Ryan O'Neal stars as Steve Taggart, a Los Angeles sportswriter doing a piece on the elusive, underground world of gambling. As he delves deeper into his research he becomes consumed with the desire to win, charmed by the fever of the gamble. He is addicted to the feeling of power, becoming like... [More]

Ryan O'Neal stars as Steve Taggart, a Los Angeles sportswriter doing a piece on the elusive, underground world of gambling. As he delves deeper into his research he becomes consumed with the desire to win, charmed by the fever of the gamble. He is addicted to the feeling of power, becoming like the sports stars he has only ever written about: bathed in the limelight and winning big. Consumed with the power and the glory, he risks his family and his career as he becomes more and more entrenched and further in debt. As he spends more and more time in the dizzying world of Las Vegas and the casinos, he meets a lovable cocktail waitress (Catherine Hicks)--who loves to gamble but knows when to quit--and a high-roller (Giancarlo Giannini) who offers Taggart a glimpse of the good life. This documentary-like portrait of the thrilling and dangerous world of gambling delves deep into the inside business of casinos as well as the intimate world of Gamblers Anonymous, where Taggart finally finds support for his overwhelming desires. The world of Las Vegas positively shimmers with beguiling glitz and glamour under the skillful eye of cinematographer William A. Fraker. [Less]