'The Player' Cast Members To Place Your Bets On

If you had money to burn, what would you spend it on? If you answered "I'd gamble it away by placing bets on whether or not crimes can be prevented before they happen," then you could totally join the cast of NBC's The Player. Of course, you'd have to be a background character, because most of the real action focuses on the brains and beauty behind an entire corrupt operation known as "the House." It's comprised of a group of wealthy businessman who get their kicks (and, when they're lucky, their payouts) by monitoring surveillance information and using the intel to predict when a major crime is in the works. Instead of doing something boring like alerting the cops, members of the House instead place bets on whether or not the criminal will successfully execute his or her plans.

Set in (where else?) Las Vegas, The Player promises plenty of both eye candy and action sequences. What more could you ask for? Like most successful thrillers, the premise sounds just far-fetched enough to make for a seriously addictive season of twist, turns, mystery, and scandal. Here are the starring "players," from the household names to the unknowns, who may find themselves starring in a hit new series.

Wesley Snipes As Mr. Johnson

Snipes stars as Mr. Johnson, aka the mysterious Pit Boss who is in charge of the House. When his current player ends up dead, he recruits Alex Kane for the job. Best known for hit films like White Men Can't Jump and the Blade trilogy, this is Snipes' first time starring on a TV series.

Philip Winchester As Alex Kane

Winchester stars as Alex Kane, a former Special Forces Officer who is working as private security consultant in the pilot. When his ex-wife is found murdered, Kane naturally becomes the prime suspect. He does his own investigating and is lead directly to Mr. Johnson. Turns out a group of men want to bet on whether or not he'll be able to prevent a kidnapping — and it ties into his ex-wife's killing. And, from the looks of this photo, he will sometimes be shirtless during a standoff. Winchester previously starred on the TV series Strike Back.

Charity Wakefield As Cassandra King

Wakefield's character Cassandra King serves as the House's dealer. She's a computer whiz who uses her powers for evil rather than good, which makes her integral to the entire operation. Wakefield most recently starred as Mary Boleyn in the TV miniseries Wolf Hall.

Damon Gupton As Detective Cal Brown

Gupton plays Detective Cal Brown, who also happens to be best friends with Alex Kane. Naturally, Kane's involvement with the House could put a serious strain on the friendship... unless he can convince the detective to aid his efforts. I'm placing my own bet now that Detective Brown will be in on the operation before the season is over. Gupton has previously played a detective on Empire, and his film credits include Whiplash and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead.

I'm betting this will be a super exciting season — and that viewers will utilize as many gambling puns as possible, because it would be a waste not to.

Images: Gregory E. Peters/NBC (5)