disappoint someone
- You never let me down. - I would have been there every week if you let me, man.Rounders · 1998 — Capítulo 4 de 26 · 2'16" · B2
Mike Picks Up an Old Friend, Explained: get cleaned out
The reunion is all smiles, but the talk keeps circling back to poker. A line calls the prison time "a piece of cake"; another says "I'm off it," less like a preference than a verdict on what happened at KGB's.
Qué pasa
Outside a prison, a man waits for a newly released friend. They drive away, trading jokes about the car and the time spent "in there." One line describes running three poker games behind bars; another admits being cleaned out at KGB's and says he has quit playing.
Atento a
ace up my sleeveblood gameget cleaned outcold cards
00:00 / 02:16Espacio reproducir · ← → frases · R repetir
Ahora
Expresión de la escena
get cleaned out
to lose all one's money
One man blurts out that he got cleaned out; the other asks in disbelief if he really lost, and then he names the game.
Don't bet it all, or you'll get cleaned out in one bad night.
También en esta escena
- ace up my sleeve
a hidden advantage kept ready for when it is needed
- blood game
a brutal, high-stakes poker game
- cold cards
bad cards, bad luck
- off it
quit, no longer doing it
- dispirit
to discourage, make someone lose hope
Todo lo marcado en esta escena
35 notas en 43 frases
conditional: The speaker imagines a past routine that could have happened, then gives the condition in casual speech.
- You never let me down. - I would have been there every week if you let me, man.a miserable place — Casual complaint among friends; avoid it in formal or polite company.
I know, I know. I couldn't let you see me in this shit hole.very easy
It was a piece of cake. Piece of cake.during my absence
Man, look at your ride. You've been prospering while I've been away.two full economic systems
There's like two whole economies in there... there's cash and there's trade.Let 'and' shrink to a faint n and slide from 'cash' into 'there's'.
There's like two whole economies in there... there's cash and there's trade.keep three games running
So I gotta keep three games going at once, all right?black men, used within the community — Used by Black speakers for fellow Black men; outsiders should be careful.
A game with the white guys, a game with the brothers, and a game with the guards.the key is
And the trick is, I gotta take enough cash off the white guys...win enough cash from someone Here 'off' means won from someone at the table, not taken from the table.
And the trick is, I gotta take enough cash off the white guys...doing favors for me
keep doing me favors and shit, but I gotta trim enough smokes off the black guys that I can trade and keep myself...and stuff like that — Casual list filler among friends; not for formal talk.
keep doing me favors and shit, but I gotta trim enough smokes off the black guys that I can trade and keep myself...become used to a certain style
in the style that I've grown accustomed to, and all of this without getting my ass kicked.relative clause: The clause defines the kind of style he means; the preposition to sits at the end.
in the style that I've grown accustomed to, and all of this without getting my ass kicked.gerund after preposition: The gerund phrase sets a condition that must hold while all the scheming happens.
in the style that I've grown accustomed to, and all of this without getting my ass kicked.working with a partner
So you're working with a partner?who on earth
No. Who the hell am I gonna trust in there?a hidden advantage kept ready for when it is needed
He shows something off and calls it an ace up his sleeve, meaning he is keeping a hidden advantage in reserve.
It's like an ace up my sleeve. What else?Link 'ace up' smoothly, keep 'my' light, and stress 'ace' and 'sleeve'.
It's like an ace up my sleeve. What else?skill, especially in music or cards — For skill in music, cards, or performance; too casual for a CV.
Wait till I show you some of my chops, man. I've gotten pretty blinding.excellent, amazing — Casual brag about your own skill at the table; too loose for formal talk.
Wait till I show you some of my chops, man. I've gotten pretty blinding.amaze you Not blowing up the brain; it means to amaze or overwhelm you.
It's gonna blow your mind, blow your mind.Blend 'I'm off it' into one unit; let the f in 'off' brush into 'it'.
No, man, I'm off it.bad cards, bad luck — Poker jargon; non-players may not follow.
What, are you... you gettin' cold cards?kidding me — Vulgar casual disbelief; keep it out of formal settings.
- What, are you shitting me? - No, man, I...to lose all one's money
One man blurts out that he got cleaned out; the other asks in disbelief if he really lost, and then he names the game.
- I got cleaned out. - Mike McD? You lost?take all someone's money Not reaching into pockets; it means taking all someone's money at the table.
You sat down with the Mad Russian and he emptied your pockets?how are you earning money
- What are you doing for money? - I'm driving Knish's truck.get you back into poker
Oh, God, you're killin' me. Mike, Mike, we gotta get you back on the game.Drop the g in 'killin'' and keep 'me' weak; don't pronounce every letter.
Oh, God, you're killin' me. Mike, Mike, we gotta get you back on the game.postposed adjective: The adjective phrase comes after 'game' and defines what kind of game he means.
You are, huh? All right. I know a game perfect for the two of us.the best or easiest things to take or profit from
A game outside New York City is pitched as a berry patch with prime pickings, meaning there is easy money to be taken.
It's a berry patch right outside New York City... prime pickings.an easy place to make money — Poker slang for an easy table; outsiders may take it literally.
It's a berry patch right outside New York City... prime pickings.take you to a place
- I'll drop you... I'll drop you off. - Okay.Mike Picks Up an Old Friend, explicado
What's really going on
The scene is a reunion, but it is also a poker conversation in disguise. A line like "Man, look at your ride" measures how much has changed. Prison talk turns into a story about "cash" and "trade," with three games kept going at once. The reply "I got cleaned out" explains the loss, while "I'm off it" tries to close the subject, and the push to get back on the game keeps testing that refusal. The last pitch, a "berry patch" with "prime pickings," turns friendship back into a business proposition.
Theme
FriendshipThe two men greet warmly, yet the reunion keeps becoming a test of whether the old partnership can still work.
MoneyPoker is the shared language: prison cash and trade, a lost game at KGB's, and a 'berry patch' all turn into talk of profit.
Escucha con atención
- cash and there's — Let 'and' shrink to a faint n and slide from 'cash' into 'there's'.
- ace up my — Link 'ace up' smoothly, keep 'my' light, and stress 'ace' and 'sleeve'.
- I'm off it — Blend 'I'm off it' into one unit; let the f in 'off' brush into 'it'.
- killin' me — Drop the g in 'killin'' and keep 'me' weak; don't pronounce every letter.
I know, I know. I couldn't let you see me in this shit hole.He admits the place is embarrassing and says that is exactly why he kept his friend from seeing him there.
Man, look at your ride. You've been prospering while I've been away.A compliment about the car that also measures the gap: one man has been making money while the other was away.
There's like two whole economies in there... there's cash and there's trade.Prison has its own economy: cash on one side, and goods or favors used as trade on the other.
No. Who the hell am I gonna trust in there?He says he had no one to rely on inside; trusting a partner was not an option.
Preguntas sobre esta escena
Why does he keep saying he is off it?
He says "I'm off it" and later repeats "I'm really off it"; he also admits "I got cleaned out." In the scene, quitting is tied to that loss, though no further reason is given.
What does the three-game system reveal about prison?
It shows a closed world with its own rules: separate games with "the white guys," "the brothers," and "the guards," where cash and smokes have to be balanced without getting beaten.
What does "prime pickings" mean here?
It means the best or easiest things to take. The line calls the spot a "berry patch" and adds "prime pickings," making clear it is a poker game full of profitable targets.
Is the reunion friendly?
On the surface, yes: they say "You look great" and joke about the car. But the talk keeps turning to poker and whether he will play again.
Rounders · 26 capítulos
Todos los capítulos →
Siguiente · Capítulo 5crack the gameMike and Worm Fleece a Private Game
Capítulo 1make a run at itBuying Into Teddy KGB's Game
Capítulo 2represent that you have somethingPoker Night With the Judges
Capítulo 3read his hand blindReading a Hand Starts a Fight
Viendo · Capítulo 4get cleaned outMike Picks Up an Old Friend
Capítulo 5crack the gameMike and Worm Fleece a Private Game
Capítulo 6cut this room upMike and Worm at the Card Game
Capítulo 7shear a sheepSlow Roll at the Russian Game
Capítulo 8the juice is still runnin'Grama Threatens Worm
Capítulo 9tight, but aggressiveMichael and the Professor Discuss Poker
Capítulo 10can't run from who we areThe Prodigy Who Left the Yeshiva
Capítulo 11the rakeMike Gets Dumped Outside
Capítulo 12tellsMike Returns to the Card Room
Capítulo 13juiceA Friend's Debt Comes Due
Capítulo 14throw in your cardsMike Fumbles Oral Arguments
Capítulo 15run someone upPetra Visits Mike About Worm's Debt
Capítulo 16in hockMike Finds Worm at the Gym
Capítulo 17good for itMike Vouches for Worm
Capítulo 18wait someone outCigar Talk at the Poker Table
Capítulo 19total fishPitching the Binghamton Game
Capítulo 20let the cards do the talkingMike Joins the Police Poker Game
Capítulo 21get outta DodgeTwo Men Argue Over Skipping Town
Capítulo 22go into hockKnish Refuses to Lend Mike Money
Capítulo 23put it all on the lineThe Johnny Chan Story
Capítulo 24vouch forMichael Asks for a $15,000 Loan
Capítulo 25let it rideHeads-Up With KGB
Capítulo 26alligator bloodA Poker Player Doubles the BlindCapítulo 4 de 26 · quedan unos 62 min