Mike: So, Mister Loan Shark, if you could please maybe delay the due date for the loan --
Louie: Shut it. Now.
Mike: But Mister Loan Shark, I'm expecting you to respond like a civil, law-abiding guy!
Louie: Shut it. Now.
Mike: Have you no decency, Mister Loan Shark whom Badass Big Ed told me was the scum of the earth?
Louie: That's it. I'm fining you $20,000 for stupidity.

Okay, I want the power to make people owe me money any time they say something that annoys me. Seriously. Anyway, I like the character, but Mike's kind of a bonehead here. First of all, he's pals with Danny and Big Ed, so he should let one of them be stupid in his place, then have the other swoop in with the patented Deus Ed Machina solution. Second of all, this guy's bad news, Big Ed's all, "Ooh! Scary!" and he's got the hubris to think he can handle the situation? He deserves to get slapped with a bonehead penalty. Third of all -- dude, unless Ben sold a kidney to get you out of jail, there's not a thing wrong with hitting his Amazon wish list or saying it with flowers. There's no need to go messing around with loan sharks, especially since he only made the situation worse.

And now, Mike is busy explaining to Ben how he made the situation worse by trying to help. Mike promises, "Look, I'm going to get you the full $40,000. It's not just you in this -- it's me now." That's awfully sporting of him, considering his big mouth is what got the dollar amount doubled. Anyway, Mike warns Ben not to go over there without the full amount. Ben says he won't, and adds, "I heard about this game over at the Palms tonight, Texas hold-'em. $20,000 buy-in. So far, only pros." Mike, who is massaging his temples because he's got a headache only $40,000 can cure, points out, "You busted out in a tournament full of amateurs. What makes you think you can hold your own with the pros?" Ben reasons, "Pros play rationally by the odds! They have to! In the long run, that's the only way you can win. That's my game, Mike: the numbers game. If I sit down at that table, I can at least double my money." Mike doesn't think so. Ben points out, "You just single-handedly doubled my debt to Ambrose, okay? You say this is on you now? You owe me $20,000, right? And once you give it to me, it's mine to do what I want with it, and I want in that game." Mike realizes that there's no good way out of this, so he simply tells Ben, "There's someone you gotta meet first."