Jake, a struggling father and maths teacher, at risk of losing his job, bumps into an old friend Pete, now known as 'The Mako', a well-known poker player. Pete teaches Jake to play and Jake becomes obsessed with winning money, making a name for himself. Abandoning his wife Sally and two sons on Christmas Eve, after an angry outburst, Jake drives north to 'Casino City', and starts a new life for himself, playing poker every night. As Jake gets richer...