Poolhall Junkies

Most of the film takes place in a pool hall run by Nick (Rod Steiger). Obsessed by the world of pool, Johnny (Mars Callahan) could be one of the best. But his mentor Joe (Chazz Palminteri), a shady , trains Johnny as a Hustling, and decides how and who Johnny plays. Unbeknownst to Johnny, Joe has been holding him back from his dream: playing in the legitimate pro tour. When Johnny finally learns that Joe intercepted and threw away an invitation for Johnny to join the pro tour, he breaks from Joe, Match fixing with a large . Losing both that stake money and his hustler income source sparks Joe to violence, and he breaks Johnny's hand outside the pool hall (an Homage (arts) to a similar scene in the classic pool film ''The Hustler (film)''). Joe is later beaten up by some of Johnny's friends as a warning to leave him alone.