MovieChat Forums > Rounders (1998) Discussion > when KGB says 'pay the man, he beat me ...

when KGB says 'pay the man, he beat me '


when he says that ( Malkivich in his ridiculose accent ) u think he said that cause he knew if the word got round that he didnt pay a guy that beat him people wouldnt want to play with him anymore or because he was genrerlly impressed with the and his playing . ur thoughts .?

i told you not to stop the boat. Now lets go. Apocaylpse Now

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He said it because even though he runs a shady and illegal poker room he still runs a legit place to play.

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I agree with the original thought and agree on the "accent" ..Malkovich (a good actor) does that in films sometimes

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I think i was a little of both. mostly for business purposes. no one would show up to his club to play knowing at if at anytime they beat KGB he wouldn't pay or " have them taken care of " as we can tell from the movie there are a lot of other under ground card games.

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Remember at KGB's place, anyone playing there is buying their chips at the front cage. KGB just takes chips because it is his place. At the end of the movie KGB lost fair and square. Mike might have rattled him a bit with his smart remarks but KGB did plenty of rattling himself. There is only one answer, of course he is going to pay Mike. Not paying Mike would be the biggest mistake he could make. You could see there were regular poker players watching the game. If KGB stiffed Mike and even had his goons give Mike a beating, you could be sure that KGB's operation would be over. Word would get out and nobody would play there.

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Agree with all the comments regarding KGB paying off his loss out of respect for the business. Adding fuel to the argument, it's also likely that KGB is only the "manager" of that club and had to answer to higher-ups. Denying a customer a legitimate win would not look good for business and might get him killed. In a slow and painful way.

"He killed sixteen Czechoslovakians. Guy was an interior decorator."

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I think it was because KGB was being a constant dick throughout the card games and was constantly running his mouth - He got beat straight up and Teddy realized this, so I think it was more of an honor thing -

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Yes. Although KGB is obviously not happy at having lost to Mike, he still respects the fact that Mike is clearly the better player and capable of beating KGB down for as long as KGB can stand it. As KGB says, "he beat me".

To quote Mike, the second you realize you have a losing hand, you throw it in. That's what KGB does, he realizes he can't beat Mike, so he pays up and walks away, even with money still on the table. Mike knows it too ("I can go on cutting you up all night"). The battle is over, Mike won, everybody knows it.

The money is almost beside the point, the only question being whether Teddy is a sore loser or if he can take his beating with some class. Teddy does the only thing he can do, he capitulates.


"You didn't come into this life just to sit around on a dugout bench, did ya?"

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KGB is a criminal but his games at his clubs have always been legit. He was angry, and for good reason, but he knew that Mike beat him and beat him fairly.

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I always wondered how in the world would Damon's character get out of there a live and with his chips. But I guess some of the answers make sense. Though it's illegal, it's legit, and business is good. If someone loses their life every time they beat KGB, word would spread. Business over. But I'd like to think that there is a little of both, that there must be some admiration as well.

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Why would he get beat up or killed when KGB was paying Mike with his money from last time he stick it in him? KGB only lost a little of his own money. No big loss. It's a fuckin joke anyway.

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I'd add one more thing:

He says "He beat >> me <

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