Plot: Gambling: Carolyn, a novelist, is losing her family's savings at the slots; she's befriended by a close-up magician who dreams of making it big. A murdered bookie has the cops focused on Victor, who fronts for the mysterious, never-seen Ivan. Augie and Murph, two other bookies ply their partnership, which is endangered by an offer from Victor to Augie and by Murph's girlfriend's rejection of his violent vocation. A mechanic, in debt to his bookies, asks his basketball-playing brother to shave some points. A paraplegic cop sees all. Will anyone reach their dream? The odds are against it.
Alternative Plot: Gambling destroys the lives of various people who are either addicted to it or involved in its promotion. Carol (Kim Basinger) hides her addiction from her family, who believe she is writing a novel rather than pulling slots in a casino. Clyde (Forest Whitaker) convinces his brother to shave points in his basketball games, and Murph (Nick Cannon) tries unsuccessfully to keep his girlfriend (Carla Gugino) from finding out he works as a bookie.
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