Nicky's Game
Encyclopedia
Nicky’s Game is an American
short film, originally developed and produced as an independent television pilot
, based on Peter Alson’s New York Times Best Seller "Confessions of an Ivy League Bookie". The film was shot in 16mm on location in New York City
and premiered in 2005 at the inaugural New York Television Festival. It went on to become an official selection of the 2006 Vail Film Festival
and CineVegas
International Film Festival before being released on DVD and other media by Indiepix.
) is a down on his luck Brooklyn native that has parlayed his Yale education into a job eking out a living as a professional poker player. Using his wits to navigate the seedy world of underground poker, Nicky must balance his own interest with those of his father (Burt Young
), a retiree whose own gambling debts have pushed him to the brink of eviction. In a struggle to keep his head above water, Nicky encounters a diverse group of wannabe mobsters, thugs, and other eccentric characters.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
short film, originally developed and produced as an independent television pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
, based on Peter Alson’s New York Times Best Seller "Confessions of an Ivy League Bookie". The film was shot in 16mm on location in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and premiered in 2005 at the inaugural New York Television Festival. It went on to become an official selection of the 2006 Vail Film Festival
Vail Film Festival
The Vail Film Festival is a four-day film festival that has taken place annually in late March or early April in Vail, Colorado since 2004. The 2011 Vail film festival took place March 31 - April 3 in Vail, Colorado...
and CineVegas
Cinevegas
CineVegas was a film festival held annually at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas that ran from 1999 to 2009, typically in early June. Robin Greenspun serves as the Festival president, and Trevor Groth serves as artistic director. Actor Dennis Hopper is the chairman of the Festival's creative...
International Film Festival before being released on DVD and other media by Indiepix.
Plot summary
Nicky Singer (John VentimigliaJohn Ventimiglia
John Ventimiglia is an American actor, known for his role as Artie Bucco on the HBO television series The Sopranos. He has had parts in feature films such as Cop Land, Jesus' Son, and Mickey Blue Eyes and has appeared in numerous television shows including Law & Order and NYPD Blue...
) is a down on his luck Brooklyn native that has parlayed his Yale education into a job eking out a living as a professional poker player. Using his wits to navigate the seedy world of underground poker, Nicky must balance his own interest with those of his father (Burt Young
Burt Young
Burt Young is an American actor, painter and author. He is best known for his Academy Award-nominated role as Sylvester Stallone's brother-in-law and friend Paulie in the Rocky film series.-Personal life:...
), a retiree whose own gambling debts have pushed him to the brink of eviction. In a struggle to keep his head above water, Nicky encounters a diverse group of wannabe mobsters, thugs, and other eccentric characters.