Pete Bauer's Palladium Casino is the latest target of Ray Luca & Steve Kordo in their scheme to take over Las Vegas. As part of a loan package for the Palladium, Luca sends Paulie Taglia & Frank Holman to to work for Bauer, with instructions to skim slot machine money & wreak havoc on the Palladium's operations. He also sends his new favorite dealer, Jack Claymore, still unaware that Claymore is an undercover Federal agent working for the Abrams-Torrello task force. Despite Bauer's unshakable optimism, the skillful mayhem created by Luca's agents gradually wears down the Palladium's capital. As Claymore gets close to the skim operation, he insists that the task force allow him more freedom, despite Mike Torrello's fear for Claymore's safety. Claymore clinches the proof that the case needs just as Luca forces Bauer out of the Palladium, but Holman & Taglia chance upon Claymore while Jack is setting up his final meeting with Torrello. Despite Kordo's warning to stay remote from actual violence, Luca insists on dealing with Claymore personally, even as Torrello leads a frantic, no-holds-barred search for Jack before time runs out.