A Losing Streak

Infobox Only Fools and Horses
episode_name = A Losing Streak


Series = 2
writer = John Sullivan
director = Ray Butt
producer = Ray Butt
Duration = 30 minutes
Airdate = 4 November 1982
Audience = 7.5 million
Cast =

A Losing Streak is the third episode of series 2 of the BBC sit-com, "Only Fools and Horses". It was first broadcast on 4 November 1982.

ynopsis

Del Boy, Rodney, and Grandad are making some sort of cheap perfume just to earn money after Del has been losing most of his in a series of poker games with Boycie, which Del attributes to a "losing streak". Grandad shows Del a double-headed coin that he got off a Scottish man during the war, and advises Del to use it against Boycie. Grandad clearly remembers the story behind the coin as if it were only yesterday. According to him, the man said: "I want you to have something to remember me by, Trotter. Take me lucky coin." Then, he went (as in the Scottish man deserted, not died as Del thought).

Later, at the "Nag's Head", the Trotter brothers and Trigger talk about Del's bad luck until Boycie walks in. Del challenges him to a winner-takes-all poker game at 8:30pm at Nelson Mandela House, much to Rodney's chagrin. But first, Del and Boycie have a bet on the next customer who walks in ordering a pint or not. A large Irishman enters and orders a dry Martini and a slim line tonic, thus costing Del another £20. Del tries to get his money back by spinning the double-headed coin for it, but Boycie calls heads.

Del explains to Rodney the reason why he has to play the poker game tonight: Rodney doesn't remember the day their father Reg left home after their mother Joan died, because he was only a small infant at the time. Del came home that evening and found that Reg had packed his bags and gone for good. He left them with nothing, and even opened Rodney's piggy bank. The only thing that Reg didn't get was the money Joan had left her sons, and that was because Del hid it too well. And it was Del's 16th birthday; Reg even took his cake. From that day forward, Del swore that he would never run away from anything in his life, and that's why he has to play the poker game with Boycie later tonight. Rodney understands it all eventually and goes off to get more stake money for his older brother by returning empty bottles to the shop.

At 8:30pm in Nelson Mandela House, Del has everything set up for the poker game. Grandad reluctantly lends Del some money to put on the line. Rodney alerts his family that Boycie and Trigger have arrived. Del and Boycie spin a coin to decide whose pack of cards they will use. Del spins the double-headed coin and Boycie calls heads again. So they use Boycie's cards. Throughout the evening, Boycie easily overcomes both Del and Trigger with his marked cards.

As Trigger pulls out, Del and Boycie agree to a no-limits game, and Boycie seemingly trumps Del with a bet of £1000. Del wagers all his jewellery, Trigger's car, the stereo, the TVs and everything in the flat just to see Boycie's cards. Boycie reveals that he has four Kings, while Del has only got two pairs. As Boycie prepares to leave, Del reminds him that according to the rules, all cards must be shown before the winnings are collected. Boycie agrees, and Del shows everyone else that he has in fact got two pairs of Aces, giving him a winning hand. A stunned Boycie demands to know where Del got those Aces from; Del's answer is that he got them from the same place Boycie got his Kings. With that said, Del Boy wins the game, and all the money. As Boycie prepares to leave defeated, Rodney convinces Del that he is now on a winning streak, so Del decides to spin a coin with Boycie for £200, but with Rodney calling for him. Rodney, forgetting about the double-headed coin, calls tails, leaving Boycie with the last laugh.

Episode cast

tory arc

It is revealed that it was Del Boy's 16th birthday when his father Reg ran away from home.

Episode concept

The idea for the script was based on John Sullivan's father's gambling sessions. [http://www.ofah.net/immediacy-215]

Errors

The money Del retrieves from the telephone can't be the same money he hid from their father as Reg left before decimalisation and the money Del claims Busby sent down the line is current legal tender. Or when UK Money was decimalised Del Boy took the money he'd hidden and changed it up for new money and put it back.

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/onlyfools/series2/losing.shtml "A Losing Streak" at bbc.co.uk]