Question about Rounders

[John Cole]

Yeah. Right. /images/graemlins/mad.gif

[Phat Mack]

Something has always puzzled me about Rounders. It's been along time since I saw the movie, but here's how I remember it. Ed Norton is dealing to Damon in a bar game with a bunch of off-duty police officers. One of the players hears the "swish-click" (can I get credit for using onomatopoeia? How about innagaddadavida?) of a second being dealt to Damon. Wouldn't Worm be dealing off the top to Damon, and seconds to all the other players? Why would he deal a second to Damon? How would he know what he was delivering? From your close reading of Rounders and Ricky Jay, DOES THIS MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL?

Thanks for starting another Rounders thread. I've wanted to get this off my chest for a long time.

On a related topic, here's a beautifully-constructed sentence I found on the NYT website. It's from a 1922 review of Ulysses:

He seeks to tell the world of the people that he has encountered in the forty years of sentient existence; to describe their conduct and speech and to analyze their motives, and to relate the effect the "world," sordid, turbulent, disorderly, with mephitic atmosphere engendered by alcohol and the dominant ecclesiasticism of his country, had upon him, an emotional Celt, an egocentric genius, whose chief diversion and keenest pleasure is self-analysis and whose lifelong important occupation has been keeping a notebook in which has been recorded incident encountered and speech heard with photographic accuracy and Boswellian fidelity.

[MMMMMM]

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah. Right. /images/graemlins/mad.gif

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My sentiments as well.

At least the producers tried to portray a realistic storyline about a struggling young club player with big dreams and conflicts. Problem is, they didn't do a very credible job of it.

Oh well, it was kinda a fun movie anyway.

[Cyrus]

"Wouldn't Worm be dealing off the top to Damon, and seconds to all the other players?"

I seem to recall he was dealing to his (unwilling) partner from the bottom of the deck, or wasn't he?

[MMMMMM]

I seem to recall the same thing. I only saw the movie once when it first came out, though...maybe someone will chime in who definitely recalls.;)

[Phat Mack]

I seem to recall he was dealing to his (unwilling) partner from the bottom of the deck, or wasn't he?

It's possible; well, let's say probable. Haven't seen the movie in six years. I remember a player saying he heard the deal, which to me means a second. It could be that a bottom makes a distinctive sound, too. If John can tear himself away from his Rounders DVD, maybe he can clear this up for us. Now that his cinematic tastes are becoming mainstream, I want to encourage the process by ressurrecting his languishing thead. I'm all about people.

[Gamblor]

"The son of a bitch is base dealing."

Worm: (with mock incredulity) "Base-dealing?"

"Looks like he caught a hanger, Sarge"

Worm: "A hanger?"

Sarge: "He's saying you've been dealing off the bottom of the deck"

[MMMMMM]

Any form of false dealing makes a sound different than normal dealing, but to think that one of those guys would know that, and be able to pick up on it, is pretty far-stretched.

[John Cole]

Phat Mack,

Your response ruined the over/under on this thread. I figured a Rounders post would get maybe 25 looks on this forum. (Maybe I'll post the same thing on theory and see what happens.)

I do not have the DVD, but I did see the movie. Once.

BTW, a former student, a guy in his fifties, mentioned one time that he had dinner a couple times with Ricky Jay after I commented about his performance in a movie. The student explained that he was a member of the fraternity (magicians). He told me that sometimes you can spot sleight of hand tricks if you stand back from the act about twenty feet because the magician covers the sight angles of those standing close to him. (He wouldn't reveal secrets, though.)

Nice sentence from the review. People wrote long ones in those days.

Last four movies watched: Contempt, Wings of Desire, Kwaidan, and Onibaba. But I've got Meet Me in St. Louis right now in the DVD player set to go.

[MMMMMM]

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But I've got Meet Me in St. Louis right now in the DVD player set to go.

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That was the title of one of the chapters in The Con Game and 'Yellow Kid' Weil--an interesting book I read many years ago.

It could be a good DVD;-)

[Phat Mack]

Speaking of movies, I just saw a preview for a new Blind Swordsman flick. It said it would be released in July. Sadly, it was shot in color, the new Zatoichi looks physically fit (more in line with modern martial arts stars), and they showed no dice scenes, but all the same, I can't wait.

[Cyrus]

It was all Israel's fault...

[Phat Mack]

Emily Lattela voice: Never mind!

[Gamblor]

It was all Israel's fault...

Do you have a source?

[Manimal]

Yeah, the Takeshi version of Zatoichi is supposed to be superb. I've enjoyed all of his movies I've seen (except Johnny Mnemonic), so I just hope I don't have to drive to far to see this one.