Young Jesse has spent his entire life mastering pool, and wants to beat the best: the deceased Fats Brown. Summoned, Fats Brown appears to challenge him to a game of pool. The stakes: Jesse's life. After a tense match, Jesse fails to make a critical shot. Fats tells him that he will indeed "die": he'll die as the second-rate player he always is. Fats departs as Jesse vows to keep playing until he's good enough to beat Brown.