One of only two times you hear Omar utter a curse word is the very first time his character is introduced. He says the word "shit". The other is in The Pager (2002). In that episode he says to McNulty and Gregs "Shit, Bubbles knows Bird". Ironically this is shortly after lecturing his boyfriend Brandon about using foul language.
The scene where D'Angelo instructs his minions on how to play chess through a gang lens is generally regarded as being one of the best dialogue sequences in the entire series.
D'Angelo glancing over his shoulder in disgust to see Greggs, Carver and Hauk beating up Bodie, mirrors the first episode, where D'Angelo looks over his shoulder in disgust, to a similarly-framed shot of Bodie, Poot and the other Pit boys, beating up Bubbles' friend Johnny. In both cases, the victim was being made an example of, for violating the unspoken rules of "The Game"- Bodie, by punching a cop. And Johnny, by trying to pay for dope with fake money.
Although credited, Wood Harris does not appear in this episode. This is the first episode of the series not to feature the entire starring cast.