History Characters / ThePlayerTV

* BadassInCharge: A Pit Boss only ascends to the position after spending some time as the Player and surviving long enough to succeed the incumbent. Consider the Bets Alex has barely survived during his brief stint and then consider that Johnson had a near-perfect eight year run as the Player.

** See the {{Deconstruction}} entry on the main page. The House deconstructs the OddlySmallOrganization focusing on TheyFightCrime because they aren't out to help others, but serve the interests of the ultra-wealthy. And the size is in part because of the high death rate of members.

* HollywoodNerd: Played with. He's a pudgy, shabbily-dressed hacker, and is seen knocking back energy drinks. [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] since its not once played for mockery; Alex respects him, trusts him with very sensitive information, they treat each other as friends, and his capabilities are central to Alex's investigation of The House.

* BeenThereShapedHistory: The Gamblers are among the most powerful people in the world and changing the course of history is something these people do out of boredom. Within the context of the Game, the Gamblers tried influencing events to gain the upperhand during bets. This escalated into starting crime sprees and proxy wars before culminating in UsefulNote/WorldWarI! The House was quickly set up in order to enforce fair play between the Gamblers.

* StuffedIntoTheFridge: Apparently the case with Ginny, though from the first episode there are hints that she's actually still alive. Invoked by Mr. Johnson to get Alex to become the player.
** [[spoiler:Averted, as she's shown to be alive]]

* ItIsPronouncedTroPay: He emphasizes the "-el" in "Samuel", pronouncing in like "Samew-el".

* {{Badass}}: And with the intellectual capacities to back up his physical strength.

* {{Badass}}: She's trained with the British Royal Marines and British SAS, both highly selective and notoriously tough military units.
** In "Tell" she's stripped to her underwear, shackled to a table, and given eyedrops that severely blur her vision. When she's gained the information ''she'' wants to know from her interrogators, she gets loose, takes down two armed FBI agents guarding her, and for good measure fires two rounds into the bulletproof one-way glass of the room, aimed exactly where Brown and Nolan were watching on the other side, and informs them those were warning shots before she makes her escape.

* {{Badass}}: He was Mr. Johnson's rival while studying martial arts and ends up fighting him in "House Rules." He still loses, but considering how much Mr. Johnson outclasses everyone else, that still makes Zeng pretty tough.

** In the fourth episode he manages to take out three armed bounty hunters while unarmed, solely by [[McGyvering McGyvering]] distractions, booby traps, and knowing when to attack.

* BewareTheSillyOnes: He's definitely more than a little odd and dresses like a cad. He also happens to be a skilled fighter and occasionally reveals that there is a viciousness lurking beneath the quirks.

* FoeYay: When he meets Agent Nolan at a bar to warn her away, he still buys her a drink and the two flirt to no end, despite making veiled threats. The next time they meet, he takes her out to a fancy restaurant that he's never taken anyone to before. The entire scene is played as a date.

* MoralEventHorizon: He regards the abduction and interrogation of Cassandra to have been an unforgivable action on his part, and blames Alex for putting him in the situation where he went along with it.

** He used to work with the Chicago mob as a young man

* FriendOnTheForce: Cal is Alex's friend and contact in the Las Vegas Police Department. Their relationship becomes strained after Ginny's death and Cal discovering Alex's past.

* OddlySmallOrganization: The House is involves itself in major violent crimes and terrorist attacks and handles mind-boggling amounts of money but only ever has three members at any one time.

* FairCop: Well, FBI and not a cop, but it does lead to...