Joe (Palminteri) is a small-time con-man and dice-hustler who works with a group of men with similar interests. They shave cards and dice, doing small time cons at card games and union picnics. He's in a long-term relationship with Janice (Lahti) and has a son with Down's syndrome, Joe Jr. (Guiry).

Joe finds out that his son must leave his residential care facility due to age. Joe Jr. has difficulty controlling his anger. He uses profanity and gets into fights. Thus, the residential facility is hesitant to recommend him to the group home for adults and Joe must take his son home, at least for a few weeks. Joe has been looking to make a bigger score, and he begins to hope that such a score could enable him to get his son into the group home. Sure that he could not care for his son, he begins work putting together a scam in Vegas.