ALL NOVEL Ch 2.70: Beginners
The first few hands were normal hands, from what Elaina understood anyway. One person at the table would seemingly have a good hand, and the rest would fold, little money exchanging hands. Overall, her and Carly had gained a small amount of coins while Tira and Flora had lost about that amount, not unlike their plan.
The same seemed to happen on the ends of the table too though. The woman who’d taunted them at the beginning and her seatmate, a similarly grungy looking guy had been siphoning money from their friends on the other side of the dealer.
“Two gold,” the woman said, upping from the five silver blind Flora had just paid.
Her partner to her left was looking at his cards intently, before silently pushing them into the center of the table. “Out,” he said. The other two of their group didn’t even bother, folding one after the other, leading to Carly. She thought about it, but eventually folded as well.
Elaina peeked back at her cards. Jack of swords, jack of hearts. A good hand, great hand even, she was pretty sure. A quick glance to the side confirmed heads hung low, Tira and Flora would be out, each having paid the blind, eight silver total. Their team needed to win this hand, keep those chips, and it was up to her.
“Three gold,” she said, doing her best to keep a straight face. She might be able to bully that woman off if she was lucky, but even if not she could afford to keep playing with her hand.
Tira and Flora each folded immediately, and the woman looked up with a grin. “Two more,” she said, matching Elaina and tossing in another gold as well.
Shit, Elaina thought. She’d been fine with three, but wasn’t sure about four total. She’d started with five gold pieces, fifteen silver pieces. She was also pretty sure they were actual gold and silver pieces, which was another layer of absurdity in all of this. She knew she didn’t keep the coins regardless, that they were just game pieces, but it was still easily the most money she’d ever “had” in her life.
And she was about to wager another gold of it. “Call,” she said, pushing forward with a wince.
“Flop,” the dealer announced, turning over the next three cards. “Four of crystals, two of shields, jack of shields.”
Elaina couldn’t help raising her eyes wide at the last card. Three of a kind, almost the best thing she could hope for. “Stay,” the woman said, looking as stoic as she had before.
“All in,” Elaina said, pushing forward. She could tell she’d done something wrong the moment the words had left her mouth, the entire table, even the dealer, looking at her with confusion.
The woman she was betting against just laughed though. “Yeah, no, you got it,” she said, pushing her cards back to the dealer. “That’s the most ‘I have pocket jacks’ look I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Elaina looked down, feeling herself growing red both in anger and shame. She’d known better, been taught better. If she’d played a little more conservatively, she could’ve milked a little more out of the hand.
“It’s okay,” Tira said, placing a hand on Elaina’s leg. “You won the pot.”
Elaina nodded. That was true, at least. Up to 26 silver, nine gold. And the woman, despite her earlier laughing, was now glaring at her own pile of coins, a little less than twenty silver, one gold. Overall, a big victory. And she had to pay the big blind next, good hand or not.
The dealer threw cards out as he finished shuffling, and Elaina peaked at hers, a three and an eight. Trash, in other words. All of her four opponents stayed in, but Carly folded, Elaina forced to follow suit. Tira did as well, but Flora looked at her cards for a good bit, thinking, before finally deciding to fold as well, giving up the three silver she’d put up as blind.
And then the woman broke face again, smiling. Her crew didn’t even pay attention to the flop, just let her raise one silver, and then all folding. In an instant, she was up another fifteen gold, easily a playable amount now.
“We can’t keep getting bullied like that,” Tira mumbled. It was true, but also not much to be done. There were four chances for the opponents to have good hands, four chances to just get lucky on the flop too. Elaina hated that there was no sure way to win here, no way to just be better. I really wish I had my aspect, she thought, staring at that damned woman as she took a long swig from her drink.
“Tastes like victory,” the woman said, slamming the glass into the holder on the table as the dealer shuffled away.
“You’re still down, as a team or individual,” Elaina said.
“Team? I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She extended her hand across the table, leaning forward to make it halfway to Elaina. “Name’s Rain, by the way.”
Elaina glared at the offered hand, wary of some trick. But no, there wasn’t anything the woman could do, even if she had some aspect. That same arm was wearing the damn aspect-blocking bracelet, after all. “Elaina,” she finally said, leaning over and grabbing the hand.
“Why don’t we make a deal? Call us the winners, you and me? Four on four is such a mess, after all. I paid for these three to enter so I could get the best shot at getting in, but I honestly don’t care about them getting in.”
Elaina looked to Carly, then Tira. “Could be worth it,” Tira whispered. “If we’re lucky with the rules for round two you’d be better off than Carly.”
There was silence for a moment, then Carly speaking up, “Tira’s probably right. I know the math, but—-”
“No,” Elaina said, snatching her arm away from Rain. “We’re going to win, and we’re going in as a pair.”
Rain leaned back into her seat, tut-tutting as she shook her head. “Oh well. I tried to be nice. I honestly hope it’s still you and me, because I’m just going to be so sad seeing your face once you’re crushed.”
Elaina was even more red than before, vaguely aware of the looks of horror from her party. This was the original plan; she was already up in money, just needed to keep getting good hands, and everything would be fine, right?
Did I just make a huge mistake?