Handsome, impeccably tuxedoedBruno Alexandertravels the world winning large sums of money from amateur"whales"who think they can challenge his peerless acumen at backgammon. Fronted by his pasty, vampiric manager,Edgar Falk,Brunoarrives inBerlinafter a troubling run of bad luck inSingapore. Perhaps it was the chance encounter with his crass childhood acquaintanceKeith Stolarsky& his smoldering girlfriendTira Harpaz. Or perhaps it was the emergence of a blot that distorts his vision so he has to look at the board sideways.Things don't go much better inBerlin.Bruno'sflirtation withMadchen, the striking blonde he meets on the ferry, is inconclusive; the game at the unsettlingHerrKohler'smansion goes awry as his blot grows worse; he passes out & is sent to the local hospital, where he is given an extremely depressing diagnosis. Having run throughFalk'smoney,Brunoturns toStolarsky, who, for reasons of his own, agrees to flyBrunotoBerkeley, & to pay for the experimental surgery that might save his life.Berkeley, whereBrunodiscovered his psychic abilities, & to which he vowed never to return. Amidst the patchouli flashbacks &Anarchistgambits of the local scene, betweenTira'scome-ons &Keith'smachinations,Brunoconfronts two existential questions: Is the gambler being played by life? And what if you're telepathic but it doesn't do you any good?