High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (Stuey)

Welcome back, everybody, to the 1997 World Series of Poker,

where Stu "The Kid" Ungar

is attempting to make one of the greatest comebacks in poker history

by winning the no-limit Texas Hold-em Championship

a record third time.

And Al, the amazing thing about this

is that Stuey would be achieving that feat

after 16 years of personal struggle

where victories were really few and far between.

And standing between Stuey and history

is John Stremp, a local casino executive

who's shown remarkable fortitude, actually, in making it to this point.

And here it is--Stu is raising enough to put Stremp all in.

This could be it, Al. If Stremp wins, it'll change the tide of the tournament.

If Stuey wins, he's got the championship again after 16 long years.

You're not sure?

I thought you're supposed to be some freaking genius or something.

Yeah? Well, fuck you, then.

Come on, Stuey. You could do better than that.

Do better than what?

I wake up, you're in my goddamn hotel room

wanting to know if I seen you before.

What kind of fucked-up game is that?

I thought you liked games.

Cards, horses, football...

I heard you play golf, even.

You got a good swing, Stuey?

So that's what this is about?

What do you think it's about?

Oh, man. Look... stop screwing with me.

You do what you gotta do.

You in a hurry?

Got a hot date?

What are the odds, Stuey?

You're good with that stuff, right?

Maybe you can get to that blade before I even figured out what you were up to.

You know... cut and run.

Me? I'd say I'm a 20-1 favorite

to slice your fucking heart out before you're off the bed.

That about right?

Hey, I know people, man. I know important people.

Don't get all lathered up, Stuey.

You wanna know what the game is?

I hear you're a worthless piece of Vegas shit,

which is what you kind of look like at this point, if you don't mind me saying.

No offense.

But then I hear other things.

Like...you're a--a God or a legend or something.

A bona fide fucking legend.

Yeah?

That's interesting.

And my job isn't usually real interesting.

So tell me a story.

A story?

Yeah.

About you.

Why the fuck would I?

Because then you might figure out why I'm here.

And if you do that...

I'll go.

You'll go?

On my father's eyes.

Get off me!

Give us the money, Ungar!

Don't give us that crap. Punch him again, Flesh!

No, wait! All right!

Hi, Leon.

Yeah, Franky. Stupid, I said 1 8. Yes, 1 8. I don't make the line.

You want it or not? I don't wanna hear a joke. Franky, I don't wanna hear--

I don't...

Are you a lonely person?

What's the matter with you?

Hey, Pop.

Oh, Christ. What happened to you?

No, sorry. Call me back.

Who did this, Stuey? That Sheinberg kid again?

I'll speak to his father.

No, no, no. It's okay.

Yeah, it's okay.

You mean that move we talked about?

How?

I dropped some change. It worked perfect.

Where'd you get him?

Solly, Stuey got that fat-ass bully Sheinberg kid right in the chatchkes!

Congratulations.

I love it, ah! Beautiful!

That's it, kid. That's how you're gonna do it.

You're smarter than all of 'em.

You don't have to be big when you're smart, right?

- Yeah. - Yeah.

You don't need any of this nonsense, do you?

Here's what we're gonna do.

We're all gonna go out of town this weekend and celebrate.

Some place fancy. Sound good?

- Sure. - All right. Go get washed up.

I'll have Jimmy pour you something to take the sting away. Go on.

Hey, Stuey...

This was special.

But you don't come down here unless I bring you, okay? I mean it.

Yeah, no, I'm talking to my kid.

My kid. My kid. He just kicked the Sheinberg kid in the balls.

Yeah, you hope he don't kick you in the balls.

Oh, you don't have any balls. Yeah, I knew that.

You should know.

He's a good boy.

Sure you wanna do that?

You talk too much, shrimp.

Okay...just asking.

Gin.

Woo!

It's like I already knew how to play.

My mom stanted to teach me. she let me watch. but I knew.

I knew how they fit... how they felt.

More like a mouth.

You know cards were invented in China?

First they invented paper, then cards right after.

Not these, though. These came from England later.

That's why there's a Queen, you know.

Four suits of 1 3 cards.

It's just...

...magic. It's perfect.

The Devil's work.

Yeah. Yeah.

But God, too.

Let's go to work.

Hello, everybody. I brought my twin brother from Jersey.

We'll see you inside.

I wasn't really allowed to go to the club.

But sometimes. when Ma was visiting her sister or something. I got to go.

At night... there was no place like it.

Hi, folks. Everything okay? The martinis good?

God bless you. Nice to see you.

Welcome. Welcome. This is Stuey, my son.

Senator, how are you? So nice to see you...

Pop was a big man there.

Everyone shook his hand-- Jews and Italians.

Brooklyn Moe Weinstein. Big Anthony Tontolla.

Jackie Nose. Bad Phillie Broma.

even celebrities that came down sometimes--everybody.

Most of the time there. I felt dizzy. I couldn't breathe.

It was so much... bigger than everything else.

He's my bodyguard. I brought him along.

I mean. broads. booze. gambling--all of it.

But they never got sloppy. Ever.

And they took exactly zero shit from nobody.

None of this corporate political bullshit.

If they liked you. you were in. If not. you were fucked.

Not like now. Like you company muscle guys. right?

Not my style.

Martini time

I'm lining up my straws

So they liked you ?

Shit. yeah.

They saw I could play cards. so I played for them.

The fish never saw me coming. Never forgot me. either.

I razzed them so bad. they always came back.

Vince and the other guys-- they respected me for my talent.

Don't work that way no more.

It's not so different now. Stuey.

When I was bar mitzvah'd in '66. they all came. Every one.

They all gave me cash-- three grand. Out of respect.

You gonna tell me it happens that way now?

Yeah. You give respect. you get respect.

I gave respect.

What'd you do with the money. Stuey?

I don't remember.

Yeah. you do.

No, Maxwell! You're gonna kill him!

That's what I should do, Flo, after what he did!

That was your bar mitzvah money, you little shit!

- You spit on tradition! - No!

I'm sorry, Pop. I didn't mean--!

You didn't mean? You didn't mean?!

Let me tell you what I mean.

From now on, no more club, no more cards, no more track,

no more nothing, you understand?!

You go to school, you come home.

You use that big brain of yours

to do something other than embarrass me and your mother,

you understand me?!

Vincent wants me to--

That's right, run away, you little shit. Don't let me catch you!

What?!

He-Hey! There's my little genius.

Jesus Christ.

Who did this to you?

It's in your religion.

You understand my emphasis?

You really wanna play cards, Stuey?

Yeah. More than anything.

All right. I'll take care of it.

Let's go get a steak for that shiner.

Good. 'Cause this credit thing... it's for losers.

Stuey. Come here, son.

I'm sorry I was late, Pop.

Ralph's dad got a new color TV, and we were watching, um...

My son the doctor, driving up in his new Cadillac,

visiting us from his house in Connecticut.

You think I wouldn't do it another way if I could?!

I'm not smart enough!