Rounders (1998)
Edward Norton: Worm
Photos
Quotes
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Worm : [standing up facing him] I guess the sayings' true. In the poker game of life, women are the rake man. They are the fuckin' rake.
Mike McDermott : [siting in a chair in his apartment] What the fuck are you talkin' about. What saying?
Worm : I-I don't know. There ought to be one though.
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Worm : [in a gymnasium] Now, what did I ever do to that guy?
Mike McDermott : You fucked his mother
Worm : [amused] yeah but she was a good looking older woman you gotta give me that.
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[Mike's girlfriend has just left him over his broken promise not to play poker]
Worm : You know what always cheers me up, when I'm feeling shitty?
Mike McDermott : [siting in a chair in his apartment, with his head looking down] No, what's that?
Worm : Rolled up aces over kings. Check-raising stupid tourists and taking huge pots off of them. Playing all-night high-limit Hold'em at the Taj, "where the sand turns to gold." Stacks and towers of checks I can't even see over.
Mike McDermott : [his head looks up] Fuck it, let's go.
Worm : [pointing at him] Don't tease me.
Mike McDermott : [smiles] Let's play some cards.
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Worm : [Pretending to be a sore loser at the college fraternity game] Like my uncle Les used to say "When the money is gone, it's time to move on". So enjoy it, you secret handshaking assholes.
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Mike McDermott : [sees his mouth is bleeding] What happened?
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : [while waiting outside his apartment building] Nothing, she closed her legs too fast!
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Mike McDermott : You comin' up?
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : [sarcastically] No, I've been standin' out here all this time just to say hi.
Mike McDermott : All right, listen, things haven't been that smooth on the homefront so, you know, tone it down a little, all right?
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : [jokingly, intentionally, ignoring Mike's request] Tone done what, motherfucker?
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Mike McDermott : [after have been caught base dealing, beaten up, and thrown out at the sheriffs game] What the fuck were you thinking?
Worm : I was trying to give us an edge
Mike McDermott : I had them
Worm : Look I'm sorry we got banged up, I took a shot and missed, it happens
Mike McDermott : Happens all the time around you
Worm : And it doesn't happen to you? You're the one that flushed his whole bank roll on one hand
Mike McDermott : Oh fuck you man, that was different
Worm : How is that different? What makes you so fucking special? Why are all your moves so smart and noble and I'm always the idiot piece of shit? You act like you're only one with any ambition
Mike McDermott : Then what's your ambition? I don't know, you tell me
Worm : I don't know, I don't think like that
Mike McDermott : No, you don't think
Worm : No, I don't think like you, you always think you can beat the game straight up, that's not me, and I'm always going to look for that edge, always
Mike McDermott : Alright, what's the edge now? We owe fifteen grand in a day and we're broke, what the fuck do we do?
Worm : That's easy, we get the fuck outta dodge, we stay clear of the city for a while, we'll hit the road, we'll be up again in no time, this will all blow over, we'll have a ball.
Mike McDermott : not a fucking chance I'm going to live like that, you talk to Grama, you get him to stake me
Worm : it's not going to work, we're not dealing with Grama.
Mike McDermott : [surprised] you said Grama was on his own
Worm : [looks down, remains silent, having been caught in a lie]
Mike McDermott : [insisting worm tell him the truth] you told me Grama was on his own
Worm : KGB bankrolled him
Mike McDermott : So you just fucked us right in the ass
Worm : [showing the car keys] yeah, all the way, you see what I'm saying. no fooling around, it's highway time, you with me or not?
Mike McDermott : no I'm not this time.
Worm : [surprised] , you're really going back there?
Mike McDermott : yeah
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Worm : [to Mike after Worm was released from prison] You've got to understand there's two economies in there, there's cash and there's trade, so I've got to keep three games going at once, a game with the white guys, a game with the brothers and a game with the guards, the trick is I've got to skim enough cash off the white guys so I can lose it to the guards so they can keep doing me favors and then I've got to trim enough smokes off the brothers so I can trade and keep living in the "style" I've grown accustomed to and I've got to do all of this without getting my ass kicked.
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Worm : [in a gymnasium] Hey, I'm not gonna let a garbage can fall on my head.
Mike McDermott : No, you're gonna jump out of the way and let it land on me.
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Worm : [to Roman and Maurice, chastising them for deliberately speaking Russian to each other while playing poker] You wanna see the seventh card, stop speaking fucking sputnik! I'm sure you guys were talking about Pierogies and snow but let's cut that out.
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Mike McDermott : [in a gymnasium] Would you stop fucking around, for five goddamn minutes for once in your fucking life?
Worm : Whoa, Jesus, what happened? My old man just walked in.
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Lester 'Worm' Murphy : [before being punched in the mouth by Grama in the bathroom of a strip club] Where did you come up with the scratch for that? You've been rolling fags in the Village again, haven't you?
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Grama : You owe twenty five I'll take the rest in five days
Mike McDermott : [trying to reach an agreement to pay off Worm's debt to Grama and Teddy KGB] Five grand a week and you keep the juice going we want what you want we want to square this thing but three days is impossible no one's saying "your not the man", just think of it as a business decision, he just got out let's put him on a plan
Grama : This is not the money store we're not negotiating I tell you how it works
Mike McDermott : Then I'm asking
Grama : [Intentionally belittling Worm] you looking for some charity?
Worm : [feeling offended] , you know what?I need your fucking charity like I need your cock in my ass.
Mike McDermott : [to Worm, irritated by his ego] Will you shut the fuck up?
Grama : It's too late for him to shut the fuck up
Mike McDermott : His good for it
Grama : If you think his good for it then it's on you too
Mike McDermott : Then it's on me too
Grama : Fifteen large five days or I start breaking things.
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Worm : [while base dealing] Who wants more? I'm in, I'm staging a late night comeback, a "late night rally", just to warn you
Vitter : [Grabs Worm's hand] Hold on there
Worm : What are you doing?
Vitter : Give me the deck
Worm : Relax don't get so agitated
Vitter : Looks like we got a rogue game here
Worm : A what?
State Trooper : What the hell is going on over here?
Vitter : [Referring to Worm] This son of a bitch is base dealing, I caught a hanger
Worm : A "hanger"? What are you saying? I don't even know what you're saying
State Trooper : His saying you're dealing off the bottom of the deck
Worm : Come on guys
Sean Frye : [Referring to Mike] What'd he give him?
Vitter : Seven of hearts
State Trooper : [to Mike and Worm] You boys working? Are you professionals?
Mike McDermott : No listen I was winning before this guy got here
State Trooper : Let the cards do the talking, if the seven didn't help you we'll listen to what you have to say
Worm : [Ozzie turns mike's cards over] hey, three of a kind you've Ozzie three sixes like...
Vitter : SHUT UP
State Trooper : [nervously] I'm just saying it was a three of a kind
State Trooper : [Vitter gives him the deck of cards and he shows the ace of spades on the bottom] One last thing
Worm : [All the state troopers stand up] Alright take it easy are you going to read us our rights at least?
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Worm : [sitting inside Jo's jeep, outside the fraternity house] Here's the play: I know this girl Barbra I was so close to banging her before I went away, she works as a hostess for all the trust fund babies in there, she got me in their game, she introduces me as her "cousin" from out of town who loves to gamble and wants to win at poker.
Mike McDermott : It sounds solid, that's a nice hook up
Worm : It's all the way nice, but I got this "feeling".
Mike McDermott : What "feeling" is that exactly?
Worm : You know this "feeling", I got the table all set, knife, fork, sauce...
Mike McDermott : [Implying Worm doesn't have money to buy into this game] You just don't have the "steak"
Worm : Exactly
Mike McDermott : [Giving Worm money] here's two twenty, that'll get you started
Worm : Two twenty? Thanks but that's like eleven bets I can't even get a table in here.
Mike McDermott : Then forget this game I'll straighten you out in the city tomorrow.
Worm : I'm already behind here.
Mike McDermott : You just got out, what's the big fucking hurry?
Worm : The hurry is other than you, there are five guys eagerly waiting my release.
Mike McDermott : How much do you owe?
Worm : Like ten.
Mike McDermott : Ten?
Worm : I can't even figure it out with the juice. I can get started on this easy if it's you and me working together.
Mike McDermott : I heard you asking me before and I hear you asking now but I can't do that, I just can't do that, I've made promises.
Worm : I totally understand, its fine. I'll just make a couple moves earlier than I would've before.
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Lester 'Worm' Murphy : [referring to making money by playing cards after been released from prison] have you been working? Is your game sharp?
Mike McDermott : [while driving them away from the prison] No, I'm off it
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : You're getting cold cards?
Mike McDermott : No I quit
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : What, are you shitting me?
Mike McDermott : I got cleaned out
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : Mike McDe, you lost?
Mike McDermott : It was a real blood game over at KGB's place
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : You sat down with the mad Russian and he emptied your pockets?
Mike McDermott : Yeah I didn't want to tell you while you were in prison, I didn't want to dispirit you.
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : So you're just a student now? What are doing for money?
Mike McDermott : I'm driving Knish's truck
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : Oh my God, you're killing me, we've got to get you back in the game we're old partners, we're going to "run it" like we always did.
Mike McDermott : No, I'm off it I really am, I'm done.
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Mike McDermott : [talking on the street, outside Chester Field club] You're in town for five fucking minutes and you already got a sign on your back
Worm : That fucking Knish rat me out? Come on you've got to stop listening to that guy, he sees all the angles but doesn't have the balls to play any.
Mike McDermott : That guy hasn't had to work in fifteen years
Worm : You don't think that's work? Grinding it out on his leather ass? No thank you.
Mike McDermott : I thought so too now I know what real work is, speaking of which are you going to get a job? Are you going to look? Or you're just going back to printing those credit cards? Are you going away again?
Worm : First of all I wasn't "printing" I was "distributing" its different, second of all I'm never going back there, stop worrying so much.
Mike McDermott : I want you to think long term, be smart every place in Manhattan they all keep books if you get listed as a "mechanic" not only you're going to get the shit kicked out of you you're not going to get a game anywhere in New York, it's just stupid it's bad business.
Worm : This is what I love about you, you think about the big picture.
Worm : But it's not me, I don't play the game straight up then if I lose I find some real work I see a mark I take them down, that's what I do, that's the way I live.
Mike McDermott : I know you're the guy that taught me all the angles but I'm not the one with my nose open right now, I'm going to preach to you, those two guys in there they're not "rabbits" ,Roman and Maurice they're Russian outfit guys, not as bad as KGB but you don't want to be fucking around with those guys.
Worm : Those fake Versace shirts and shit?
Mike McDermott : You still got time, go back in there and lose their money back to them, and make it look good.
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Petra : [hunched on top on the bar in the Chesterfield] So how'd you do?
Worm : [Hands her his winnings in poker chips] So, so, six thousand, two thousand and here's two more
Petra : Alright so its ten grand total, take back the two we lent you, give you the "white meat."
Worm : [leaning on front the bar] you know what? Why don't you give me all of it?
Petra : Usually credit players leave with their profit otherwise the juice starts five points a week on Mike
Worm : Ok we'll owe you
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Grama : [coming up from behind him] I heard you were out
Worm : [sitting down at a strip club] Hey, how you doing? I was just thinking about you, I could use you see me in two weeks I'll put you back on the payroll
Grama : I got bad news for you Worm I'm out on my own now
Worm : Really? Go figure
Grama : A lot of people were angry when you went away
Worm : [shows him a roll of cash] I know that's why I'm trying to put together a roll here
Grama : A lot of people asking if I could help if I knew where to find you so it got me thinking
Worm : [sarcastically, before Grama drags him into the bathroom] Really? You're thinking now? That's big
Grama : [Inside the bathroom] Here's what I'm thinking: instead of you owing fifteen grand spread out to five guys, you owe twenty five to me
Worm : What? Where the fuck do you get off?
Grama : where do I get off?Here's how it is, twenty five to me and the juice is still running
Worm : Jesus Christ, what the fuck are you doing? You were my partner
Grama : No I was your lackey, but I learned a few things Worm I consolidated your outstanding debt
Worm : Where did you come up with the scratch for that?
Grama : What I did was go partners with an old friend of yours Teddy KGB backed me
Worm : Bullshit
Worm : Teddy has plenty of goons why would he put you under his play?
Grama : Because as soon as he heard your name he became excited about the prospect
Worm : So you bought me up Grama?
Grama : Yeah, a real sweet deal too thirty cents on the dollar, not a lot of faith out there in the business community
Worm : Great so you're a banker now? That's real classy
Grama : Not exactly I don't have to tell you my collection methods
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Mike McDermott : [In a car outside the State Troopers game] How the hell am I supposed to get in this game?
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : I told to its easy the whole time in the joint I was dumping money to guards this one guy Pete Frye, I must've lost ten grand over eighteen months, he said when if I ever want a game just look up his nephew, you just go in there and ask for "Sean Frye" you're going to clean this game up these guys are total suckers
Mike McDermott : Alright give me like eight hours come back at seven, seven thirty
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : I was thinking "what am I going to do for eight hours?" why don't I come in and just sit for a little while?
Mike McDermott : No, not a chance
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : I'll sit at the other table and play "straight"
Mike McDermott : You want to play "straight"? You go in there I'll be back in eight hours
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Mike McDermott : [Realizes Jo left him, sitting in a chair in his apartment] I always told her she'd be a good card player, she'd know exactly know when to release a shitty hand
Worm : [standing in front of him] Oh come on forget that this girl is obviously wrapped way too tight for a living
Mike McDermott : I knew it, I fucking knew it
Worm : This is depressing you can't trust them, you can't trust them at all, you domesticated yourself for this girl you took yourself out of life you walked a fucking line for her and the minute you want a little of it back she walks out on you
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Lester 'Worm' Murphy : [before heading to the poker room, a prostitute walks past them in the lobby of The Mirage casino] why don't you warm up a sit for me?
Mike McDermott : What?
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : I got certain "needs" I have to attend to I'm overdue
Mike McDermott : [jokingly, referring to his time in prison] Good I was starting to wonder about you, I thought maybe the boys upstate brought about a few changes in you
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : hey, In your dreams lover
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Mike McDermott : [eating together at The Noodle Bar inside The Mirage] What's with kiting my checks?
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : I'm on empty that's why
Mike McDermott : You're tapped again? How much was the hooker?
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : "Relaxation therapist" that's not where it went
Mike McDermott : You lost it to Roman and Maurice? I told you, you didn't have to give it all back to them, take some money for your time
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : That's not where it went either. I ran into Grama tonight he took everything I had
Mike McDermott : Who's he working for?
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : His sort of out on his own, this fucker went around and bought up all my debt
Mike McDermott : That turn coat motherfucker you kidding me? So what'd you owe him?
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : I don't know his crazy gorilla math, like fifteen
Mike McDermott : Fifteen?
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : Yeah he said the juice has been running the entire time on my ten
Mike McDermott : Why didn't you tell me that? I could've paid that off, I had the money
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : I'm not going to sit in the can and have my friend pay off my debt, I'm not a leech, we can help each other like always that's why we've got to get into the bigger games
Mike McDermott : You know I'll help you, fuck that guy, we'll figure something out
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Worm : [in a gymnasium] What do you want me to say? Those were wild times you were there too
Mike McDermott : Nothing's changed you were hiding from your troubles then and your hiding from your troubles now
Worm : I like to hide that's part of the fun for me
Mike McDermott : If we fucked up back then the worst thing that could happen was catch a beating or get expelled, you're fixing to go down it's almost as if you want to
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Mike McDermott : [while walking in the street, referring to the amount of money they have to make in order to pay off Worm's debt to Grama] Fifteen grand in five days I can do that I've gone on rushes like that before
Worm : [referring to the amount of cash his carrying right now] On optimum conditions with a bank roll, maybe, what'd you got on you?
Mike McDermott : I got like three fifty
Worm : That's twelve hundred between us we might've play the lotto
Mike McDermott : You find the games you scout them out I sit I mop them up
Worm : We might have a shot at this if we sat down and did our thing
Mike McDermott : No I'm going to do that, I'm going to do this straight up
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Worm : [while getting shaved in a barbershop, referring to the amount of money they have on hand] We got seventy three hundred we've got to double that in two days
Mike McDermott : If we get close and come up a little short...
Worm : If we come up a little short Grama will shoot us and bury us in a hole somewhere
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Worm : [to Mike before he drives off after Worm was caught base dealing, and they were both beaten and thrown out of the sheriffs game] See ya when I see ya, atleast you're "rounding" again right? You're gona thank me for that some day.
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Lester 'Worm' Murphy : [after leaving the golf pro game, referring to Mike losing a big pot] What are you doing in there?
Mike McDermott : I didn't "have it"
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : You didn't "have it"? What does that mean you didn't "have it"? Since when do you have to have it" to take a pot off a hump like that? Come on, grade schoolers can play better than that.
Mike McDermott : I was "waiting" the guy out, eventually he was going to bluff at the wrong pot, then I was going to take it
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : You know what? Fuck all that, we don't have time for that shit, that guy was papier Mache, you gotta make "strong moves"
Mike McDermott : The "move" was folding: I can't lose what I don't put in the middle.
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : Jesus, fuck all that because we needed that pot.
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : [referring to the amount of money they've won so far] What are we up to?
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : [after looking at the roll of cash Mike handed to him] That's like seven with that pot you just dumped on that "V-neck sweater, we would've had ten.
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : [frustrated, remains silent]
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : [seeing Mike tired, referring to the amount of time Mike has been playing without stopping] Look at you, you went one sixty-four-hour session, you need a nap.
Mike McDermott : I don't have time for a fuckin nap.
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Worm : [while taking poker chips from Mike at the poker room inside The Mirage casino] let's get started, shall we?
Taj Dealer : [to worm] I'm sorry sir you can't take chips from another player at the table
Card Player : [referring to the other rounders at the table, before turning to the player sitting to his right] you know what we all know each other here, we're like friends, so if nobody complains, do you have a problem?
Card Player : it's alright
Worm : there's no problem
Taj Dealer : sir, you have to buy them from me
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Mike McDermott : [while leaving Grama's brothel after failing to convince him to give them more time to pay back worm's debt to him and Teddy KGB] what the hell are you doing?
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : [explaining why he mouthed off which resulted in failing to convince him to give them more time to pay back his debt to him and Teddy KGB] I'm not going to get down on my knees for that jerk off
Mike McDermott : all I said was to keep your mouth shut for like five seconds.
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : [realizing his pride got the better of him] I'm sorry
Mike McDermott : God damn it
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : that's it, I mean I'm really "sunk" now
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : [before they begin to list the poker games they can play and win enough money to pay back worm's debt to Grama and Teddy KGB] where do you want to start?
Mike McDermott : [referring to the amount of the poker blinds in the poker game] look there's the 30/60 at The Chesterfield, there's the 4am in Woodside, There's the Greeks.
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : alright there's union game in Jersey I know a guy's cousin can get us in
Mike McDermott : that's four
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : there's the cigar shop in Brooklyn is an easy clean
Mike McDermott : there's a golf pro game in Riverdale
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : that's a good one
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : yeah there's a lot of money in that one
Mike McDermott : that's six
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : you sure you're up for this?
Mike McDermott : [feeling confident] I'm fuckin up for this
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Johnny Gold : I bet
Mike McDermott : [while playing at the golf pro game, referring to increasing the size of the pot] let's get some in there.
Johnny Gold : you're raising me three hundred?
Johnny Gold : [after checking if he has enough money to call] I call your three hundred
Johnny Gold : [to his friend, referring to the pot] how much is in there?
Weitz : about fifteen hundred
Johnny Gold : [while adding money to the pot] here's a thousand, there's five hundred: I bet you the pot limit kiddo
Weitz : you sure you want to do that? You might want to leave a little something extra for your daughter's riding lessons
Johnny Gold : there's plenty more where that came from
Mike McDermott : [folds his hand] take it down
Johnny Gold : [laughs, to his friends] I got shit, look I bluffed "the big ringer"
Lester 'Worm' Murphy : [urgently to Mike while collecting their money to leave] get up, we're out of here, we're done, come on
Johnny Gold : [arrogantly to Mike and Worm as they leave, implying he can beat anyone at poker] anytime, anyplace anywhere, oh by the way anybody.
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Worm : [during the sheriffs game] Ace high bets
Osborne : Well, I like what I have, my bet is twenty
Mike McDermott : [after looking at his hand and at Osborne , intentionally folding to avoid both of them getting caught base dealing] I know that look. I'm gonna fold.
