Chapter 198

I gazed for a moment at the old man gesturing for me not to feel burdened and the woman making playful remarks from across the way. I wanted to assess the atmosphere a bit more, but since he personally extended the invitation, it wouldn’t be proper to just sit there and watch without engaging.

“…Then, I won’t hold back!”

I felt hesitant, yet I didn’t want to appear as if I was waiting too long.

After a brief moment of pause, I moved the plate and drink I was fiddling with to my side while the chip case, now boasting a respectable size, was taken by Zero and changed spots.

Indeed, the card game table appeared entirely different up close compared to observing it from a distance.

Could you believe that the images displayed on the electronic table, composed entirely of touch panels, looked more realistic than a genuine wooden table that ought to boast a brown border with a gentle green hue?

I thought not, at least not initially… However, experiencing how it self-adjusted its brightness without dedicated lighting while emphasizing the boundaries of the rendered objects completely changed my mind.

This is why they say the sense of sight is the easiest to deceive~

I even flinched at the thought of the smooth glass film beneath my fingertips feeling “well-coated on wood.”

Thunk!

“Ah, he’s moving the chair.”

As I was observing my seating position, I expressed my gratitude by slightly nodding my head to the expressionless man who had smoothly pulled the chair over to widen the space.

As the dealer, who never forgot to provide a smile service, manipulated the settings, I watched the rapid establishment of space for placing my chips and the betting area, showcasing yet another advantage of the table.

…Phew, enough of those distracting thoughts; let’s take a look at the players.

Despite the friendly invitation to sit, card games are not just about doing my own thing, so I shouldn’t neglect to identify my opponents.

“Welcome, welcome! To have two newcomers tonight who appreciate the fun of offline poker. This is quite delightful…!”

“Hahaha… Nice to meet you…?”

The first to break the ice was the old man in a mask, who had been maintaining a pretty good atmosphere.

It was ironic that, despite his suspicious appearance, he was the one displaying the highest level of sociability among the current group. Not only did he offer a handshake as a polite gesture, but he extended his hand with genuine respect.

“I am Alfred, running a small lending firm called Yorkshire Capital. If you ever find yourself in a pinch, feel free to ask; I can lend you at a reasonable rate.”

“I… see. Yes.”

…Ten, let me correct that. While he seemed to adhere to formalities, he was certainly a person who strayed somewhat from ordinary or normal.

If he’s revealing everything from his status to his name, why is he even wearing a mask in the first place? Was it really just for the sake of a “poker face”? And what does he mean by lending? How is that supposed to work?

Moreover, his manner of handling cards looked quite familiar, and it was evident he had an affection for the game, so I should be cautious. He may become a player to watch out for.

“Um… up close, you’re like a doll. But I appreciate that most of the exposure is covered! After all, I’m a person who gets flustered when reacting, so that would be a problem. Sasha Brewaks, you can call me Sasha casually.”

“…….”

I barely suppressed the urge to shout that there was a pervert among us. Instead, I managed a smile, awkward as it was, to greet her.

Sasha’s attitude was impulsive from any perspective; her flippant words and her indulgence in the vibe and excitement seemed to embody a top-tier customer that the casino desired. There was no special reason to dislike her, and as a suitable opponent with only an abundance of credits to her name, she should be welcome.

I just found it annoying that I had to endure the man beside her, half-naked and acting cute. It’s frustrating to even articulate, but that nasal whine of “Aww~ when did I~” is just…

Ugh… I wish they’d tone it down a bit, but anyway.

Now, with the raucous atmosphere primarily carried by those two noisy individuals, I caught the gaze of the quiet old man who had locked eyes with me, bringing the turn to a close.

“…………You can call me Sugar. Nice to meet you.”

“Uh… the sugar as in sweetening?”

“……That’s right.”

His lips murmured uncomfortably shutting right after, almost as if he was done with this conversation.

Is this what you call an introduction…? Isn’t this an awkward and pathetic excuse?

…By the way, it really sounds like an alias a middle-aged man would use grudgingly. I prefer this.

I had been wondering if such detailed self-introductions were the norm because of those who went before, but if this is a place where it’s okay to maintain secrecy, then I’m all for it.

Since we didn’t gather here merely to engage in idle chat, short and concise ice-breaking is all that’s needed.

“If you need a name to call during the game, it’s Anastasia. …If that’s too long, feel free to just call me Lady.”

Feeling the collective gazes directed at me as if they were urging me to reveal my identity, I tossed out a somewhat aloof greeting and fiddled with my arranged chips. It felt like playing with bullets loaded and ready to fire, which sent tingles along my skin and was quite pleasing.

On top of that, Mr. Alfred seemed quite pleased with my playful declaration too, responding with applause, “Clap, clap!”

“Indeed. A casino isn’t a place where everyone introduces themselves, that’s for sure. Do you know what type of game we’re playing here? It largely follows the principles of classic Texas Hold’em, so you shouldn’t get too confused!”

“Ah… that’s a relief then…?”

I turned my head away from Mr. Alfred’s words, further noticing Zero’s subtly probing gaze regarding my understanding.

To be honest, I only barely knew the ranking of poker hands, and had no grasp of the detailed rules or proceedings. Therefore, I wasn’t in a position to be betting large amounts of money, even as a joke.

Still, the role of a casino is to ensure that even people like me can enjoy and wager, so I figured if I followed the dealer’s guidance, things should run smoothly… or so I hoped, while putting on a brave front.

If things got tangled up… well, that’d be unfortunate! So, Zero, can’t you do something about that look of yours? Why did you have to turn your mouth and lungs against me?

Even if I didn’t win a single cent today, believe I’d buy that parallel processing unit and memory card you wanted!

“Come on now, is the dealer asleep? It’s about time we got on with dealing the cards, don’t you think?”

“My apologies, Mr. Alfred. However, I need the cards used in the last round laid down on the table to proceed to the next round….”

“Hey! If a new player has arrived, we must peel open a fresh deck! Why bring in the bad luck from the last game? This is why these days they think old traditions are always bad without recognizing why.”

Rip!

The faded hands swiftly tore through the card deck, which landed straight into the trash can by the side of the gaming area.

Even though the manufacturing technology of the 23rd century is packed into that durable coated paper, it’s not easy to tear through several high-quality sheets overlapping each other. Yet, I saw several cards cut neatly into pieces in no time.

The old man had quite a bit of strength left. He was so energetic that the ill-prepared dealer, who just misspoke, found himself enduring a lengthy lecture.

…Even while enduring what felt like close to nagging, the dealer diligently moved his hands to unwrap the seal of the new card pack and conducted a hand shuffle, truly an exemplary service.

Huh? You’re giving praise for just putting up with emotional labor, doing your work, right?

No, I appreciated the skill as cards flew through the air, resembling a magician’s performance!

“Ugh…!”

“♬…… ♪”

The rhythm and flair of the dealer’s movements made the person across feel the transition from mere casino staff to an active game host, causing him to reluctantly fall silent.

As the cards were opened in time with his humming, they were thoroughly mixed up. Even though flicking cards from right to left, bending them downwards was just for show, that’s truly an important process. Extremely important.

Though I hadn’t often handled playing cards, I had played board games a bit.

If you don’t shuffle properly and start the next round after just a few haphazard strokes, the cards used in the previous round will clump together, and you could easily mess up the game.

Considering they just got opened, the suits might still be impeccably ordered like Spades 12345… If they aren’t shuffled thoroughly, what will happen? Both you and I would end up getting a Straight Flush, and only the dealer would take the brunt of it.

…Oh, right. If it’s Texas Hold’em, it won’t go that way no matter how tangled the hands might be.

“Now then… Mr. Alfred, please go ahead and cut the deck in turn.”

As the old man carefully cut the top part of the pile presented to him, the dealer hastily rearranged the bottom and top sections.

Similarly, Sasha casually sipped her drink while grasping a few cards, while Mr. Sugar hesitantly took a modest amount.

I… in case I clumsily dropped a bunch trying to grab too much, just took a little bit. Following the request to participate in the shuffle to prevent mix-ups.

Thus, the entirely arranged deck was moved to the designated transparent distribution case where only the dealer could handle it. It was set up so that only the top card could be drawn in order, which ensured fairness for the dealer.

“Ugh! Now, before we start the new game, let me announce a few special rules prepared by Haven Hold’em for your satisfaction in relation to your time. First, instead of having an ante, we will be collecting the base bet of 100,000 credits if anyone folds in the initial pre-flop sequence. Hence, we kindly ask you to act at least at the level of a call.”

“Wow, hold on a second. It’s already dizzying…?”

The dealer was as accommodating as expected, but the profound world of poker had more specialized terms than I had imagined, so I hurriedly searched for a game terminology dictionary to keep it open in my peripheral vision.

Okay… Pre-flop refers to the stage when hands (the two personal cards each player holds) are dealt, a call means passing without raising the stake, and a fold is throwing that hand away while saying, “Oh well, let it die~.”

Okay. I’ve memorized that.

Although I thought I didn’t know anything, once I checked the terms I had vaguely heard somewhere, reality clicked in with scenes from various media, allowing me to adapt somewhat quickly.

With a card that the dealer gently placed face down in front of me, it soon became two.

I might have seen cool scenes in movies where cards are thrown flamboyantly, but it was impressive that here, such boldness wasn’t possible; they laid the cards down cautiously.

“Swoosh…!”

I swallowed hard.

From here on out, it was almost unexplored territory.

If I were to believe in a strong luck existing for myself, others must undoubtedly have their own innate luck too. If those collide, how would things unfold? Considering the only part of the game I directly influenced was merely the final deck cutting, could that really create any variable?

Could it perhaps mean that my hand—which hasn’t been checked yet—might change due to quantum mechanics? I might need to tell Zero to keep quiet after sneaking a peek.

But with all these anticipations, as I nervously caressed the backs of the cards, I couldn’t help but push various hypotheses to the back of my mind. Really, I had no choice.

“I’ll put in 100,000, just the minimum bet.”

“Hmm! Raise! Two million credits…!!”

“……Excuse me?”

Because… before I could even check my hand in detail, Mr. Alfred had boldly placed two red chips down with a suggestion to challenge me.

It put me in a situation where we needed the other three players’ actions to proceed normally—leaving me unable to continue with my thoughts.

……Wait, is this guy serious???