All is going well until his childhood friend, Worm, is released from prison. In order to help Worm, Mike returns to the tables. An arrow who has developed an uncanny ability to read people, thereby reading their poker hands. Mr. Norton is far more interesting to watch, playing Worm as a loser who cannot stop manipulating the card deck, using skills perfected while in prison, in order to deal himself or Mike winning hands. These two characters are obviously constructed to illustrate the two opposing approaches to the game of poker.
Worm views the game as merely an easy way to make money.
The pot is his only motivation. Mike, on the other hand, sees the game in a purer form. While money is still the yardstick by which one s poker abilities are measured, the motivation for Mike is in the playing of the game. He sees himself able to sit at the same table with the best in the world. For Mike, it is a game of skill, not greed.