PM Entertainment was a company putting out dtv action titles and the odd exploitation piece in the 90's home video heyday. Not quite reaching the name recognition of Cannon Films, but relative in terms of film quality. They would often team up with b movie stars of varying degrees and 'Deadly Bet' is one of the more solid titles I've seen from them.
Before former fighter & degenerate gambler Angelo (Jeff Wincott) and his girlfriend Isabella (Charlene Tilton) can get out of Vegas the addiction grabs hold one more time. He places a foolish bet with local bookie and fellow fighter Rico (Steven Vincent Leigh) and proceeds to lose not only all their money but the love of his life.
The story is stock. The kind of thing you've seen tons of times before. A fighting tournament, the local mob and a redemption arch for the broken main character. However it's carried out with the right amount of energy, tone and most importantly the fight sequences are well filmed & deliver.
Jeff plays a convincing gambler who doesn't initially want to change, hear the truth or admit it. Oh yeah plus he's a bit of an alcoholic. Shaping up allows him to flex some acting and get a training montage. Leigh makes for a decent end opponent though he's not the level of cliché slime like most villains. The tournament itself is a speedy deal hinting at their budget limitations, but 'Deadly Bet' satisfied.
