A renowned psychiatrist, driven by the unquenchable curiosity of her profession, encounters a compelling con artist after one of her patients reveals a brush with the criminal underworld. Hoping to get a deeper insight into the psychology of deception for her new book, she approaches the charismatic trickster, who agrees to reveal the tricks of his trade in return for help with a "problem" of his own. Immersed in the seedy underworld of smoke-filled pool halls and backroom poker games, she becomes fascinated by the intricate ruses and psychological manipulation employed by the grifter and his crew.

As she delves further into their world of duplicity, the psychiatrist finds herself drawn into a complex con where the line between observer and participant blurs. The stakes rise when the con artist persuades her to become an active player in their next scam—a high-tension game of deception and greed. Her initial academic interest quickly morphs into a psychological thrill, pushing her ethical boundaries and questioning her own motives and perceptions of reality as she becomes entangled in the web of deceit.