NBC's Las Vegas-based thriller "The Player" debuts Thursday, co-starring Wesley Snipes ("The Expendables 3," "Blade") as the pit boss Mr. Johnson. The show also features Charity Wakefield ("Wolf Hall") as Cassandra King, a dealer involved in a high-stakes game, where wealthy individuals gamble on the ability of former military operative Alex Kane (Philip Winchester, "Strike Back," "Fringe") to stop crime.

In the first episode, Kane, who is working as a Vegas security expert, learns about the "game" and has to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a foreign dignitary, Daoud Raqiv (Carlo Rota, "24").

In the video clip below, Kane accompanies the enigmatic King on a high-speed chase. While they're fleeing the police, King introduces him to the game and its counterparts.

Damon Gupton ("The Divide") stars as Kane's best friend, Det. Cal Brown. He's one character in "The Player" without knowledge of the game, but not for long. By the end of the premiere, Brown knows there is something going on.

"We know that Cal is certainly on the outside looking in. He is trying to figure out what the heck is going on here," Gupton told the Examiner in a recent interview.

Gupton said tensions build between the two friends, as Brown waits for Kane to tell him what's happening.

"At some point I'm your friend, you let me in, or we're not," he said, referencing how his character reacts to Kane. "We've all had some experiences like that, where we kind of have to push some people out, let them go. I think now, because he's so intent on doing his job, he's not going to put up with [expletive] for too long, friend or no friend."

While he's not in the game, Brown holds an important piece of the puzzle, according to the Examiner.

The TV series is co-created by John Rogers ("Leverage," "The Librarians") and John Fox ("The Blacklist"). There are also talented writers and directors involved from "Justified," "White Collar" and "Strike Back."

"The Player" premieres Thursday, Sept. 24 at 10 p.m. EDT on NBC.