like I could come here after a big game with the boys.
- We like to celebrate. - Big game?
Yeah, oh, you should know that about me.
I'm into sports.
- Oh. - I'm a big, big, sports fan.
- What kind of sports? - Anything and everything--
Baseball, football, hockey, basketball...
jai alai, figure skating, whatever.
Hey, Benny, how are you tonight?
Who is that? Phil?
- Yeah. - All right.
Good to see you.
So, Benny, big weekend, huh?
You think Montana can pull it out?
Yeah, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.
I guess we'll see. We'll see this weekend.
We'll see.
- All right, Phil. - Yeah.
- Good. - Yeah.
- OK. Good to see you. - All right. Pleasure.
- OK. - Good. - See you, Phil.
- Bye. - Phil, man, he's a good guy.
Figure skating fan?
No, no, Phil likes to talk about football.
Yeah, he's like one of them armchair quarterbacks,
trying to relive his glory days of high school.
Yeah, right.
Yeah. So tell me, what's your major?
Well, actually, I'm a Design major.
Benny, Benny, uh, excuse me.
Benny Silman? Chuck.
Remember me? Gary's cousin.
What's up? Oh, Gary. Yeah. How's Gary?
Well, he's-- He's OK.
Uh, listen, I've been meaning to call you...
about the Ram game.
Right. Right. Ram game.
Your best bet is call me tomorrow.
- All right? - OK.
I'm kinda having dinner right now.
Know what I'm saying?
Yeah, sorry. Look, I'll give you a call tomorrow.
All right? All right. Nice to meet ya.
All right.
Uh, I'm embarrassed. Damn, I'm sorry.
Don't be sorry. Just doing business, right?
Nah, it's just, you know, I got, like, a lot of friends.
I make friends quick.
Just working.
What are you talking about?
Oh, come on, Benny.
You're a bookie.
Benny-man! What's shakin', Cap'n.
So what's the line on the Eagles this weekend?
[Laughing] Yeah, what's the line on the Eagles this weekend?
Ooh, no, no, no, um...
actually, the Rams-- I wanna put money on the Rams.
You should think about putting money on the Rams.
You really should.
I've heard it's, like, a good thing.
Are you a Rams fan? He's not a Rams fan.
- All right. - What is the line on the Eagles?
You're makin' fun of me.
No, I'm not.
Can we just get the check?
We're gonna get outta here.
I grew up in North Carolina.
Um, we had a horse farm outside of Charlotte.
- For real? - Mm-hmm.
A horse farm?
Mm-hmm.
That sounds completely crazy.
I'm a city boy.
I had no idea horses grew on trees.
Very funny.
A ranch.
We raise quarter horses.
- Nice. - Uh-huh.
You miss it?
I do.
It's beautiful there, and I miss my sister.
I miss my dad.
I was supposed to go to Chapel Hill.
Everybody in my family went to Chapel Hill.
So, needless to say, they weren't too thrilled...
when I decided to go to A.S.U.
I don't know, I just--
I needed to do something for myself, you know?
[Sighs]
What about you, Benny Silman?
Oh, no, no, Silman's not my name.
That's just an alias.
I'm a Rockefeller.
- Oh, right. - That's right.
[Laughs]
All right, you ready to get to work?
Get to work?
Oh, yeah. This is a working date.
That's right.
Let's begin.
Who wrote The Theory of Economic Behavior?
- You gotta be kidding me, right? - Nope.
Come on, now. You need help with this.
OK, um...
The Theory of--
...Economic Behavior.
V...V...
- Von... - Von...
N...
Neumann! Neumann! Von Neumann!
- That's it! - Yes!
That's perfect. Very good.
You're a smart cookie. I'd like to eat you up.
Ooh.
All right. All right. I'm gonna try a harder one.
I'm gonna try to stump you now.
Ooh.
Explain economic parity.
Oof.
Hoo.
Um...
supply and demand are... equal?
Close. Awfully close.
Not at all, huh?
Here, let's try another one.
OK.
Who said, ''Homework isn't romantic''?
Me.
Bingo.
Benny: So Callie and I started dating...
and it was great.
Everything was going my way.
As long as there was sports on the TV...
people were bettin' like mad...
and I was pulling in lots of money.
Done.
- All right. - [Knock On Door]
Come in!
Benny.
Oh, what's up, Troy?
How'd we do this week?
We took a hit on the Islanders...
but the Bulls game was pretty.
We cleared about 4,000.
It's all there.
All right.
Keep up the good work, kid. I'll see you next week.
''Keep up the good work.''
Problem was I was just handing it over to somebody else.
Troy was the only one making money.
So the next year I decided to try and go out on my own.
I got my own crib.
I got about 30 guys gambling...
with 3 Gs of my own money as the bank...
and it was the Dolphins and the Bills...
and everyone bet the Bills.
It was pretty much if the Bills won the game...
I'd lose everything, and...
I'd be out of business, like, the first week.
Damn!
Come on, Danny boy! Come on!
Hey, Benny, how much money'd you put on this game?
One time! One time!
Run it!
[All Shouting At Once]
Oh, yeah! Yeah!
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
Hut! Hut! Hut! Boo-yah!
Now, if you're keeping track...
of the pivotal moments in my life...
this had to be a big one.
Because as soon as Dan Marino made that pass...
I was in business for myself.
All right, let me tell you, man...
business started poppin'!
There was so much action...
that I started hiring my own crew to answer some of the phones.
I mean, it seemed like there was nothing people wouldn't bet on.
I'm talking baseball, football, basketball...
hockey, soccer, swimming-- you name it.
Hey, Benny, what's the line on Nancy Kerrigan?
Uh, dude, she's sucking.
Two-to-one against Katarina Witt.
Dreams, that's what I was dealing in...
plain and simple.
I like green. Green's like my favorite color...
'cause it's the color of the earth, you know? The grass.
Benny!
Hey, Benny.
- Yo, what's up? - Hold up, man.
Yo, how you guys doin'?
What's going on?
- It's Stevin ''Headake'' Smith. - Oh, cool.
- Yo, what's up? - What's up?
- What's up, Benny? - How you doin'?
I'm Callie.
Nice to meet you.
How you doin'? Good to meet you.
Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?
Yeah. Yeah, talk.
- Excuse us for a minute. - OK.
So I've been hearing your name all over the place, bro.
Word on the street says you got things dialed in.
Yeah. Yeah. Maybe. You know.
Yo, that's a sweet ride, bro.
Oh, my boy Brady, he got the deep pockets, man.
He hooks me up now. I'll get him back when I hit the pros.
A little reciprocity, you know what I'm saying?
I hear you.
I mean, you think I could dress like this on an NCAA salary?
True that. True that.
Oh, but look, bro.
I wanna put 2 hundo on my Dallas boys this weekend.
That cool?
Are you a Dallas fan?
Oh, born and raised.
Yo, I am the craziest Dallas fan ever, bro.
That can't go over too well back in Brooklyn.
Dude, tell me about it, man.
It's-- It's hot on the block.
- For sure. For sure. - All right? All right. All right.
Two hundo on the boys. Yo, consider it done.
- All right. - You know, anytime...
for you, for your boy, your whole fam...
you know where to come.
Cool. Good lookin', man.
- Thanks. - Yo, peace.
All right, Headake.
- Bye. - Cool.
See ya.
All right.
It's crazy. It is.
That kid's gonna be in the NBA one year.
No joke.
Yeah, you got 1 ,400 on the Bulls givin' 1 5.
All right. That's good.
Benny: So we settled in on a routine of rakin' in lots of cash.
But diversification is the key to growth...
so I encouraged my boys to look for other areas of opportunity.
One of those kids, Nick, did just that.
- Hey, Benny? - What?
Hey, this is my older brotherJoe.
Oh, hey. How are you?
How you doin', Benny?
I'm good. This is T-Bone.
How you doin'?
T-Bone...
was Nick's older brother.
He was a sharp gambler--
kinda like a wise guy...
27-year-old stockbroker and very well connected.
Why don't you have a seat?
Make yourself comfortable. Where you from? Chicago?
Yeah, I was on my way to San Fran.
You don't sound like you're from Chicago.
Yeah, well, I travel a lot.
Checkin' on my little brother.
How's he doin'? All right?
Staying out of trouble.
So I hear.
Nick tells me you got quite a little operation...
in the works here.
Just fulfilling a demand.
It makes me feel proud...
to know that there's still...
some enterprising college pukes in the world.
I see busloads of'em every day in Chi town...
walking around with their diplomas...
and their hands out.
You're ahead of the game, Benny.
You gotta keep that attitude.
Nicky says you like the action, huh?
I play.
Matter of fact...
what do you got the Bulls...
givin' on the spread this weekend?
- We got 1 5. - 1 5.
1 5? Ouch.
Bet you Riley's got the Rolex...
ridin' on a spread like that.
Why don't you put me down for two dimes...
- on the Bulls. - All right. 200?
2,000, Benny.
You can cover?
Yeah.
I can cover that.
Great. What do you got the Celtics doin'?
- Seven, at home. - Wow.
Seven, huh?
You might be a little generous on that one, Benny.
Oh, yeah, you think so?
Well, yeah. Why don't you give me two on the Celtics?
Two more on the Celtics?
- Yeah. - You got it.
You good with this?
- Yeah. - You sure, kid?
I got it.
What about the Spurs?
What are the Spurs doin'?
TheJazz. TheJazz are giving 1 2.
That'll be a barn burner.
Heh heh heh heh.
Gimme two on theJazz...
just 'cause I like those purple uniforms.
- Done. - Great.
You should swing by my hotel Sunday.
- Sunday. - We'll settle up.
Nicky, good. Yeah.
- All right. - All right, T-Bone.
- Take care. - All right, guys.
Later, T-Bone.
That's a good touch.
You outta your mind?
Are you outta your mind?
Benny, you just took six grand.
You can't cover #6,000, Benny.
Chill. Chill out, dude.
There ain't no way he's gonna win 'em all.
Hey, Benny. Come on in, kid.
Come on, what are you standin' there for?
Get in here.
Come on. Don't look so down.
You know what they say:
''You win some, you lose some.''
Yeah. I lost all three.
You sure did, kid.
That's tough luck.
Have a seat.
Hey, uh,JoeJr., man, um, listen...
I got like, #2,800 in cash.
I got another 900 in markers.
I can have that to you by the end of the week.
The rest, I'm just gonna need a little more time.
I wasn't interested in breaking the bank, kid.
You told me that you could cover.
I know.
Drink?
Uh, no, thanks.
You got balls, Benny.
That's commendable...
but I gotta tell ya...
one look at your little enterprise...
and it's clear you're going about things all wrong.
[Sighs]
What do you mean?
I mean your system is antiquated.
Your logic is sound...
but you gotta think outside the box.
You need to be more creative.
Left-brain thinking in a business dominated by right brainers...
is what's gonna set you apart.
For instance...
spending a lot of time reading the sports pages, right?
Making calls, checking stats.
You probably even know a team's flight schedule.
But anybody, anybody could pick up a paper...
and get that information.
What I'm talkin' about is knowledge.
''The steam.''
- ''Steam''? - That's right, kid.
And it's hot.
And you gotta move fast before the steam vanishes...
'cause if you don't act on the steam...
you're left with nothin', zilch.
Inside information.
That's what I'm talkin' about, kid.
Once you got that...
the spread becomes meaningless...
because then you're calling the shots.
Right? Hmm?
I tell you what.
I take what you got for now.
Forget about that six grand you owe me.
What I want you to do is concentrate on what you can do for me.
If you could bring me something that we could both use...
then maybe we could work together.
All right.
Like what?
What are you thinking?
I don't know.
I do know one thing...
that you'll know it when you see it.
You're dizzy already.
Shut up, you fat bastard. Look at that.
Waat-aah! Hyah!
Come on, what the--
You just hit me.
You just ruined my perfect--
Waah!
That is all she wrote, my friend.
You owe me another 20, Headake.
That's another 20. Look, you bet me, OK?
I told you I'd kick your ass.
That's right.
Hey, and it was a pleasure doing business with you, my friend.
Don't go too far. I need money, too.
Pleasure.
Yo, ''B,'' what up?
Hey, yo, Headake, yo. What's up, kid?
How you livin'?
- I'm a'ight, man. - Yeah.
Look, here's that three hundo from the Falcons game.
Aww, yeah, yeah.
Your boys took a bird bath, huh?
You ain't lyin'.
How's business, man?
I gotta tell ya...
that was one hell of a game against S.C.
I made a boatload off of your skills.
Ah, you made money off of me?
Oh, yeah.
Everybody makes money off me but me, man.
Wish I could make some money off me.
I won't lose no games.
You won't have to.
[Telephone Rings]
- Yeah? - Benny: Hey, yo,JoeJr.?
Hey, what's up? This is Benny.
Hey, Benny.
So I was thinking about what you said the other day...
and I think I got something.
Spill the beans, kid. What is it?
I got a player.
I got a player in my pocket.
I thought you might be interested.
Now you're workin', kid.
I'm interested. Who is he?
He's on his way to becoming...
the second highest scorer in A.S.U. history.
You gotta be kiddin' me.
Nope.
You sure you got this kid in the bag?
All tied up and ready for delivery.
We're talking about shavin' points here, Benny.
That could be tricky. A lot of things to consider.
You gotta find the right game...
and you gotta make sure that your pony can't spook out of the gate.
He won't, and I got the game.
Trust me.
How much is this gonna cost me?
40,000.
40 Gs is a lot of money, Benny.
Is he worth it?
We can't lose.
What? What happened? What happened? What's wrong?
Tell me again why I decided to take calculus?
'Cause you look so sexy...
with that calculator in your hand.
Don't be charming, Benny Silman.
That's only gonna get you so far.
- Oh, yeah? - Yeah.
- Is that right? - Mm-hmm.
How about we hide behind the microfiche...
and see how far?
Mmm, what's with you, Mr. I'm-in-a-good-mood?
- Nothing. - Nothing?
- Nothing. - Yeah?
Excuse me. Come on, B.
Baby, I'm gonna be right back.
All right?
- OK. - OK?
[Callie Sighs]
[Whispering] Hey, yo. What's up?
What's up? It's on. It's on.
It's on. So it's like...
20 Gs after you deliver the game...
against Oregon State.
- 20 Gs? - Dude.
- 20 Gs? But-- - Dude.
[Whispering] Damn!
I know. I know.
Wait. After?
Who said anything about after?
How do I know these guys ain't gonna stiff me?
Man, they ain't gonna rip you off, man.
Dude, I'm meeting the guy in Vegas after the game.
I'm gonna get the money, you know.
You ain't gotta worry about that--
- Trust me. - All right.
All right? What's the match-up look like?
I'll get Upton.
He's their best player.
Mean jumper from about 1 8.
Perfect.
All right, listen...
so the line's gonna be about nine.
All you gotta do is just make sure...
you don't win by more than, like, six.
- No problem. - Yeah?
Nah. I got it under control.
- You can swing that? - Sure.
- All right. Yo. - Yes?
You know, keep this under your hat.
No one needs to know about this.
I don't wanna get in trouble.
I don't want you getting in trouble.
You understand? Just keep it on the D-low.
- All right? - Oh, yeah.
[Crowd Cheering]
Oh. Bam!
Announcer: Headake Smith, plus the penalty.
Good shot. Let's go.
You havin' a good time?
- Yes. - That's good.
Announcer: Headake. Headake Smith!
Oh!
Benny: Things couldn't have worked out any better.
Headake had the best game of his college career...
and they won the game by six.
Of course, Callie had no idea I'd won the game...
even before it had started.
The next morning I caught an early flight to Vegas...
to seeJoeJr. and collect my money.
P.A.: Final boarding call for Flight 1 1 7...
service to Burbank now boarding.
Benny, come on. Get in.
Benny!
This is Dominic and Joseph.
Fellas, this is Benny.
Who are they?
These are my partners.
Partners?
How come you never said nothin'...
about no partners, man?
Supposed to be between us.
Come on, relax, Benny.
This is Dominic and Joseph. These are family friends.
What kind of family?
Joseph: Relax, kid. My father and I...
are in the trucking business.
On the side, we like to play the action.
We're the ones who fronted you the 40 Gs.
I gotta tell you somethin', kid.
You and your little pony did a good job.
Almost too good.
I came this close to havin' an aneurysm.
When your boy banked that last three off the glass--
Ma-lonk! Whew.
You weren't lyin', Benny.
When you said you had that kid all wrapped up nice and neat...
you had him wrapped up nice and neat.
What do you say, we go collect our monies?
Benny: Me and the rest of the goombah parade...
made pit stops at every sportsbook in Vegas, collecting bets.
Imagine...
getting tomorrow's newspaper today.
That's what I gave them...
and they loved me for it.
Say, kid, you better stay in the car.
Why?
Why? Because if some eye-in-the-sky catches you...
and some big brain puts two and two together...
you're toast.
- On word? - Word.
The eye-in-the-sky?
- Eye-in-the-sky. - Got it.
Got it?
The eye-in-the-sky!
Is this great stuff, or what?
Benny:JoeJr. explained to me...
that each bet was kept under 1 0 grand...
so we wouldn't draw a flag...
at any one casino.
# Up to no good... #
# Shot #
# Up to no good #
# Shot #
# Up to no good #
If there's one thing I learned, kid...
when you're on a roll...
chase your bets.
JoeJr.: What do you think, Benny?
You think we could do it again?
Shouldn't be a problem.
Ha ha! Headake, my man!
Unh! What up, dawg?
What up, kid?
Yo, you almost made me keel over at that game.
- Did you see that? - Did I--
Career-high 39 points? Ten three-pointers?
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Whoo-hoo!
Yo, I gotta tell you, B-man, I had it right there...
in the palm of my hand and everything.
When I popped a ''J,'' you know, with, like, 1 2 seconds left...
a little off-center, you know what I'm sayin'?
And it dinged off the rim...
and the crowd was just, like, ''Aw.''
Yo, it was perfect, dawg.
You did good.
Yes, I did.
Gimme the loot. Gimme the loot.
Whoo-hoo!
Aah!
Aw.
Ha ha ha. Damn!
Right? Right?
- Huh? - 20,000.
And they want to do it again.
When?
It's up to us.
All right, now, tomorrow against Oregon looks good.
How you feel?
Damn.
Can I help you?
You know who I am?
Benny: Shawn ''Big Red'' Pepello...
local drug dealer and self-made gangsta wannabe.
You know why I'm here, don't you?
Did you want to place a bet?
Nah. I'm in.
In what?
Don't make me waste my time...
beatin' the crap out of you, kid.
I know you got a player on the basketball team...
in your pocket.
Him.
Hey, man, I don't know what you're talkin' about.
Later, B. I got practice.
I know you're shavin' points...
and I know you got a good thing goin'.
And I'm in.
If you don't mind my asking...
how did you get this information?
Oh, I got friends.
When's the next game?
Tomorrow. Oregon.
Good.
How much is in there?
20,000.
Now, here's the deal.
I'm gonna go ahead and keep this for now...
just to make sure you do what you're supposed to tomorrow.
Then I'll give it back, plus another twenty.
Is that OKwith you?
Sure, man.
Good.
And you. You're gonna watch the game with me tomorrow.
You understand?
This way I can keep my eye on both of you...
at the same time.
- Baby. - Mm-hmm?
I gotta go.
- No. - No, I gotta go.
Callie, baby, I gotta go.
No, no, no, no, no.
- Mmm. Mmm. - Baby...
I gotta go. I gotta-- No. I gotta go.
Why do you have to go to Vegas?
You were just there.
Yeah, well, you know, it's just for the day...
and I'm gonna be back tonight.
What's goin' on?
Oh, you know, the guys screwed up.
The guys screwed up...
and they took too much action on that Celtics game...
and, like, I just gotta--
I just gotta lay it off for 'em.
I'm just layin' some of it off. That's all.
You know, it's just work.
It's just-- It's just work.
I want no work.
Sweetheart, I can't.
I want no T-Bone, no Mook.
Sweetheart--
Just you and me.
I want to. Mmm, I want to so bad, but--
- [Horn Honks] - Ah, I gotta go.
- Oh, baby. - I gotta go, Callie.
I'm so sorry. I love you. I'm gonna call you.
I'm gonna call you, all right?
You're a sharp guy, right?
You know all about gambling.
Yeah, I guess. Why?
'Cause I'm offering you a sure thing here.
Baby, why do you gotta do that?
Why you gotta do that for?
You know I gotta leave.
You know I gotta go.
Oh, God. You know, listen.
Mm-hmm?
I'm gonna be back by 9:00, all right?
We're gonna go to dinner at Diego's, all right?
I promise.
Benny: Oh, man, I was in deep...
and there was no way I could tell Callie what was goin' on.
She would have freaked.
I had 600 pounds of sin waiting for me in that car...
just droolin' for another win.
And it was all on Headake.
If he didn't deliver...
there was no doubt I was gonna be comin' back from Vegas...
wearin' a toe tag.
Announcer: Headake at the top of the key waiting for a pick.
Now he's gonna pull up, and he gets it.
Headake Smith.
The Ducks have been giving A.S.U. the perimeter...
for most of the second half...
and the Sun Devils--
Benny: It wasn't lookin' good.
A.S.U. was givin' twelve to the Ducks...
and Headake couldn't quite get it under control.
They were up 1 5 for most of the game...
and I was startin' to sweat.
Your boy better shave us at least ten there, big shot.
He'll do it.
Oh, he better.
Headake, please, man.
Benny: If Headake didn't get on track quick...
this was gonna be a train wreck.
Come on. Come on!
Benny: We were still up by twelve.
Headake needed to trim two more.
Headake, please, bud.
Benny: Two before the buzzer.
We just needed two.
- [Buzzer] - Yeah!
Yeah! Yeah! Ha ha ha ha.
This guy is a gold mine.
Whew!
Yo, Headake was amazing.
Headake had mastered the art of giving 98%.
Watch this.
No, don't watch the shooter.
Watch Headake.
Look at his foot position.
He steps back six inches...
just before the player fires the ball.
Just enough to take him out of reach.
It was a perfect 98%.
It was the perfect crime.
No clues. No victims.
Everybody collected again.
JoeJr. and his crew, they doubled their bets...
and Big Red, man-- all of a sudden, I'm--
I'm his best friend.
And to show his appreciation...
he threw me one hell of a party.
[Ring]
Hello?
Benny: Hi, sweetie.
Hey, baby. Where are you?
Uh, listen. I'm still in Vegas.
I missed the last flight.
Benny--
I know.
I'm sorry.
What's that music?
Uh, nothin'. It's just some music.
Yo, listen, um, I'm gonna stay here tonight.
I'm gonna catch the next flight home tomorrow...
and we'll go to dinner tomorrow, OK?
Yeah, OK.
Callie: I love you.
Uh, Callie, I-- What?
Love you.
I can't hear you.
Callie: I love you.
Yeah, you know what? I can't hear you, baby.
You know, I'll just-- I'll just--
I'll just see you tomorrow, all right?
All right.
Hi. [Giggles]
Whoo. Ha!
#Yeah, baby, yeah #
Oh.
# Hey, baby, hey, baby #
#Yeah, baby, yeah, baby #
# Hey, baby, hey, baby #
#Yeah, baby, yeah, baby #
# Hey, baby, hey, baby #
#Yeah, baby, yeah, baby #
# Hey, baby, hey, baby #
#Yeah, baby, yeah, baby... #
# Interruptin' #
# Dr. Locomotion has some very important instructions for you #
# One, two, three, four #
# Clap your hands, stomp your feet #
# Shake that thang, move to the beat #
# Clap your hands, stomp your feet #
# Shake that thang, move to the beat #
# Clap your hands, stomp your feet #
# Shake that thang, move to the beat #
# Clap your hands, stomp your feet #
# Shake that thang... #
Benny: I don't know.
I guess you could say I kinda got...
sucked into the lifestyle.
All the perks.
And, boy, there were perks.
#Yeah, baby, yeah, baby... #
Look at you, kid, huh?
Another hole in one.
To say we're happy...
is an understatement.
Congratulations, Benny.
Now, you are keeping this between us...
and your little pony, right?
Benny: The Mangiameles had no idea about Big Red...
and Big Red had no idea about the Mangiameles.
I was playing the middle...
and that's exactly how I wanted to keep it.
Yeah.
Dominic: That's good. Very good.
'Cause we wouldn't want too many hands...
in the cookie jar.
You know what I'm saying.
Yeah.
So, when do we want to do it again?
We need to find a good game.
Benny, you don't stop...
when you get her down to her panties, do you?
You go for the pink, right?
Find another game...
and let's keep this hump going.
- A'ight. - That's right.
You know,Joseph, with the panties and the pink--
Sorry.
Benny: All told, including the side bets...
some of the guys were making for me...
Headake and I had cleared #1 00,000.
Ooh.
[Knock On Door]
Yo!
Yo, get the door.
What? Oh, hey.
Hey, my man. Headake. How you doin'?
Hey, nice game last night.
B-Man around?
Oh, yeah. Benny's in the bathroom.
Hey, Benny! Benny.
You got company.
- Hey. - Headake: Yo.
When'd you get back in town, man?
- Aw, like, an hour ago. - True.
Uh, you wash your hands?
- Fo' schizzle. - A'ight.
You got something for me? Baby, wassup?
All right, here's-- that's um, 20K...
that Big Red owes you.
There's another 20 in there for last night.
Aw, ho ho, damn!
How sweet it is.
So, uh, yo, when we gonna do it again, man?
'Cause you know I need one of these for the other pocket.
Yeah, I know you do.
I know you know I do.
You know that I know that--
You know that I know that you know--
Prime time! Prime-- What?
[Cash Register Ringing]
Benny: I had a steady girlfriend...
and believe it or not...
I was still doin' good in school.
Plus, I was makin' money hand over fist.
For a 21 -year-old college kid...
I had it all.
Boys. [Chuckles]
For all your hard work...
and thanks to a year-end promotional sale at Hedwick's...
allowing zero down and zero payments for the first 2 years--
incidentally, by which time most of us...
with the exception of, possibly, Mook, will have graduated...
[Guys Laugh]
and disappeared from this sandbox--
I have managed to secure for us...
the ultimate in home furnishings.
OK? Now, from the bottom of my heart...
and the depths of my pockets...
behold.
Aah! Ha ha! Oh, my God!
What?
Boom boom. Boom boom.
What are you doing? [Gasps]
- Aah. Aah! - Mook!
-Just a fish, baby. - Mook!
Hey, no toys in the tub.
All right.
Let's get out. Let's go watch a movie.
We'll be back.
So, have you thought about what you're gonna do...
after graduation?
Why?
It's called making a plan, Benny.
A'ight...
how's about...
I buy us a ranch down in Mexico?
I'm sorry. No, a farm.
Oh.
And you can raise horses...
and I'll be your stable boy.
Oh, very funny.
Why not?
Let's play a game.
I love games.
All right, let's pretend that...
I'm not one of your gambling clients...
and I'm not one of the crew...
and I'm the only person in your life...
who doesn't buy your crap.
That doesn't sound like a very fun game.
Let's just try it, OK?
So, seriously, what are you gonna do?
We're bein' serious now?
Don't be nervous about being serious.
How 'bout you seriously slide out of this bathing suit?
How 'bout we wait till we see who wins?
OK. A bet.
I was thinkin' about maybe...
- staying here for a while. - Tempe?
Yeah.
What about New York?
There's just nothin' for me there.
Well, what are you gonna do here?
What do you mean?
I mean, you're 21 years old.
You're gonna be a college graduate.
You're gonna have to get a job.
I have a job.
Come on.
What?
You just-- You can't let the gambling...
and the partying and the hustling...
keep you from living your life.
You're a bookie.
That's not real.
All right.
You're right. I'm gonna talk to my advisor on Monday.
I'm gonna see what's out there.
Did I win?
Maybe.
[Telephone Rings]
Hello?
Is Benny Silman there?
This is his mother calling.
Just a second. It's your mom.
My mom?
Hey, Ma? Yeah. Hold on.
- Mom: Oh, Benny. - Hey.
What is the bubbling sound?
Benny: I'm just boiling some water.
Oh. Good, good. So you're cooking?
Yeah. I'm makin' spaghetti.
But I hope that's not all you're eating.
I'm eatin' good. I promise.
- Huh? - [Movie Playing Loud]
What is that racket?
No, no, nothin'.
Yo, Benny, grab me a beer...
while you're in there, grab me a beer?
- [Girl Shrieks] - No, that's just the TV.
Please turn that down.
Benny, you sound hungry.
I'm gonna send you sponge cake...
and some chicken soup.
No, no, no. Don't send chicken--
You don't send chicken soup.
You can't send chicken soup through the mail.
We already got chicken soup here.
Chicken soup from Arizona?
Don't be silly. It's no problem.
[Sighs]
So, Benny, you haven't called me in a while.
Yeah, well, you know...
I been swamped with everything, Ma.
You know, college stuff.
Yeah, so you're just too busy to pick up a phone.
How long does that take?
Ma, I'm sorry.
You meet a girl yet?
Yeah, I met a girl.
Is she nice?
Yeah, she's a nice girl.
Is she treating you right?
Yeah, she's treating me right, Ma.
Uh, look-- Ooh!
- Listen, I gotta-- - What's the matter?
I gotta go. Ma, I gotta go.
[Loudly, Straining] I gotta go!
I gotta go. I gotta go.
- Mom: I love you. - I'll call you back later.
- I love you. - I love you, too.
Would you-- Mmm.
[Callie Giggles]
[Crowd Cheering]
Benny: Oh, yeah. Whoo!
I'm the King!
[Laughing] Yeah!
Benny: A.S.U. lost the game...
but we still beat the spread...
and everybody cashed in again.
I was startin' to think...
there was nothin' I could do wrong.
Midas touch. Goldfinger. That was me.
I was livin' large and lovin' every minute...
and I couldn't get enough.
The problem was, neither could anybody else.
How you feelin', kid?
Bulletproof.
That's 'cause you are, Benny, my boy.
You're the man now.
Looking good, got a little money in your pocket...
livin' a life people only dream about.
We got this thing dialed in, don't we?
Hell, yeah.
Airtight.
Word is bond!
So, when you wanna do it again?
I don't know, man. I mean...
it's almost the end of the season.
There aren't really any good games left.
You know what I'm sayin'?
I think we can find one.
No, I don't think so, Big Red.
I think we should just chill.
Yo.
Whoa, man. Yo. Yo. Ow.
What you worried about?
You're bulletproof, remember?
Nothing can touch you.
Big Red. Big Red, man.
Hey, I'm just kiddin', man.
Look at us.
We're on the top of the world.
I was staring down the barrel of a gun...
at the top of the world...
and it was a long way down.
[Snoring]
Girl: What's the matter?
Benny: I promised Callie I'd take her to Diego's for dinner.
- I couldn't be late. - Where are you going?
But I still have a lot to do.
My flight from Vegas was delayed...
so I wasn't able to get back to Phoenix until 4:30 P.M.
JoeJr. and the Mangiameles were happy again.
Big Red was a fat cat.
Headake got another 20 grand...
and after I collected all the side bets...
I was lookin' at another 1 00,000 bucks.
I was king of the long green.
- Absolutely rollin' in it, - [Telephone Rings]
but I was startin' to get itchy.
Uh, yeah?
Hey, hey, Big Shot.
Yo,JoeJr., what's up?
Listen, we need to talk about runnin' our pony again.
Uh,JoeJr., listen. Can I call you back?
All right, kid. But don't keep me waitin', all right?
- Right back. - All right. Cool.
Benny: See what I mean?
Everybody had dollar signs in their eyes.
That's all they were lookin' at--
Money, money, money.
They couldn't see what I was seein'.
Our luck was runnin' thin...
but I couldn't worry about it.
It was almost 5:00, and I still had to...
swing by my econ. policy class...
pick up my dry cleaning, gas up the car...
and meet Headake before I picked up Callie.
Benny, what up?
Brady: What's up, Benny?
[Rap Music Playing]
What the hell's he doin' here?
- Oh, it's Brady, man. - What is this?
Oh, it's dope, ain't it?
Check it out. Check it out.
[Cranks Up Volume]
I got me 1 27 speakers up in this bitch.
What?
1 27 speakers!
What? Yo, are you crazy?
Man, yo, make that lower. Make it lower!
Relax, Benny. You're runnin' on edge.
Don't tell me to relax. Don't tell me to relax.
Yo, make that lower, bro.
Hey, yo, I told you, man...
be cool with that cash.
And you go out and you buy yourself...
a brand new Who-ride Pimp Truck?
- Headake: Come on, man. - [Engine Revving]
What are you, crazy? What are you thinkin', man?
I only put 5,000 down...
and the rig was in my boy's name.
Yo, Headake, man, what do you think people are gonna say...
when they see this?
Man, who cares what people say?
A fan hooked me up.
Happens all the time. It ain't a big deal, man.
You're missin' the whole point of the whole story.
No, I ain't missin' nothin'...
except maybe a baseline jumper...
when you need me to miss.
And I don't see you complainin' about...
all the green you got in your pocket because of it.
Yo, shut up.
You got my jack, or what?
I'm gonna give it to you tomorrow.
No, no, no, no, man.
It's cool. You can give it to me right now.
Brady knows what's goin' on.
What?
He knows.
Benny, Benny, relax. It's cool, man.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Chill. Chill.
You got a problem, Benny?
- Big man now? - Relax.
Benny, we gotta talk about some things, man.
Benny.
- Benny! - Wake up, man.
We gotta talk about some stuff.
I got you, Silman.
I got your ass.
[Telephone Rings]
Benny: Things were startin' to heat up.
It was gettin' outta control...
- and I could feel it. - [Ring]
Big Red was blowin' up my pager...
wantin' to do another game...
JoeJr. was waitin' on a callback...
Headake was out of control.
I was tryin' to stay one step ahead.
Just one step...
but I was slippin'.
I hadn't slept in two days even.
And it was gettin' late. I needed 1 0 minutes.
Just 1 0 minutes. That's all I needed.
And I'd be ahead of the ball again.
Ten minutes.
- [Telephones Ring] - [Pager Beeps]
[Snoring]
Yo, Benny, what the hell are you doin' right now?
Oh... What time is it?
Oh, no! No.
Big Red is on the phone right now...
actin' all crazy, sayin' he wants to talk to you, man.
- Damn! - What? What's--
What are you doin', man? You all right?
Just, um, nothin'. Just, uh, you know...
tell him I'm not here.
You want me to lie to him? Big Red?
Just do me a favor, all right?
I can't talk right now.
Just tell him I must've left, or somethin'.
[Into Phone] Yo, Red, I can't find him up in here.
Callie.
Callie, come on. It's me, Benny.
Yo, it's me. Callie.
Damn.
Come on.
I know you're in there. Come on, Callie.
Callie, come on. I'm sorry.
Please let me in.
Let me in.
Sweetheart, what do you want? I'm sorry, all right?
I--I--I got caught up at work.
There was a screwup with the Atlanta game...
[Coughs]
and Mook thought that--
I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it.
I don't want to sit here and wait anymore.
I don't wanna sit here and play second string...
to a bunch of gamblers, OK?
I don't want to sit here...
and watch you waste your time.
You've got so many things you could do, Benny.
So many things you can offer.
When are you gonna realize that?
First of all...
you're not second string to me, all right?
I love you very much.
Oh, don't cry.
Don't cry. Listen, right here, right now...
I promise everything's gonna change.
I'm gonna turn over a whole new leaf for you.
Benny, you said that before.
I must've said it many times...
but I'm mad serious this time, you know...
'cause I ain't tryin' to lose you.
I don't want to lose you. I love you.
And we could still go out.
Just you and me, we'll go out.
Dinner and-and dancin' and, you know?
Let me make it up to you, all right?
It'll be perfect.
Just go upstairs and get dressed.
[Softly] Benny... I am dressed.
Baby, I'm gonna go get us some drinks, all right?
I'll be right back.
Yo.
Hey, yo, let me get a drink.
Benny!
Benny.
What a surprise.
Headake.
Hey, baby, do you mind if I talk a little business?
I'll meet you on the dance floor.
You know, there was no need for you...
to get all up in my boy's grill today, man. Wasn't necessary.
Oh, no. You know what? This is not the time to talk about this.
Well, when is it time, brother? 'Cause we need to get into--
Later. We'll talk about it later.
No, no, no. There is no later, Benny.
There's only here and now.
The Washington game's coming up this weekend.
I say we ring the bell.
Would you shut up, man?
- Shut up? - Keep it down, man.
I ain't got to do nothin'!
Now I need to do this thing...
and you got to do your part, right?
- Man: Headake. - What are you, drunk?
What's up, man?
Whassup, dawg?
Whassup, big man? How you doin'?
I can't talk to you right now.
Oh, you can't talk to me now?
Now, see, that don't fly, man!
'Cause I know you ain't got nothin' more important goin'...
than what we got right now.
What? We gonna to do it again?
- Yeah, we're gonna do it again. - We can't!
The hell we can't.
There are no good games left.
None! There's no good games left.
It's out of control, bro.
You're out of control, man.
Don't you see that?
- I'm in control. - It's too dangerous!
Screw that, man!
It's time to cash in.
What do you think this is?
What do you think we're doing here, bro?
Reason with yourself. This is all wrong.
All wrong!
I'll tell you what's wrong, Benny--
I ain't tryin' to get in trouble.
You know how much money a top male basketball player...
generates for his school annually?
You know what? I don't even care.
Oh, you don't care?
I don't. No, I don't want to hear it.
#7 00,000!
That's a 7 with 5 zeros behind it, man!
You believe that?
You know how much money was bet...
on college basketball alone last year, man?
#50 million.
That's a 5 with 7 zeros behind it, man.
Man, are you with me so far? 'Cause here comes the kicker.
Do you know how much money...
a guy like me makes off of all of that?
Zero.
No number in front of it.
No number behind it.
Just zero. You got it?
Yo, Callie! Yo, Callie!
Whoa, whoa, where you think you're goin', man?
We ain't finished yet.
I'm gonna do this thing.
One more game.
Are you in or out?
Benny: This is the thing you got to understand.
I could have walked away right then.
And believe me, every cell in my body...
was screaming to do just that.
Just walk away. Leave.
But money, especially easy money...
has a strange way of drowning out the voices.
Benny: This was it. The last push.
A.S.U. vs. Washington.
The Sun Devils were giving 1 1 to Washington.
Not the kind of dog you want to wag.
Big Red managed to work a deal...
with some Cuban guys he was in business with...
to fund his roll of the dice.
JoeJr. and the Mangiameles bet the farm.
As for me, I let it ride, too.
I had JoeJr. bet all the money...
he and the Mangiameles were paying me.
From what I heard...
Vegas looked like an A.S.U. Homecoming parade.
Word got out, and I mean everybody and their mother...
made the trek to Sin City...
to lay down their milk money.
I even heard about 1 5 guys...
who packed in the back of a U-Haul truck and made the trip.
There was so much action on this one nothing game...
that the spread went from 1 1 all the way down to four.
Me? I was a nervous wreck.
I wanted to stay as far away from Vegas as I could.
T-Bone and I decided to watch the game at the arena.
I don't know why. I thought maybe I'd bring us some luck.
I had no idea our luck had run out long before tip-off.
Give me the Gaming Control Board.
[Referee's Whistle Blows]
TVAnnouncer: That's a big shot for the Huskies there.
Not a good start for Arizona State.
Come on in, Zans! Go for it!
This is the sportsbook manager from the Mirage.
We've moved the line over 40 times...
on this Arizona State-Washington game.
Well, the problem is, it's a meaningless game...
and we've taken an avalanche of betting on it.
TVAnnouncer: But Headake and the Sun Devils...
just can't seem to get it going.
OK. OK.
Man, it's about time.
Come on now, Headake.
[Crowd Groans]
Get off your heels! Come on, boys!
You got this one dialed in, bro.
They better win this game.
Coach: Come on now. Set up, Headake.
After this game, man...
I'm gonna take my girlfriend on a nice vacation, bro.
You should.
[Crowd Groans]
Hell, well, we're-- Hey, coach.
- What? - Take it.
Hello?
What?
[Buzzer]
What the hell is going on out there?
Huh?
Somebody want to tell me?
I just got a call from the Athletic Director...
who said the Pac-1 0 was asking him...
if he knew anything about a fix on this game.
And from the way you clowns have been playing...
I'd say the whole goddamn team is in on it!
Headake, you want to tell me where you've been the first half?
Having some trouble with my ankle, coach.
I can't push off right.
You're out.
Yeah. Sutton, you're in for Headake.
Cheerleaders: Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!
OK.
It ain't no thing.
Twenty minutes.
Yo, check out--
Yo, check out Headake.
- He's limping. - What?
He's limping.
What is he doing like that, man?
Snap.
TVAnnouncer: And Headake Smith...
who hobbled out of the locker room...
will sit as the Sun Devils begin the second half.
[Whistle Blows]
TVAnnouncer: This looks like a totally different Sun Devil team.
They've really started to run away from the Huskies in the second half.
And all this with Headake Smith not on the floor.
[Pager Beeps]
Whew.
Do you believe this?
TV: ...and that puts A.S.U. on a 1 2-0 run.
TV: After that sluggish start...
the Sun Devils play inspired second-half basketball.
The clock right there makes it 22 unanswered points.
Yeah, I know.
You know, do me a favor. Don't talk.
[Pager Beeps]
TV: This one will go down...
as the big blowout victory for Arizona State.
[Buzzer]
Go find me that punk, right now.
Bring him to me. Are we clear?
Yo, you all right, Benny? It's me.
Ben?
You're in some trouble, huh?
You could say that.
I got me a buddy...
down-down in San Diego...
that's got a vacation place you can use.
San Diego?
Come on. Come on.
Come on. Callie!
Callie!
Callie! Yo, pick up if you're there!
Callie! Callie! Callie, come on! Callie, come on!
Damn!
Going somewhere, big shot?
You little punk.
You think you can double-cross me...
and just disappear like that?
Set him up!
I can explain everything!
How stupid do you think I am?
I never meant to double-cross you, Red!
Shut up!
How much did you make today?
I didn't make anything!
Don't lie to me.
Unh! Ow!
Get him up!
Yo, man, I'm telling you, Red, man...
I lost everything I had!
You and your friend...
cost me #1 million of somebody else's money.
I lost everything I had! I swear, man!
[Gun Cocks]
Aah!
Man: Benny!
- Who are you? - Who the hell are you?
Better put that thing down, man.
Put yours down. He owes me money.
I'm not going anywhere till I get it.
Well, he owes me money!
I don't care who owes you money!
Put your gun down!
I ain't doin' nothin'!
Better put it down, or I'm gonna waste ya.
- Put it down! - You put it down!
Headake, get off me!
Benny: This was it. The grand finale.
If I was giving odds on my own life at this point...
me seeing tomorrow would've been a long shot.
Somehow...
I managed to talk Brady and Big Red down...
by promising them a nice chunk...
of Headake's NBA signing bonus...
he was sure to get.
I decided, with all that was going on...
plus the fact that I screwed up with Callie...
I'd come down to San Diego...
and clear my head a little bit...
until the dust settled.
The Feds investigated the game...
but since we won...
and by more than the Vegas line...
everybody assumed that the rumors were just that...
rumors.
I thought I got away with it.
Thing is...
the only guy...
who sees all the difference of angles...
is the big man...
upstairs.
That's because...
he's got that bird's-eye view.
Down here...
you never know what's gonna come around the corner.
Brady?
- No. Wrong guy. - Hey, hey, hey.
Agent Simms. Agent Vasquez. FBI.
We'd like to have a word with you.
Why do you have 37 computers...
sitting in your living room, Brady?
So I'm a computer whiz. What's the big deal?
The big deal is those computers were bought with stolen cards.
Oh, come on.
Sixty counts of fraud, Brady.
Plus, since you bought them mail order...
that's interstate trafficking of stolen goods.
Conspiracy to move stolen property.
You're looking at 1 0 years, kid.
Ten years?
It's ridiculous. We're talking about...
friggin' computers, for Christ's sake...
not human heads.
What if I knew something?
If I had some information.
We're all ears.
This is hot. It's real hot. I want a deal.
I'm not going to Attica...
for some overpriced calculators, all right?
That depends on what you know.
You guys know anything about college basketball?
Yeah. Yeah, I knew Benny.
And you knew he was engaged in illegal bookmaking?
Oh, yeah. I know he was making book.
He was hanging out with Headake Smith.
But I didn't know anything about fixing games.
I don't know anything about that.
It's important that you tell us the truth, Adam.
Other people have said you were involved, son.
What other people?
That's not important.
What is important is that...
if you don't cooperate with us...
you're probably gonna go to jail.
[Laughs Nervously]
Come on.
Now would you say that you and Benny...
are friends?
No.
We weren't really friends.
Get the hell outta here, man, all right?
Benny never fixed no games.
You know, you guys have got to be crazy.
Maybe he'd take a--
uh, he'd book a bet here or there.
Not a big deal.
Other people have named you as being involved.
[Snickers]
You think you're gonna get me...
to drop a dime on my friend like that?
Screw you guys.
Screw you.
I'm not gonna answer any more questions...
till I get my lawyer.
And you know what?
Even then, I might not answer diddly.
Yeah, I heard Benny and Headake were shaving points...
but everybody knew about it.
Even had some guy in Chicago fronting the money on the games.
All right, Mr. Gagliano...
this plea agreement states that...
in exchange for a lighter prison sentence...
you will cooperate with the United States government...
in its case against Benny Silman.
You might want to read it.
What's the point?
He made it sound simple.
So it was his idea?
Yeah. There was nothin' Benny wouldn't do for a buck.
So why did you agree to do it?
I didn't have any option.
I was into him for over #1 0,000.
He said the only way for me to erase my debt was to fix games.
The Feds have been building a case against you for some time.
Do you know a Joe Gagliano?
Yeah, I know him.
He just entered into a plea agreement...
naming you as the mastermind...
behind this point-shaving business.
Mastermind.
A similar agreement was entered into...
by a Stevin ''Headake'' Smith.
What?
What? No, no, no.
Hold up. Hold up.
He-He-He...
wanted to do it as much as I did.
Not according to his statement.
Headake claims you approached him with the idea...
in order to erase #1 0,000 worth of debts he had incurred.
He nev--
He never owed me nothin', all right?
He was-- He was right there with me.
He wanted to do it as much as I did.
I got statements here from friends of yours...
naming you as the guy in charge.
I can't believe this.
You know a guy named Shawn Pepello?
Big Red.
They found him dead of a heroin overdose...
but you never know in cases like this.
Word is he was in deep to a group of people for a lot of money.
You're in some serious trouble, Benny.
It's not just gonna disappear.
[Sighs]
Oh, my God. What a surprise.
What are you doing home?
Ma, I think I'm in trouble.
What did you do?
The indictment includes...
Arizona State basketball player...
Stevin ''Headake'' Smith...
and the alleged mastermind of the operation...
22-year old Benjamin Silman of New York.
Who's going in front of the judge today, me or you?
Well, I got the press out there...
they know who's going to be there.
I gotta look good.
What time is it?
Almost 2:00.
[Knock On Door]
S'all right.
[Knock On Door]
[Gargles]
T-Bone: There she is.
Come on in.
Benny!
Would you mind if I meet you outside, T?
No. No sweat.
See you, Callie.
I'm so happy you're here.
How you doing?
OK.
You look good.
Yeah, like, for the judge, you know?
Heard you graduated.
Yeah. Finally.
I actually got offered an internship...
at one of the top architectural firms in L.A.
You did? Congratulations.
Thanks.
You believe this? It's crazy.
Yeah.
[Sighs]
I got, like, a really good lawyer though, Callie.
Like, he's one of the best at this kind of thing.
He says I got a good shot at walking away...
because Headake had considered fixing games...
- like, long before he met me. - Don't.
Don't.
He thinks I can get out of this.
When are you gonna stop?
Brady...
you want to know what he was involved in?
Callie, he was like--
Benny, you can't just talk your way out of this one.
I wasn't alone.
Fine. Maybe you weren't.
Maybe it wasn't even your idea.
It wasn't. That's right.
Well, that doesn't matter.
What do you mean it doesn't matter?
I'm looking at four years, Callie.
Four years.
Nobody else is looking at that.
They wanted to do it.
They turned on me. All of them.
Like, they pretended to be my friends...
and then they dumped me.
And, like, now, I'm looking at four years.
It's not fair.
You still did what they said you did.
It doesn't matter what happens today...
that's not gonna change.
You can...
lie or manipulate or maneuver...
or do whatever fancy-lawyer things you want to do...
but that's not gonna change that you did what you did.
When are you gonna own up to that, Benny?
[Door Opens]
Yo, Ben. Sorry.
We got to hit it, man.
It's about that time. Come on.
Benny: The judge gave me four years.
The indictment included 61 bets...
totaling a half a million dollars for the fourth game.
Every one of those bets lost.
The Vegas sportsbooks were the only winners.
The house never loses.
[Gate Slams Shut]
My name is Benny Silman.
Up until recently...
I was inmate 43 207 008.
I spent three years in prison...
and I still got 5 more years of probation to go.
The Mangiameles, they got home detention.
Stevin ''Headake'' Smith got one year in prison...
and lost his chances of ever making the NBA.
I got a loving mother and father...
who had to do harder time than I did.
You know, for me, doing the time was tough...
but for them, worrying about...
what was going on with me in prison...
was mind-boggling.
I can never say that I'm never gonna gamble again.
All I can do is take it one day at a time.
And I can tell you that right now, today...
I'm not gonna gamble.
They say the house never loses.
This might be true. I'm not really sure.
But if it is true, I'll tell you one thing...
I definitely wasn't the house.
I had the money. I had the action.
I had the lifestyle. I had the players...
and we still lost.
There's no such thing as a sure thing in life.
And I'm a living example. Look at me.
What do I have to show for all this?
A felony. Three years in prison.
Five more years of probation.
A struggle to get a job...
and I can't even vote.
I mean...
it's enough said right there.