Jim Bennett, is a risk taker. He is a professor leading a double life as a high-stakes gambler. When he borrows money from dangerous gangsters, he places the lives of his loved ones in mortal danger and must risk everything to keep from losing it all. Always one step ahead, Bennett pits his creditor against the operator of a gambling ring and leaves his dysfunctional relationship with his wealthy mother in his wake. He plays both sides, immersing himself in an illicit, underground world while garnering the attention of Frank, a loan shark with a paternal interest in Bennett's future..