"Tio's Game" is the story of Christian, a twenty-two-year-old Latino college student who is forced to alter his life and become the head of the household. With the added responsibilities besides work and school, Christian finds himself in the position of also being the role model and the breadwinner. Without the help of any positive role models of his own, Christian tries to raise his teenage brother Martin in a gang and drug-infested neighborhood, while at the same time, trying to fulfill his dream of going to medical school. Despite his current situation and his painful memories of childhood, Christian finds sanctity and support through his friends and his older sister who lives out of state. They become his "crutch" as their love and concern for him and his brother grow with each card that life deals them. Christian, in his constant effort to stay focused, does his best to remain emotionally stable during this trying period in their lives. But Christian's life begins to take a dramatic turn during finals week as his brother gets caught between a gang rivalry that almost gets him killed until Christian intervenes. This results in Christian becoming a "marked man" by one of the gangs and being recruited by Andy, the leader of the other gang, who tries to convince the two brothers to team up with him. After Christian gets laid off from his job, Martin is then tempted by Andy and their uncle Tio, a respected Mafioso in the city of Chicago, to deal drugs. This causes a rift between Christian and his brother because Christian's moral integrity interferes with their desperate financial status, which results in Martin losing respect for his brother and disobeying his wishes. Things get more complicated as Christian's ex-girlfriend Deb enters the picture. She is his true love but because of past failures in their relationship, he is pessimistic about her feelings for him and remains cold and distant towards her despite her efforts of rebuilding their friendship. All of these are intertwined as Christian tries to figure out the solutions to not only his immediate problems, but also his future. With love and courage as his only weapons, will Christian find the strength necessary to overcome and persevere? And in the end, will he be able to provide the stability necessary to keep his family together, or will he be consumed by the pressures of urban life?