Jack Manfred is a struggling novelist in London. To make ends meet, he sells his beloved car and, through connections through his South African father, gets a job as a croupier at the Golden Lion Casino, a second tier casino in London. Jack had previous training as such back in South Africa. He doesn't particularly like being a croupier, but he's good at it and finds a certain pleasure in watching gamblers, for who he has disdain, lose. His girlfriend, Marion, an ex-police officer, doesn't like his new job either despite the money it is bringing into the household. The casino has a strict set of employee policies, including no gambling ever, no relationships with other casino employees and no fraternizing at all with the gamblers - also known as the punters - outside of the casino. Although Jack cannot tolerate cheaters, he is not averse to bending these employee rules when it suits his fancy. As time goes on, he begins to observe casino life with a certain distance, through the eyes of "Jake", the main character in his novel and his alter ego. Jack allows Jake to do things he would never do himself just to see how the story plays out.—Huggo