Season 1, Episode 14
Poker? I Barely Know Her
In 1985 Henry catches Shawn playing poker with some off duty cops. Henry asks Shawn where he learned to play (one of the cops) and how much he make. Shawn presents a bunch of crumpled bills, and when Henry asks him why he used his ability's to gamble, Shawn mumbles “I don't gamble, I win”. Henry puts all the bills in a nearby charity box, and tells Shawn that no matter how good you are the house always wins. Shawn then, sadly, agrees not to gamble.
In the present Gus bets Shawn $5 that he can't throw a piece of trash into the trashcan from where he's standing. Shawn says he doesn't want to take Gus's money, but when Gus accuses him of being “all mouth” he walks over, and easily makes the shot. Henry arrives, and starts walking around being his usual critical self. He asks where Shawn's private detective license is, and Gus says that psychics are exempt from that requirement. Henry sits down, and Shawn tells him that he should leave as a client has scheduled a appointment soon. Henry smiles, and tells Shawn that he is the client.
Henry explains that he has a old friend, Bill Peterson, who he met when he helped catch a thief who stole tires off the cars at his car dealership. Bill has a son, Brandon, who has gotten mixed up with some sort of trouble. He told him to go to the police, but Bill doesn't want to involve them. Henry accidentally mentioned Shawn, and Bill wants to have him handle the case. Shawn's happy that Henry talked him up, but Henry protests that if he thought Bill was actually going to hire him he wouldn't have said anything. Henry tells Shawn to send Bill to the police, without any theatrics, and leaves via the back door when he hears Bill enter the office. Shawn greets Bill by name, while twitching, and listens while Bill explains that he fired his son a few weeks ago. Brandon has vanished, after forging a check for $30,000 under his fathers name, and Bill needs Shawn to find him. Gus begins to give Bill the number for the police, but Shawn interrupts him, and takes the case, agreeing to find Brandon.
Juliet is at the Santa Barbra Police Department, talking with the chief about Lassiter's upcoming birthday. Juliet want's to do something nice for him, but the chief isn't interested, as Lassiter really doesn't like surprises. She suggests that Juliet just get him a gift, but since Lassiter doesn't like to talk she has no idea what he would like.
Shawn and Gus arrive at Brandon's old apartment. Shawn explains that all of Brandon's stuff will be held by the landlord until Brandon pays his rent, or until the landlord sells it. Shawn and Gus arrive at the storage area where Brandon's stuff is, and Shawn notices that someone tried to open it with a screwdriver. Gus asks Shawn what he thinks Brandon did next, and Shawn bends down and reaches through a hole cut in the wire for some papers. After a brief argument over who can reach farther, the papers are retrieved. They're mostly final notices, and pawnshop tickets. Gus remarks that Brandon must be having serious money trouble. Shawn finds a business card for a garden supply store, remarking that it's suspicious that someone with a apartment would have that. Gus notices a series of R's, and L's on the back of the card, and Shawn suggests they stake out the store.
At the garden supply store Shawn and Gus notice a unusual number of rich people frequenting the store. A man pulls up, and says goodbye to an attractive women with a gold bracelet, Shawn and Gus decide to follow him, but lose him in a hedge maze. Shawn realizes that the letters on the back of the card were directions, and after following them, they find a door. Gus suggests they look through the hedge, so they'll know what they're getting into. The hedges part to reveal a underground high-stakes poker game. Gus explains that this is illegal, and that they won't be able to get in unless they know someone. A player who's lost quite a lot of money is confronted by the man who's apparently running the game, and we cut away just as a knife is brought toward his outstretched hand. Shawn and Gus beat a hasty retreat.
Shawn dramatically enters the Psych offices, where Bill and Henry are waiting. Using some noise canceling headphones, potato chips, a deck of cards, and his knowledge of the case Shawn enacts a elaborate “Psychic” episode. Shawn reveals that Brandon lost a lot of money playing poker, and asks Bill if Brandon mentioned any names connected with his poker games. Bill says that he would see the screen name dumbluck2 when Brandon was supposed to be working.
Juliet calls Lassiter's mother to find out what he would like for his birthday. Mrs. Lassiter is really unhelpful. Juliet does find out that Lassiter's first name is Booker, and he hasn't told his mother about his separation.
Gus tries to find Brandon by hanging out in a online poker game, as he recognized dumbluck2 as a player that he'd played against previously. Shawn sits across from him, and correctly guesses the cards in his hand based on facial expressions. Shawn and Gus think that dumbluck2 is Brandon's screen name. Eventually dumbluck2 comes online, and Shawn takes over, using Gus's profile to pose as a women, and invite Brandon to have a coffee. Shawn and Gus arrive at the coffee shop, and spot Brandon waiting for his date. They introduce themselves, and tell Brandon that his father is looking for him. Brandon starts to leave, when a black car pulls up, and the scary hand stabber from the poker game gets out. The guy breaks Brandon's nose, and tells him that he “Has till Monday” before leaving.
At the Psych offices, Brandon tells Shawn and Gus that he lost all his money, including the $30,000 he stole from his father, to the guy who broke his nose, J.P. Berger, but Brandon is convinced that he was the better player. Gus says that Brandon should get his father to give him his job back, and figure out a way to pay back what he owes, but Brandon doesn't want to work for his father again, since he doesn't approve of anything he does. Shawn insists that Brandon won't be able to play his way out of his debt, and should go see his father, and Brandon agrees.
Outside Bill's car dealership Shawn, Gus and Brandon are sitting in Gus's blue car getting ready to see Bill. Brandon remarks that his father never stops selling cars. Brandon takes a good luck charm from around his neck and kisses it. He offers it to Shawn and Gus as he won't be playing cards any more, but Shawn and Gus refuse. They drive off as Brandon walks toward the dealership, putting the charm back around his neck.
At the department Juliet asks a officer about Lassiter's favorite food, but apparently he always orders separately. Having struck out again she opens some drawers in Lassiter's desk, and finds a black notebook. She copies something down from it, and replaces it before Lassiter catches her.
The next morning Shawn enters the Peterson Dealership. Henry asked him to come at the request of Bill. Bill reveals that Brandon didn't talk to him, but instead waited until the place was closed, then came in and took a lot of money out of the safe. Shawn is upset.
Later that day Shawn and Gus are watching security footage of Brandon taking money out of the safe. Shawn notices that Brandon is wearing his lucky charm, which means he's planning to play poker again soon. Shawn thinks Brandon is going back to the garden center, but Gus points out that every good poker player in town will be at the local tournament, where the winner gets a buy-in for the world poker championships. Shawn does another over the top psychic performance in front of Bill and Henry, concluding with revealing that Brandon is at the poker tournament in the local Indian casino. Bill tells Henry that maybe it's time to get the police involved, but Shawn says that he wants to give Brandon one more chance.
Shawn leads Henry, Bill and Gus through the casino to Brandon, but when Bill puts his hand on his son's shoulder, and tells him it's time to leave Brandon says he can't as he's in deeper trouble then his father thinks. He shows everyone a tray of poker chips, and says that since he's already in the tournament, and they don't give refunds, he couldn't leave if he wanted to. Shawn volunteers to take Brandon's place in the tournament, guaranteeing that he'll win back Bill's money. Bill asks Henry if Shawn can win, and after flashing back to a young Shawn saying “I don't gamble, I win.” Henry says that Shawn will win.
Shawn enters the tournament, and easily gets in the other players' heads. Some time passes, and finally it's just Shawn and Berger left. Berger goes all in on the first hand, but Shawn notices some details about the dealer, such as her gold bracelet, and habit of fussing with her hair. He then looks at Berger's cards, and notices some smudges on them. Shawn accuses Berger of cheating, and shows everyone how the dealer has a pad of invisible ink in her hair-clip that she used to smudge the face-cards. Berger could see the smudges with his trendy rose colored sunglasses. A protesting Berger is hauled off by casino security, and Brandon celebrates. The prize money is put on a table, and Bill starts packing it up. Brandon apologies to his father, but Bill says it'll take a lot more then a apology before he'll trust him again. Bill thanks Shawn and pays him $7,500 from the pile. Shawn and Gus start to leave the casino. Gus is excited about paying off their business loans, and getting a new TV for the office, when Shawn stops at a roulette table. He tells Gus that if they win at roulette they'll have $15,000, and throws the money onto black.
Later Shawn and Gus are walking down the road. Gus is angry at Shawn for losing all the money they made on the case. They're headed toward a house where a lot of bikers are congregating, and the camera pans to reveal Juliet and the chief. Juliet muses that Lassiter must lead a very interesting private life, and that a lot of the bikers look really familiar. Everyone hides as Lassiter drives up, and leaps out to surprise him. Lassiter pull out his gun, and Juliet runs up and explains that this is a surprise party she invited everyone in his address book with a star next to their name. Lassiter explains that that book contained information on everyone he's arrested, the stars indicated repeat offenders. Lassiter heads angrily heads inside to pack, as now these people know where he lives.
Tropes:
- Disproportionate Retribution: When one of the poker players loses a lot of money, Berger punishes him by cut off a (some?) finger(s?) with pruning shears. It cuts away to a terrified Shawn and Gus before we actually see it.
- Easy Come, Easy Go: After the case, Bill pays Shawn and Gus $7,500, their biggest pay yet. Unfortunately, in an attempt to double it, Shawn ends up losing it all at the roulette table. Needless to say, Gus is not happy with him.
- Epic Fail: All of Juliet's attempts to throw Lassiter a birthday party blow up in her face, culminating in her inadvertently revealing where Lassiter lives to people he's arrested.
- Fingore: A players loses a lot of money. Berger has his goons hold up the man's hand, fingers spread. Then Berger picks up some pruning shears...
- Locked Out of the Loop: Aparrently, Lassiter hadn't told his mother about his divorce...something Jules doesn't realize until she inadvertently reveals it to her.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here:
- Upon seeing Berger mutilate a losing player with shears, Shawn and Gus wisely decide to hightail it out of the garden maze.
- At the end of the episode, when they learn that the people Juliet invited were actually criminals Lassiter arrested, Shawn and Gus casually walk off Lassiter's property before running like crazy.
- Title Drop: Shawn does this during one of his "premonitions".
