▁himself . ▁ ▁Tag gart ▁becomes ▁obs essed ▁with ▁g amb ling ▁in ▁Las ▁Veg as , ▁which ▁lands ▁him ▁deeply ▁into ▁deb t . ▁He ▁comp ounds ▁his ▁money ▁and ▁g amb ling ▁problems ▁by ▁dealing ▁with ▁associated ▁loan ▁sh arks , ▁including ▁the ▁mean ▁and ▁dangerous ▁L . A . ▁book maker ▁known ▁as ▁" The ▁Dutch man " ▁( Ch ad ▁Ever ett ). ▁Tag gart ▁soon ▁lear ns ▁that ▁a ▁local ▁pro ▁football ▁quarter back , ▁whose ▁team ▁he ▁covers , ▁is ▁also ▁on ▁the ▁Dutch man ' s ▁pay roll ▁- ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁cutting ▁his ▁own ▁g amb ling ▁deb ts . ▁After ▁clear ing ▁the ▁story ▁with ▁his ▁sports ▁editor , ▁John ▁Sax on , ▁Tag gart ▁jour ne ys ▁to ▁Las ▁Veg as ▁for ▁a ▁field ▁report ▁on ▁his ▁g amb ling ▁series ; ▁through ▁a ▁cas ino ▁owner ▁he ▁meets ▁a ▁se xy ▁cas ino ▁co ck tail ▁host ess ▁named ▁Flo ▁( C atherine ▁H icks ). ▁L oving ▁the ▁tables , ▁at ▁Flo ' s ▁ur ging ▁he ▁g amb les ▁with ▁Flo ▁at ▁rou lette ▁and ▁wins , ▁instead ▁of ▁taking ▁her ▁to ▁bed . ▁In ▁Las ▁Veg as ▁Tag gart ▁also ▁checks ▁out ▁ass orted ▁Las ▁Veg as ▁book m akers , ▁including ▁L ero y . ▁Tag gart ▁meets ▁various ▁Veg as ▁g amb ling ▁and ▁business ▁figures , ▁including ▁f amed ▁Las ▁Veg as ▁Sun ▁publish er ▁H ank ▁Gre ens p un , ▁for ▁more ▁ins