In every poker game, as in life, there are a few crucial moments where a man's cards don't matter. That's the time to put hesitation aside, take a stand, and make a play.
In every poker game, as in life, there are a few crucial moments where a man's cards don't matter. That's the time to put hesitation aside, take a stand, and make a play.
Craig's shock gradually morphed into a menacing smirk, "I see you broke open the piggy bank. That's good, I could use some more pocket change. Set it up!" he declared. Everyone started clearing the table while exchanging their cash for poker chips as the two of them prepared to play heads up alone.
Matt was first stunned before he came over to Joey's ear and whispered, "Bro, don't fall for his trash talk. Craig hosts a poker game at his house every weekend. He's been playing longer than everyone here."
"Thanks but I know what I'm doing," Joey responded. Matt could only shake his head and finally encouraged, "good luck bro."
Craig's friends joked on the side while they prepared the chips.
"Does he even know how to play? This kid's about to get slaughtered."
"He must've robbed a deli. I doubt this bum has ever seen this much money in his life before."
The chips were quickly divided. They agreed that Matt would act as the dealer and the game commenced. When the first card left the deck, Joey felt like time slowed to a near standstill. He looked at the cards. He looked at Craig. Then a light smile opened at the edge of his lips because he found that elusive feeling again, supreme confidence.
The first few hands were uneventful with no significant action occurring. Finally, a new hand started and Craig appeared to like his cards. "Make it 10," he asserted. Joey quickly called. The hand continued as Matt dealt out the next 3 cards face up into the middle. It was now Joey's turn to act first.
'This situation is similar to the hand I played with Angelo yesterday,' Joey thought. 'At that time my cards were weak. I gave up my turn to let Angelo act so that I could first gather information based on what he did,' he recalled.
'However, just now, my hand improved to two pair. In other words, my hand became a monster!. The straightforward action would be to bet out...' he thought as he observed Craig.
'Looking at Craig though, and how his hand keeps slightly inching towards his chips, I get the feeling he also has a good hand, but mine's definitely better! This is a good time to set a trap...'
'Instead of betting...if I give up my turn like I did yesterday, which is called checking, then he'll probably bet 10 or 20. After his bet, since I will still have more chips remaining even if I called, I can make him face an even larger bet from me in return, a raise!'
'I'm certain he won't fold to the raise. That's because there will already be too much money in the middle and he'll be committed to putting in the rest. That's how he'll fall for my trap!' Joey experienced the pleasures of being a villain.
He looked at Craig and said, "I check." Craig looked at the cards, pondered for a few seconds, and bet 20. Joey watched the bet calmly before announcing "I raise." Then he pushed all of his chips into the middle, "I'm all in."
Craig snorted and instantly said, "Call, deal it out." Matt dealt the remaining two cards and Craig triumphantly announced "overpair, a pair of jacks!" as he flipped over [Jack of clubs, Jack of diamonds],
He had started to drag in the chips before Joey crashed his party. "I guess they don't teach patience on the football team," Joey mocked as he flipped over his cards. "Two pair."
Craig's brow wrinkles. "Hmmph. You got lucky. Give me another 200," he demanded as he got more chips and the game continued.
Several hands later, a new hand began. As usual, the hand started with Matt dealing each of the players two face-down cards. Joey looked down at his cards and saw a pair of jacks:[J of spades, J of hearts], the same as Craig had before, and a very strong hand heads up. "Raise to 10," Joey announced.
Craig looked at his own hand, then pretended to ponder for a while. "10? No, make it 40," he stated as he pushed out 40 in chips.
Joey studied Craig, who was uncharacteristically calm, feeling no fear or anxiety as if invincible. Earlier when he had some weak or decent hands, that wasn't the case. Even when he had jacks he was slightly anxious, which could mean only one thing.
Joey looked back at his cards, shook his head, then promptly threw them away.
Immediately, Craig couldn't restrain a frown from creeping down his face. Everyone could hear the crackling of the knuckles in his clenching left fist. His right hand flipped his cards onto the table, a pair of aces: [As, Ad], the strongest hand you can get at the beginning of a hold 'em hand.
"Let's see how many times you can escape," Craig challenged as he motioned for Matt to continue dealing.
Time passed minute by minute as the game continued. Pretty soon, Craig's 200 had dwindled to a mere 20, too little to continue playing. The frown on his face had steadily grown.
"Craig, maybe we should call it a day, class is going to start pretty soon," one of Craig's friends advised.
"Shut up!" Craig roared. "Give me another 400." He changed the last of his cash into chips. "We don't have much time so let's raise the stakes a bit. That's not too scary for you right?" Craig goaded Joey.
"Fine," Joey replied casually.
The stakes went up and the chips started flying. Several hands later, a big pot was brewing. Joey had raised to 20 and Craig called. Once the 3 cards came out, Craig bet out 30 and Joey called. On the next card, Craig bet 60 and Joey called again. Finally, the last card came.
It was a complete blank, a card unlikely to help anyone because it was totally disconnected from all the previous 4 face-up cards. Craig looked at the card and smiled. He counted out his chips and threw out another bet, "100" he said.
Joey analyzed for several moments as he watched Craig. This time, he noticed Craig seemed anxious. His hands were slightly shaking although he was trying hard to hide it. 'He was calm when very strong earlier...which means...'
"I raise," Joey announced. Then, like earlier, he pushed all of his chips into the middle, "I'm all in," he declared.
Craig abruptly stood up and stamped his fist on the table. "Damn it!" he shouted, drawing the attention of the entire cafeteria. He threw his cards onto the table: [Ah, Th]. "Why couldn't you put out a heart!"
Earlier in the hand, Craig picked up a draw to a monster, an ace high heart flush. He needed another heart to complete it. Unfortunately, the remaining cards didn't help, leaving him with only ace high. Although an ace is the highest card, it loses to any one pair. In other words, his cards were weak. Filled with frustration, Craig threw away his cards.
"I fold. Lucky bastard, what monster hand did you have?" Craig asked.
"Monster?" Joey responded lightly as he flipped his cards over onto the table: [5h, 6h], which was only...6 high.
Everyone gawked, in utter disbelief of what they were seeing. The sounds of the previously lively cafeteria were now completely overshadowed by the mental shock of those two little cards.
Joey was also drawing to a heart flush that completely missed and at the end, he had almost the worst hand possible. He couldn't even beat Craig's Ace high. In other words, he bluff raised and Craig folded the best hand.
"Also a heart flush draw? What the hell are you raising me with?!? You don't even have anything!" Craig yelled hysterically.
Joey started to laugh lightly under his breath as he slowly raised his gaze to match Craig's delirious eyes. "I didn't need to have anything. Only thing I needed...was to know you couldn't call my raise. I guess in the end, you really did need a heart," Joey's enunciated words echoed through the cafeteria.
Craig couldn't help but step back. Each syllable struck him like a hammer, chiseling away at his prior confidence.
After a long while, Joey finally said, "Thanks for the game," as he took his chips and cashed them out.
Craig stared for a moment before shouting, "We're not done here!" He got up and his friends slowly surrounded Joey.
Right at that moment, BZZZZZZZ. The bell for next period rang as a teacher entered the lunchroom and screamed, "Let's go, get to class!"
Craig gritted his teeth. Everyone quickly changed the chips back to cash. As Craig's group was leaving, he left some parting words, "Your luck won't last forever. This isn't over!"
As the tide of students spread out of the lunchroom into the continuous chain of hallways, Matt fired off comments and questions into Joey's ear endlessly like a machine gun, "Wow! That was awesome! How'd you do that?"
Joey wasn't in the mood to respond as he was suddenly hit by terrible exhaustion. He barely managed to shamble into class. "Later," he managed to slur, as he found his way to his desk and promptly passed out.
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