MovieChat Forums > Sydney (1997) Discussion > The hard eight bet

The hard eight bet

posted 10 years ago by tagearhead
1 reply | jump to latest

One thing that I was curious about while viewing this film is the significance of the hard eight bet and was surprised not to see it discussed much here.

During PSH scene Sydney was calm and cool as usual until he placed the hard eight bet. It seemed like he made the bet out of emotion. A bet he previously said was "a stupid bet". Why did he make that bet?

Was that little leak in emotion a window to his past? If PSH hit the hard eight, would Sydney have killed him? Later in the film Jimmy hit the hard eight and was killed by Sydney soon after (although there was no way of Sydney knowing that).

[–] chicago85 8 years ago

I think after playing it safe and pinching pennies there were times he wanted to cut lose and take the plunge recklessly.

I read about a cocktail waitress who would play one quarter each day from her tips. She reasoned a quarter was meaningless by itself but a slot machine hit once in a great while offered a real treat.

Yeah, I know the bean counters will say a quarter at today's interest rates of less than one percent might be worthwhile after 20 years of saving but its her right to behave how SHE wants.

I don't know everything. Neither does anyone else