Everyone was eager to start.
Jeremy, however, was surprised that Amelia knew this game.
Texas Hold ‘Em wasn’t a beginner’s game, usually reserved for the high-end crowd.
Yet Amelia sat there calm and steady. Looking at her, Jeremy was certain none of these men would be her match.
Maxwell couldn’t stand that composure. He sneered. “Amelia, if you don’t know the rules, we can switch to something easier. Don’t force yourself. The minimum bet here is ten grand.”
“I want to play this,” Amelia said firmly.
“Fine. Then let’s deal the cards.” Maxwell motioned.
The way Amelia sat gave off the air of a queen at the head of the table. The others, despite their swagger, somehow looked like background extras beside her.
Soon, a dealer in sexy outfits walked up.
She began shuffling and dealing the cards with practiced ease.
The rules of Texas Hold ‘Em weren’t complicated.
There were 52 cards. Each player started with two private cards. The dealer would later reveal five community cards.
With every new card, there was a round of betting. Players could raise or fold based on their hand and their nerve.
It looked simple, but winning took more than luck-it took guts and a sharp mind.
The game began.
The dealer handed out two cards to each player.
Anderson glanced at his cards and immediately relaxed. A pair of tens-solid.
He tossed out a 100,000-dollar bet to test the waters.
Ithan glanced at his cards and folded right away.
Maxwell folded too.
Amelia, following suit, pushed her cards away.
Anderson nearly choked. He had been ready to rake in a pile of chips, certain his hand was good.
He peeked at everyone’s cards afterward-both Ithan and Maxwell had terrible hands, so folding made sense.
But Amelia? She had a pair of nines. Not bad at all. She folded that?
Anderson almost jumped out of his chair. “Amelia, your cards weren’t bad! Why did you fold?”
Amelia looked at him innocently. “Too small,” she said. “If I follow, I’ll lose.”
As if afraid they wouldn’t believe her, Amelia flipped her cards face up.
The others glanced at them, and the corners of their mouths twitched.
Did she seriously not know showing your hand is a huge no-no?
Doing that made it easy for everyone to read her next move.
What a rookie! She really didn’t seem to know how the game worked. Most players would never show their cards-mystery was the key.
Jeremy froze for a second. Could she really not know how to play? She didn’t look like someone that clueless.
But he kept quiet. If Amelia was having fun, that was all that mattered. Losing a little money wasn’t a big deal.
Maxwell smirked. “If you don’t know how to play, don’t gamble.”
Amelia shot back calmly, “I like this.”
Anderson chuckled, thinking he had her figured out. He teased, “Didn’t expect Ms. Amelia to be this cautious.”
“Of course,” she said matter-of-factly. “If I’m not careful, I’ll lose all my money.”
Her tone was so serious that everyone around the table perked up.
So this was their target for the night-the easy prey.
The second round began.
When the cards were dealt, Amelia followed with 20,000 dollars. The others quickly raised it to 50,000 or 100,000 dollars.
When the bet came back to Amelia, she folded.
Everyone was stunned.
What is she doing?
Isn’t she being overly cautious?
What fun in playing like this? How are we suppose to win her money if she kept folding?
Anderson couldn’t hold back. “Princess, what kind of hand do you even have? You’re way too stingy! In poker, you’ve got to go big or go home!”
The others looked over curiously.
Amelia innocently turned her cards over again. “See? A king and an ace. Not a pair, not the same suit. Doesn’t look promising, so I folded.”
She explained it so seriously, like she actually knew what she was doing.
Everyone went speechless. That’s what she calls a bad hand?
At that moment, they were all convinced. Amelia truly didn’t understand Texas Hold’em. She had probably only joined the game to show off.
Their tension vanished.
With a beginner like her, this was going to be easy money.
Now they all knew exactly how she thought; Amelia was easy to read.
Amelia must’ve had a great hand-otherwise she wouldn’t be playing so confidently.
Soon, the third round began.
Maxwell was the first to bet. He looked at his cards: a pair of queens. His lips twitched in satisfaction. He shoved in a pile of chips. “Raise-100,000 dollars.”
When it came to Amelia’s turn, she casually glanced at her cards. Seven of diamonds and eight of spades. Useless.
But then, she smiled faintly and pushed forward another stack. “Call-and raise 200,000 dollars.”
The table froze.
What kind of monster hand did she have to bet that big?
Everyone knew Amelia wasn’t the kind of person to gamble blindly. If she was raising, she must’ve been sure she could win.
Anderson perked up.
He checked his cards, then tossed in a call of a hundred grand.
Ithan frowned at his cards and folded.
Jeremy, watching quietly from the side, couldn’t help but smile. His doctor was finally getting serious.
The dealer laid down the flop.
Amelia glanced at the flop, then raised the bet. This time by half a million.
The players gasped. Eyes went wide.
Holy crap! This is getting wild!
What on earth is she holding?
Maxwell scoffed. “Trying to act mysterious? Fine, I’ll call. Half a million.”
The dealer placed three community cards on the table.
Maxwell’s heart leapt when he saw the board. He had two pairs already.
Anderson looked at his cards, then at the chaos unfolding in front of him. His hand was weak, and these two were going insane. He folded without hesitation.
Then Amelia drew her next card and calmly pushed her chips forward. “Raise. Another one million.”
Maxwell’s eyes nearly popped out. “Are you crazy? Do you even know what you’re doing? Stop messing around!”
Amelia only shrugged. “My gut tells me I’m going to win.”
Maxwell glanced at Amelia’s community cards again-ten, jack, queen-all in the same suit.
His face stiffened. No way. Could Amelia get so lucky and hold a straight flush?
Anderson and Ithan exchanged a look and folded instantly.
Now, it was just Amelia and Maxwell.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.