[music]
Always bet on black
'cause baby need a pair...
Oh, hey, baby.
Hey, baby. Always do what on black?
Pray.
What y'all doing?
Uh, we just gonna have a fellas' night
-with some good food. -[Curtis] Mm-hmm.
And, baby, sipping on a lil' somethin' somethin'.
-You heard? -And playing some cards.
Uh, maybe a little bit. We may.
Let me tell the both of y'all something.
No gambling in this house.
Well, now, I bet on you years ago, baby.
And look at that.
That worked out great for you, Unc.
Yes, it did.
Aunt Ella, you took a fool's bet.
I will punch you in your esophagus.
So violent.
-Look, baby. -[Ella] Hey, baby.
We are not, have not, will not gamble in this house,
you heard me?
-Or on the patio. -Or the patio.
Or the front porch.
[mumbling] Nowhere on the property.
-How about that? -Okay, let me tell you.
I better not come back home
and so much as smell debauchery.
Baby, don't nobody know even how to cook that.
Okay. I'll be back.
-[Curtis] Okay, baby. Love you. -[Ella] Love y'all!
[music]
All right, Aunty Ella, which one do you think is better,
a smoked grey double-breasted suit
or an all-black tux?
You can be buried in either one.
What's it for?
It's for a work meeting.
Your boy is making some big-boy moves at the company.
Oh, uh, can you alter my pants after I order them?
What's wrong? Big boy don't wanna wear tight pants?
Malik, who's your meeting with?
Well, it's with a special interest group
lobbying for casinos in Georgia.
We don't need any casinos here.
She's right. We kinda already got them.
How?
You ever been at that gas station
that sells more scratch-off tickets than gas?
Where?
You talking about that place over in Buckhead
that be renting out their baby strollers and hair rollers?
No, no, no, I'm talking the one
on the north side that sells passports and loose Newports.
You talking about the place with the fake EBT cards?
The fake EBT cards. That's it, boy.
Thank you for reminding me. I'm gonna stop over there.
I'll go with you. I'll go with you.
Okay, I got a little question.
When did the both of you
become tour guides for Atlanta's underbelly?
Pre-pandemic.
Malik, Jazmine.
I don't like gambling. I don't like it.
I know, Aunty Ella, but think about it this way.
It's a $5 billion construction site.
It's gonna bring in 50,000 new jobs
and tax revenue for thousands of scholarships.
Bible verse quote in three, two...
Malik, the love of money is the root of all evil.
Amen, one.
Aunty Ella, we can't move the state forward
with Old Testament mentality.
Slap across the head in three, two...
No, no, no, he's too old for that.
Open this.
But you're not too old to make informed decisions.
-Well, thank you, Aunty Ella. -Thank you.
I really appreciate the support, especially from you.
I mean, you helped raise an independent young man.
I know.
And I know you gonna figure out what to do.
[Malik] Yes, ma'am.
And you gonna figure out how to alter that suit.
-You not gonna help me? -[Ella] Mm-mm, mm-mm.
Okay, Mr. Know-When-To-Fold-Them.
Sixty-nine, I'll re-raise you five.
Like father like son.
Mm-hmm.
Boom, run my money.
Got y'all. Y'all ain't got nothing on me.
You don't want none of this, man!
What is up with you and Malik
being all lovey-dovey with your computers today?
-Say what? -Malik.
He was all over his laptop
trying to buy a suit and now here you are,
extorting yours.
I'm playing online poker 'cause I'm getting ready
to take everybody's money for tonight.
Is something happening tonight?
Don't play with me.
I am playing, Dad. Come on, you know I got you.
Okay, 'cause you know I want this to be
like a, you know, like a real poker room.
You know what I mean? Like a chip girl...
Oh, no, I'm sorry. Chip "woman."
Because nothing says poker
like a room full of chauvinistic men
begging a woman for $5 in chips
'cause they don't know how to play Texas hold 'em.
When did you turn into an independent-thinking feminist?
Freshmen year, or should I say "freshwoman" year?
Okay, makes sense, but, listen,
it ain't gonna be $5 they ask for
because the minimum buy-in for this game is $500.
You heard me?
Are you trying to end Uncle Curtis' marriage?
Uncle Curtis is a grown man.
He can do what he wanna do.
Have you met Aunty Ella?
She has a spreadsheet for their tithes
going back to when spreadsheets were first invented.
It's all right. He'll be fine
'cause after I take everybody's money,
I'll break him off a piece.
-Here we are. -What?
Ask me who gonna be broke tonight.
Uh, everybody but me
'cause I'm about to break the bank up in here,
up in here.
-Hey, Jazzy. -Hey.
-Are you doing all right? -I'm good.
-God bless you. -[Curtis] Hey, hey.
You my cat, but when the dealer lay them cards down,
me and you are enemies.
Wait, hold on. C.J., you hired a dealer?
Is that okay? I mean, you know
I'm really new to the whole poker thing.
C.J., C.J., C.J.
You about to be the only one up in here
that's gonna be broke by the end of the night,
I see that.
Come on, man, this is supposed to be a friendly game, Floyd.
You know, if it was up to me,
we wouldn't even be playing for money.
We would just have a fun game of poker.
It ain't no fun winning fake money.
May I get you gentlemen something to drink?
I'm just preparing for my subservient role this evening.
People's kids are allowed?
She's allowed, Floyd.
Since when?
Since 1920.
I mean, you was born in 19...
Women's right to vote.
Come on. I feel like I was raised by wolves.
Jazmine's gonna be the holder tonight.
Holder?
You know, the person that holds the money.
So she gonna be the bank?
Is that what it's called?
Curtis, you ain't teach this boy anything.
Hey, he is a grown-ass man.
He can do what he wanna do.
You right. He can do anything he wanna do
like moving back in with you after I take this house tonight.
Floyd, take it easy on me, okay?
This is my first time hosting a poker party.
Yeah, and it looks like it's gonna be your last
'cause I'm about to run them pockets!
Yes, sir!
You lost weight?
[Ella gutturally laughing]
-Malik. -Yeah. Yeah?
Are you stitching?
Well, I have to. [Ella chuckling]
You wasn't helping me.
-You know... -Let me see.
Payne men are men of many talents.
Mm-hmm. Well, I tell you what.
If that casino thing does not work out,
then you can be a seamstress.
Yeah, maybe for one-legged funeral directors named Ernesto.
I will make sure that this gets done for you.
Oh, well, thank you, Aunty Ella.
[Ella] Mm-hmm.
-Works every time. -I'm sorry, say what?
I said I'm running out of time.
Yeah, the dinner meeting, it's at 6:00.
Malik, I'll get these done before I leave.
All right, okay. Well...
Wait a minute, before you leave?
You ain't about to be out in these streets, are you?
Malik, of course not.
Hey, let's hit these streets, girl.
Aunty Ella.
You just gonna lie to me and lie this close to Sunday?
When did you start being a heathen?
After we read Fifty Shades of Grey.
We're hitting the streets to feed the homeless,
people who really need help.
Hey, you wanna come?
The women's missionary board would love to have you.
Malik can't come.
He's too busy being a drum major for debauchery.
I've never heard of that HBCU.
No, no, what she means
-is that I'm lobbying for... -Destruction
and gambling addictions.
Here, put these back there.
That sounds like my third husband's memoir.
No, I am moving the state of Georgia forward, Ms. Glo.
-That's what I'm doing. -All right.
Wait, no, no, no, wait, wait, wait.
This has all gone backwards. How did this...
What is it?
My boss said that the guest
doesn't wanna meet at a restaurant.
Oh, well, that sounds about right.
I mean, the new place for business meetings
is Magic City.
Hey, hey, hey, don't judge me.
I go for the lunch special.
Look, I am not having a lobbyist meeting
at a strip club.
Gambling, stripping, sinning,
sounds like it should all fit right in.
It doesn't, Aunty Ella! Stop, please.
What am I gonna do?
I don't know, baby. You'll figure it out.
Payne men are men of many talents.
Just gonna use that against me, are you?
[Ella] Hm-hmm.
Yeah, y'all feeling good?
Yeah, you know why? Run them pockets!
Run them! Now give me my money.
All of it, all of it.
Wait a minute, excuse me.
Run them pockets is my line, okay?
Sounds like he's about to cry.
"That is my line."
Well, if that's your line, Floyd,
how come you ain't said it all night?
Yeah, y'all real quiet.
It ain't easy being broke, is it?
Boy, you should know Peanut,
you been that way your whole life.
Yeah, but now, thanks to this little 401K
I've been collecting from y'all,
it won't be like that no more.
You know, the night's still young, man.
You might wanna stop talking all that noise.
But you ain't won a hand all night.
What you talking...
He over there, playing Spades.
Man, you got a UNO card in your hand.
You know what? You know what, C.J.?
Why don't you do me a favor and draw four,
skip on over there, and get us some more sandwiches?
Y'all know this is my house, right?
Well, yeah, not for long.
Go ahead, put that mortgage on the table.
Yeah, we'll take that too.
Yeah, don't talk to your landlord like that either.
Unless you wanna get evicted, again.
He gotta sleep in the fire truck.
I got them right where I want them.
Daddy, what are you doing?
I'm playing possum.
That's the problem. They playing poker.
I'm setting them dudes up, right?
What I'm gonna do is I'm gonna keep feeding them food
and beer, and when they get comfortable,
by-yow!
What exactly is by-yow?
I'm gonna flip it on them.
I'm gonna flip it, win all my money back,
so I need you to give me $50 in chips.
All right, that'll be $50, please.
No, I said give me $50 in chips.
You also said nobody gets free chips or credit.
Yeah, but I'm not nobody. I raised you.
To do what you told me to do.
Forget what I told you to do earlier.
Just get me $50, girl.
Daddy, admitting you have a problem
is the first step.
This is my first friendly poker night.
Friendly poker nights are the gateway drug
to selling your kids in order to feed your habit.
Next thing you know, you gonna be in Vegas
selling teeth for slot machine quarters.
Is that what you want?
I'm selling my teeth and my kids.
-All of it. -Will you give me $50?
Just promise to sell Malik first.
Malik, this material is amazing.
I am so impressed.
Well, thank you. I really appreciate it.
But, I mean, it's all a waste now.
The head of the Georgia Opportunity Alliance cancelled.
You talking about Lawrence?
Wait, you know him?
High school classmate, and I did not have his baby,
despite what somebody wrote on my yearbook.
Okay, well, do you think that you can get him to reschedule?
I can do you one better.
Pitch me, and if I like your idea,
I'll recommend it to Lawrence.
I mean, he owes me, anyway,
look, and not for a baby.
Okay, well, that's incredible. Thank you so much.
All right, well, don't thank me yet
'cause now you could pitch this
and I have to crush your dreams.
Okay, sweetheart, thank you. It's good seeing you too.
Yes, always.
Thought she was never gonna go back into that house.
God bless her heart, though.
Bless her heart.
Look, she probably just needs something to do.
And I think that Malik is working on something
that would be extracurricular.
Oh, you mean like with the flapjack blackjacks,
or claps or craps.
I don't know, whatever you do over there
in the casinos.
Yes, to the blackjack and craps.
No, to the flapjacks and claps.
I... No.
You know what? The more I look at this,
the more I like it.
Well, I'm glad you not one of the decision-makers.
But Ms. Glo is one of the plugs, okay?
She has an in on this.
Glo, I don't support Malik on any of this.
I don't think we need legalized gambling.
Oh, well, I mean, Ella, actually,
casinos and gaming entertainment
have been the lifeblood of underserved communities.
How so?
Well, for one,
Indian Reservations Gambling generates more income
than Atlantic City and Las Vegas combined.
I mean, it's all right here in Malik's research.
-Keep going. -Okay, look.
"Twenty billion in annual revenue
from 435 facilities run by 233 tribes
in 28 states.
Tribes receive $4 of every $10
that people wage at their casinos.
Did crime go up?
Did addictions increase?
Look, Aunty Ella,
progress will always have casualties.
Okay, we could wage a war against poverty
or we could fight mediocrity.
Think somebody famous said that.
I am convinced.
I'm gonna recommend your idea to Lawrence.
Now, Ella, your nephew is persuasive.
I actually like gaming.
Well, thank you so much, Ms. Glo.
You know what? Matter of fact, you should come over
to my dad's house tonight. They having poker night.
Guess he's getting started
before the casinos are even built, huh?
Exactly. It'll be good to see gaming in private.
You can even show Lawrence
and show him how excited people in Georgia are for gaming.
Lawrence would've loved to have sat in on a home poker game.
You know what? You know what?
I will send him a video when we get there.
-That'll be perfect. -[Glo] There you go.
I'm so excited, man.
-Casinos are coming to Georgia. -That right.
That's amazing.
Well, I guess it's right what they say.
-What? -The devil went down to Georgia.
[C.J. Laughing gloatingly]
Run them pockets! Yes! Run me my money, man.
Run me my money!
My guy, can you win a little less loud?
Like, I need you to pipe down
'cause, on God, you killing my buzz.
Jazzy. Jazzy.
Can you bring Pookie some more refreshments
so that he can refresh his buzz on God.
[C.J. laughing gloatingly]
So I can take some more of his money.
Hey, man, act like you won before.
You ever heard of being a gracious winner?
You ever heard of a Royal Flush?
Give me them chips!
You know, for somebody
that hasn't been playing for very long,
you sure are on a lucky streak.
I haven't been playing with y'all long.
So, um, you lied to us?
Uh, say what?
You set us up?
Yo, bruh, hold up, pause for the cause.
You trying to tell me,
this whole time, you been sandbagging your boys?
Well, technically, y'all are Calvin's boys.
He's right about that.
Uh, hold up, hold up, though.
Mr. Payne, that's your fam.
And you gonna do him dirty?
Technically, Unc know I can play.
Technically, Unc knew he can play.
So y'all working together now? Y'all a team?
No. No, Pookie. Ain't nobody know.
Okay, okay, everybody relax.
Okay, I'll relax as soon as you tell me this.
So C.J., you hired the dealer, right?
Yes, I did.
And you hired your daughter,
the feminist back there, to be the bank, right?
Uh, yeah, but she was volunteering.
Okay, so you mean to tell us you set us up
and you playing with house money?
No, it's not like that.
Unc, go ahead, talk to Floyd. Talk to them.
No, no, no!
You talk to Floyd, all right,
since you the grown-ass man
and you can do whatever you wanna do.
What you can do is give me my money back.
That's right. C.J., this is some BS
and why don't you go ahead and run me my coins too?
And I will take a full refund as well, sir.
And my chain.
Psyche!
There ain't no refunds in here.
This ain't no drive-through.
If you couldn't take losing,
you shouldn't have sat at the table.
Hey, C.J., you might wanna bring that down, man.
No, no, I ain't bringing nothing down.
I'm not bringing nothing down. This my house, all right?
And if you can't handle it,
bounce your losing ass up out of here!
Man, what this man think this is, New Jack City?
What you taking off your jacket for?
Hey, you disrespect me one more time,
we finna have some real problems!
We already got some real problems!
[all arguing]
You want the smoke?
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Let's calm it down! Let's calm it down!
What is going on up in here?
We playing cards! We gambling!
And these fools losing
and now we about to move some furniture!
He's cheating! He's cheating!
Give me my chain back!
Oh, now you want my chain? Want my chain?
[door creaking]
Need to oil that thing.
Okay, I'll play along.
Curtis. Curtis... [Curtis moaning]
Curtis!
Baby.
-Hey, Curtis. Wake up. -What's up, babe?
Listen, stop playing.
Why have I been getting overdraft feed notifications
all night?
-I don't know, baby... -Curtis!
Ella, I hit a losing streak, okay?
I'm sorry.
-Thank you. -Mm-hmm.
-I knew you would understand. -Yes, I'm sorry
that I did not get a chance to make that deposit
for your surprise Vegas trip.
-We going to Vegas? -Not now.
You lost the money.
Then where can we afford to go?
Uh, you already there, baby. You in the doghouse.
[music]