House of Games

Excuse me.

Excuse me.

Are you Dr. Margaret Ford?

Yes.

Could I ask you... Would you sign my book?

Yes, of course.

- I recognized you from your picture. - Uh-huh.

- I hope I'm not inconveniencing you. - No, not at all.

It's for a friend. It's the second one I've bought.

Then I'm doubly pleased. Thank you for buying it.

You've helped me very much.

I'm very glad I have.

Thank you.

Good-bye.

And I saw the face of an animal.

And I said that we all try to run from experience.

From experience. Do you understand me?

But that it will seek us out.

You think that you're exempt?

I'm talking to you. Do you think that you're exempt?

Do I think that I'm exempt? That I'm exempt from what?

- Experience. - No.

I don't think that I'm exempt.

Well, you better be assured you're not.

What is the animal?

The animal.

You said in your dream you saw the face of an animal.

- I don't know how to say it. It was... - Yes?

It was a... I...

I want to say...

I don't know how to say it.

- I'm so sorry I'm late. - Oh, that's okay.

- You've eaten. Good. - Now, how are you today, Maggie?

I'm fine. Listen to this.

In her dream, she saw a foreign animal.

What is the animal? She cannot think of the name.

The animal is saying, "I am only trying to do good."

I say, "What name comes up when you think of this animal?"

- She says... - Yes?

"It is a lurg. It is called a lurg."'

And so if we invert "lurg," a lurg is a girl.

And so she is the animal, and she is saying, "I'm just trying to do good."

And now someone has heard her. Good, Maggie.

Good for you. Good work.

And now, what are you going to eat?

I don't have time.

It's so beautiful. It's old, and it's heavy.

It looks like someone gave it to you.

Sometimes I think the only pressures in my life...

- The only what? - I'm sorry?

You said "the only pressures."

"Pleasures." I said "pleasures."

No. What you said was "pressures," and this is what I'm telling you.

Many things that should be pleasures are not.

Your book is a best seller. Your income jumps up.

People think of you differently perhaps.

This is confusing.

Listen to me. Slow down.

Try to enjoy your success.

Give yourself all the rewards you would like to have.

You see a beautiful gold lighter,

buy one for yourself.

Your friend asks you to lunch,

go and eat lunch with her.

- Do you forgive me? - No.

Good-bye.

Go work.

Uh, sort of a...

- A what? - I don't know. A feeling of nothingness.

And what does that make you think of?

Will you leave me alone, for Christ's sake?

What does it matter? What does it mean? You understand?

It's in my head or not. It doesn't make a difference.

- Billy. - What?

Are you going to tell me I'm entitled to my feelings?

What does it... What the hell does it matter?

It matters if you're going to cure yourself.

If I'm going to cure myself.

- And what do I do now? - What do you do now?

No, no. What do I do today? What do I do tomorrow?

Today and tomorrow, you say this:

"I am a compulsive gambler.

The reasons for this are in the past."

Oh, man. I don't know. What am I doing here? What am I doing here?

You're here to take control of your life.

You want to know something?

What the hell do you care, man?

You're rich. You're comfortable.

You got your goddamn book you wrote.

All the time you want to help me, you don't do dick.

You don't do nothing, you and your goddamn book.

It's talk. And it's just talk.

The whole thing is a con game.

You do nothing. This doesn't help me.

You want to help me?

You want to help me? Help me with this.

Help me with this if you can. Because if not, I gotta use it.

To use it for what?

- Aren't you gonna ask me, "Is it loaded?" - To use it for what?

To use it to kill myself or, you know, to...

- I don't know, to... - Why would you want to kill yourself?

What do you think this is? Some dream?

Man, you're living in the dream... your questions.

- 'Cause there is a real world. - And what happened to you in that world?

- What happened to you? - What difference does it make?

You say you want to help. You can't help, 'cause, babe, you don't know what trouble is.

Give me the gun,

and I will help you.

Billy.

Billy, I swear to you.

You give me the gun,

and I will help you.

I just lost $25,000

that I do not have.

And if I do not pay it by tomorrow, they are going to kill me.

Now...

what kind of help is your damn promise now?

- Can I help you? - Yeah, I need a match.

- You looking for a partner to play something? - I'm looking for Mike.

- Who's Mike? - Would you get him for me?

I don't think Mike is here.

Why don't you go take a look?

What the fuck is it?

I'm looking for Mike.

Mike isn't here. What do you want?

- A friend of mine... - Hey. Cut to the chase.

- I'm very busy. What do you want with Mike? - I'm telling you, and you're Mike.

I want you to listen to this, 'cause you threatened to kill a friend of mine.

Is that what I did?

Yes, that's exactly what you did, Mike, and that behavior doesn't go.

Whether you mean it or not.

And it's irrelevant to me, 'cause you aren't going to do it.

Now, this is a sick kid.

- He's a compulsive gambler, and he... - Wait, wait. What is this?

What are you gonna do to me? What are you fronting off about?

If I'm this bad dude, why don't I take out some gun, blow you to a billion parts?

I'll tell you why. 'Cause I think you're just a bully.

Just a bully?

What, you're not gonna let me carry your books?

Aren't you a caution.

Let's talk turkey, pal.

One, you threatened to kill my friend.

You aren't going to do that. 'Cause if you do, you're going away for life.

- Two is the money. - Money?

- He hasn't got it, but... - Who is this friend?

- Billy Hahn. - Billy Hahn.

- He lost how much to me? - Come on. Come on. $25,000.

$25,000 Billy Hahn has lost to me.

Excuse me one moment, will you?

You say Billy Hahn lost 25 large to me.

I'm showing you this 'cause I like you, okay?

'Cause you got blonde hair.

You're looking at Billy Hahn's IOU. Okay?

- Billy Hahn owes me 800 bucks. - In or out?

Deal past me.

Okay?

How come you made me so quick? How did you size me up so quick that I'm...

I'm not some hard guy who's gonna rough you up or something?

- I don't know. In my work... - What work is that?

- Well, it's none of your business. - In or out?

Out!

Oh, it's none of my business. Okay, then I stand corrected.

Here's the thing.

- I want something from you. - What do you want?

- I want you to do me a favor. - Why should I do you a favor?

'Cause if you do, I'll forget the 800 your friend owes me.

- What do you want? - Let's talk for a minute.

What is it?

- Do you know what a tell is? - A tell?

Here. Do this.

You have to choose a hand.

You do it to me. Do it.

Bingo. Do it again.

Okay. Now, I can do that all day.

How? You got a tell. You're telling me the hand that has the coin.

- I am? - Yes.

- How? - It's not important.

Okay. You're doing it with your nose.

You point your nose slightly at the hand that has the coin.

Okay? That's a tell.

Now, look back over my shoulder.

A guy in a beard, in a cowboy shirt...

- Do you see him? - Yes.

He's from Las Vegas. He's been beating me all night. He's got a tell. Okay?

When he's bluffing, okay, he plays with his little gold ring.

I caught him doing it. And he knows I did, so he stopped.

He's conscious of himself.

- I want you to do me this favor. - What's that?

I want you to be my girlfriend for a while, come in the game.

You stand behind me, watch me play.

We get in a big hand, I... I go to go pee.

You watch this guy and tell me,

does he play with his gold ring?

Then I know he's bluffing, I win the big hand,

and I forget the 800 your friend owes.

If you're such a good gambler, how'd you fall into this bind?

Who told you I'm a good gambler? I'm not a gambler.

- You're not a gambler? - No.

- What are you then? - Look, I made you a deal.

I'll tear up your friend's marker if you help me out.