The Happy Wanderer (S02E06)

Now that he's back with Dr. Melfi, Tony tells her that he's angry with all the "happy wanderers" in the world: the people who manage to get through life "with a clear head." At the moment, however, he doesn't have time to explore this anger. He's got to organize the "Executive Game." Started by Junior and Johnny Boy Soprano more than thirty years ago, the Executive Game is the Cadillac of poker games: the richest and most exclusive in Jersey. When Tony was a young cugine, Junior would chase him away just for peeking through the doorway at the game. But now that he's Boss, well, control of the Executive Game is just one more perk Tony can claim for himself. And Tony's inaugural as the Executive host starts out well. The money and banter are fast-moving, and the players are an eclectic mix of wise guys, a penile implant specialist and none other than the "Chairboy of the Board" himself, Frank Sinatra, Jr. Silvio's displaying his usual paranoid poker persona, but all in all, the game is going great. So great, in fact, that Tony doesn't even mind when his old high school buddy, Davey Scatino, shows up wanting to sit in. Even though Tony's warned Davey repeatedly that this game is "too deep" for a guy who runs a sporting goods store, Davey insists he can handle himself. So Tony relents and even fronts him five "boxes of ziti." That's when things start to go south. As the night wears on, Davey borrows - and loses - an additional forty boxes of ziti. Then Richie Aprile shows up. Richie glad-hands the room until his gaze falls on Davey Scatino, whom he immediately starts giving the Beansie Gaeta treatment. Why? Unfortunately, what Davey neglected to tell Tony is that he already owes eight thousand dollars in poker losses to Richie. Richie is understandably upset to see Davey playing with money that could be paying off his debt. (Warner Bros. UK)