Chapter 6 Don't Gamble

• It was James's turn. Despite his broad shoulders and tough appearance, he played his cards with caution, almost never going all-in recklessly.
• This hand was no different. He glanced at his cards—a scattered mess. Without hesitation, he folded.
• Now, it was just the three of us left in the game.
• For this kind of casual table, there wasn't a dealer; the house acted as the temporary dealer, dealing the cards.
• The fourth community card was revealed—a Queen of Clubs.
• Carl continued to bet, and I matched him.
• He was starting to feel guilty.
• Carl shoved James lightly and said, "Move back a little, man. You're blocking my view of Saturn."
• James leaned back in his chair as Carl studied my cards repeatedly, trying to catch a glimpse of the mark.
• I knew Carl could only see the top card.
• He had no clue what lay underneath.
• However, I maneuvered my hand, allowing the corner of a second card to slightly reveal itself as I pressed my finger over the suit marker.
• All Carl saw was a 9, but he had no idea it was a 9 of clubs.
• A King and a nine.
• He thought I was bluffing with a possible flush draw.
• Our other opponent grew uneasy.
• He checked his hand—a pair of 7—and hesitated before throwing in 20 dollars.
• In Texas Hold'em, a pair of 7s wasn't much, but he figured that both Carl and I weren't peeking at our cards.
• If we were holding low pairs or bluffing, he could win with his two 7s.
• When he checked his cards, I followed suit and pretended to be just as cautious.
• In a small game like this, there was no need to push too hard.
• There were a few hundred dollars on the table. I could cash out now if I wanted.
• After looking at my cards, I hesitated for a moment before placing another 20 dollars.
• Because of my hesitation, Carl grew more confident.
• He was certain that the best hand I had was a straight flush, but it might not be as strong as that; it could just be a pair.
• Feeling bold, Carl upped the stakes, all while deliberately saying, "Fortune favors the bold. Screw it, I'm not even looking. I'll ride this out with you guys."
• The player with the 7s realized Carl and I weren't checking our hands either.
• He thought about it and opted to fold.
• It was down to just Carl and me. Each time I placed a bet of 20 dollars, he would match it with an additional 10 dollars.
• He hadn't figured out that the 9 I showed him was hiding its suit.
• Carl looked over his shoulder at Janelle and asked, "Darling, maybe we should check our cards?"
• Without hesitation, Janelle shook her head and said, "Nope, we'll see this through!"
• I immediately understood that Janelle also knew how to read the card's markings.
• Carl was likely aware that his own eyes weren't sharp enough, so he had brought her along to help.
• Unfortunately for them, Janelle was sitting behind Carl. She couldn't see my cards, either, because James was still partially blocking her view.
• Just then, Carl suddenly paused.
• I thought he might be debating whether to force me to reveal my cards.
• Instead, he lunged forward, reaching for my cards in an attempt to flip them over himself.
• I slammed my hand down and glared at him.
• "What do you think you're doing? You know how to play or what?"
• I wanted to put Carl in his place and keep him honest.
• Apparently, Carl thought I was an idiot. He straightened up and shouted at me defiantly, "You think I could read your cards? If I could, would I be losing this badly? Let's just flip 'em already!"
• The makeshift dealer saw that Carl and I had made up our minds; he revealed the final community card—another Queen of Clubs.
• Now, the five community cards on the table were the 7 of spades, the Jack of hearts, the 10 of clubs, the Jack of clubs, and the Queen of clubs.
• Carl laughed triumphantly. "Full house, baby!"
• He flipped his cards over with a flourish, revealing a trio of Jacks and a pair of 10s—a full house.
• Everyone saw that Carl had managed to put together a Full House with three Jacks and a pair of 10s, and they couldn't help but exclaimed.
• "Carl's got this one! No doubt, he's going to win!"
• "Yeah, one hand and he's back in the game. Carl's always the best!"
• Two of Carl's coworkers chimed in and flattering him.
• Carl was staring straight at me and asked impatiently, "Well, what're you waiting for? Show your cards!"
• All eyes were on me as I slowly revealed my hand.
• A 9 and a King, both of clubs.
• "Whoa!"
• The crowd gasped in unison.
• Carl's Full House was impressive—but I had gone one better.
• With the addition of the 9 and King of Clubs to the 10 on the table, along with the Jack and Queen of Clubs, I had formed a straight flush.
• "Carl, it looks like luck wasn't on your side this time. Full House doesn't beat a straight flush."
• Carl's face turned ashen with rage. His fists clenched as he muttered curses under his breath.
• "Damn it! How the hell do I lose with a full house? This is ridiculous!"
• Fuming, Carl turned on Janelle and vented it out on her.
• "This is your fault! I wanted to check, but no—you insisted I raise! That's another 200 dollars down the drain!"
• Janelle was clearly unhappy. She glared at me in anger but dared not talk back to Carl. She mumbled, "You hold those cards so tight, those who don't know would think they're your parents' death certificates."
• I was in the middle of gathering my winnings when her words hit me. Looking up at her, I locked eyes. "What did you just say?"
• Janelle never respected the low-ranking employees like me.
• When she heard my question, she raised her voice.
• "I said, you're holding those cards like they're your parents' death certificates!"
• At six years old, I watched my father die right in front of me.
• That day, I had secretly swore I'd never let anyone insult my parents. Not unless they are over my dead body.
• My eyes burned with anger as I stared her down.
• "Say that again."
• Janelle never expected that a mere server like me would have the guts to talk to her in such a tone.
• Before she could respond, Carl shot up from his seat and pointed angrily at me. "Say that again, huh? You think you're tough? You want to fight or something? I'm telling you, kid, either play or get lost! One more word, and I swear I'll deal with you right here and now!"
• At work, Carl was always full of himself and treated us like we were invisible.
• His arrogance had accustomed him to treating others, particularly mere servers like me.
• As soon as Carl finished, James frowned at me and said in annoyance.
• "Can you play or not? If you can't get out of here. Stop wasting everyone's time."
• I couldn't help but sneer coldly to myself.
• Play? Oh, I could play all right. Tonight, I was going to give them a real show.
• I started shuffling the deck.
• According to Texas Hold'em rules, I was sitting just one spot to the left of the previous dealer in this game, so it was my turn to deal.
• In poker, mastering the shuffle is the foundation of any skilled player.
• There were countless techniques: false shuffles, jump shuffles, perfect cuts—each designed to manipulate the deck, ensuring that the cards fell in your favor.
• Dealing the cards was an art in itself.
• The jump deal creates the illusion of dealing the card from the top of the deck. However, in reality, the top card remains untouched, and the deal starts from the second or third card.
• There is also the bottom deal and middle deal.
• The principle is the same as with the jump deal. One begins dealing from the bottom of the deck, while the other starts from the middle.
• When I was first learning how to deal, I asked Friday.
• "If I master all these tricks, will I always win?"
• He shook his head.
• "So how do you guarantee a win?" I pressed.
• Friday looked me straight in the eye and said, "There's only one sure way to win."
• "How?" I asked, eager to know the secret.
• "Don't gamble. The only way to always win is to not play at all.
• I understood the wisdom in those words. However, I'm a gambler, through and through. The game would always be a part of my life.