The flashing lights and dark rooms of Las Vegas provide the backdrop for Tilt, a nine-episode ESPN series. A Mod Squad-esque trio of gamblers--Eddie (Eddie Cibrian, Baywatch Nights), Miami (Kristin Lehman, Dog Park), and Clark (Todd Williams, Lift)--maneuver through the world of high-stakes poker seeking to ruin a crooked champion player, Don "The Matador" Everest (Michael Madsen, Kill Bill, Vol. 2). The series teases out each player's backstory as they bet and bluff, trying to get enough leverage to hurt the Matador. Meanwhile, a revenge-driven Iowa sheriff (Chris Bauer, Broken Flowers) wants to put the Matador behind bars and he's not above getting dirty to do it. Strippers and brutal behind-the-scenes beatings give Tilt a good dose of sex and violence to accompany the wily machinations and philosophical musings about the game.
Tilt works hard to be tough and cool--maybe a little too hard; sometimes the swirling camera moves, slow motion shots, and swaggering dialogue struggle to disguise weak plotting and thin characters. Nonetheless, Madsen's squinty charisma, distinctive rasp, and lazy style fit the setting perfectly and supporting appearances by Michael Murphy (Tanner on Tanner) and Robert Forster (Jackie Brown) give the show a boost. Poker fans will enjoy cameos by real poker champs and some of the extras, including an excerpt from the 1998 World Series of Poker. --Bret Fetzer
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