Billie (Drew Barrymore of Music & Lyrics) is an aspiring B level singer from Bakersfield trying to bust into the nightclub scene in Las Vegas. Huck Cheever (Eric Bana of Munich) is a professional poker player who really needs to give it up and attend some 12 step meetings. He’s a rags to riches guy who one day is in a pawn shop trying to raise enough stake money to play poker who by the evening has $10,000 cash in his pockets. If there is any question about Huck’s addition to gambling its resolved when he takes on a $10,000 bike riding, running and golf triathlon bet.

Everybody in the casinos know Huck and while he does not drink alcohol when he gambles, he brings a certain sadness to himself as his relationships are on par with the days he’s heading for the pawnbroker. The BS from the poker table also rules his private life.

Operating in the shadow of his  father, poker legend L.C. Cheever (Robert Duvall of Thank You for Smoking), two time winner of the World Series of Poker, Huck finds himself not seriously considered by any women that are not as flighty as he. Additionally, other poker players dis him by calling him names like Water Boy and Sunshine.

Billie and Huck meet in a bar in an unusually creative way that shows they both know how to read situations. Huck is superficial while Billie is much deeper.

Later and after hearing “I’m sorry” from Huck one too many times, Billie moves on. It’s at this time that Huck realizes what he is missing. A gamblers personal life is shown subtly in that when Huck loses, he just walks away to be by himself. For other gamblers during the World Series of Poker, someone tends to be on the sidelines giving them a hug because they made it as far as they did. They are going out to celebrate. 

If you are not a gambler, the film may seem to move a little slow as the pace of poker is realistically deliberative. The ending is somewhat predictable, yet because people do tend to eventually learn from their mistakes, it hits the right note. To our surprise, the World Series of Poker has the largest individual prize of any sport, $2,500,000. Even for non gamblers, this fact alone will make you sit up and pay attention.