"Manor 18, sir. I'm sorry, you're out of luck."
Looking at the J, Q, and 5 in his hand, Jiang Hai sighed. Hearing the beautiful dealer's words, he could only shake his head helplessly.
"Novels are so misleading... this is a total scam," he muttered as the dealer swiftly collected the five thousand dollars' worth of chips from his table.
Still unwilling to give up, Jiang Hai placed another two thousand dollars down, ready to keep fighting.
Actually, it wasn't about persistence — it was just that this was the only game he knew how to play...
Stud and ****** operated on similar rules: the biggest hand was a straight flush, followed by four of a kind (iron branches), a full house (three of a kind plus a pair), then straights, flushes, three of a kind, two pairs, and, lastly, high cards.
Anyone who had watched Hong Kong gambling movies would be familiar with this game.
But now Jiang Hai realized... those movies were full of lies.
A straight flush? Please. Total nonsense!
After three rounds, the best he had gotten was a simple three of a kind — and even that wasn't enough. His opponent beat him with a small flush.
When he switched to Texas Hold'em, it was even worse. Because of the shared cards on the table, the odds of flushes, straights, and even full houses appeared way too often.
Yet Jiang Hai's luck remained pitiful.
After losing more than $30,000, he retreated in disgrace.
Good thing he only came to experience the place — he hadn't planned to gamble seriously anyway.
Still, after burning through $100,000, it was unlikely he'd return.
As for Baccarat, he just stood there and watched.
After a few minutes, realizing he didn't even understand the rules, he decided to move along.
He ended up at a blackjack table — the only game he truly understood.
But sadly, even there, he lost more than he won.
The dealer's greatest skill? Knowing when to stop.
She didn't target Jiang Hai specifically; she simply calculated whether she could win a round.
If the odds were bad, she hit. If she had the advantage, she stood pat.
That's why the house always wins.
And Jiang Hai? He always lost.
From his original $100,000, he was now down to just over $20,000.
"Mr. Jiang Hai! So here you are — I've been looking everywhere for you."
As Jiang Hai waited for the next hand to be dealt, a tall man from the Middle East approached him respectfully.
Hearing the man's words, Jiang Hai looked up, slightly surprised.
"I am Du Famen-Weiha-Mohammed—"
"Oh, I get it. You're one of Du Famen's men, right?" Jiang Hai cut him off, waving his hand impatiently.
Seriously, who had time to listen to that mouthful?
The man didn't mind the interruption. He simply nodded and respectfully handed over an envelope.
"These are your admission tickets, prepared by Mr. Du Famen. Two tickets — we know you have a female companion with you," he said with a polite smile.
Jiang Hai couldn't help but nod. It would have been surprising if Du Famen hadn't known he was accompanied. After all, this was a luxury hotel — of course, they monitored the guests.
"Got it. By the way, how much longer will Du Famen take? His stamina is impressive, fighting for so long without rest," Jiang Hai teased as he accepted the envelope.
The man was momentarily stunned before replying respectfully,
"That depends on the willingness and financial strength of the others, sir."
Jiang Hai frowned in confusion.
"He's not...?" Jiang Hai gestured vaguely, raising his eyebrows.
The man immediately understood and coughed awkwardly.
"Oh, no, sir. They're gambling — in the VIP box."
If anyone else had dared suggest otherwise about Du Famen — a member of Dubai's royal family — they might have gotten a broken nose.
But since Jiang Hai was a guest and a friend of their master, the man could only swallow his irritation.
"Gambling? Then take me to see it!" Jiang Hai grinned. Now that he knew Du Famen wasn't doing that, he was curious to watch.
"Of course. Please follow me."
Since Du Famen himself had invited Jiang Hai to watch, the staff member didn't hesitate.
"Hold up — let me grab my companion first."
Jiang Hai smiled, glancing at his hand: a 4 and an 8. Twelve points — a miserable position.
He tapped the table.
The dealer dealt him a card — a king.
Bust.
Shaking his head, Jiang Hai stood up, scanning the casino until he spotted Pra Walton at a Texas Hold'em table.
He led the Middle Eastern man over.
As he approached, Jiang Hai was stunned.
He hadn't realized Pra Walton was actually a pro!
While he was busy losing chips, she was winning big — her stack had doubled from the original $100,000.
Her icy, queenly demeanor drew the attention of the men around her.
Jiang Hai couldn't help but laugh silently.
Clearly, her winnings weren't due to skill alone.
Most of the male players were sneaking glances at her instead of focusing on their cards.
And Pra Walton sat there like a frost goddess, looking down upon the table with cold contempt.
Whenever her gaze brushed over the men, she would snort inwardly: disgusting creatures.
The final card appeared.
Pra Walton casually pushed forward $5,000 in chips, confident.
"Haha, five grand? That's not a small bet. You sure about this?" a middle-aged man teased her.
"If you don't want to play, fold," Pra Walton said coolly, without even looking at him.
"Oho! I'm just saying... you'll lose money this way, pretty girl."
The man grinned and matched her bet.
Only three players remained: Pra Walton, the middle-aged "gentleman," and an old nouveau riche.
"Final raise," the dealer announced.
"Ten thousand. Show your cards!" Pra Walton said flatly, pushing forward another stack.
The old man hesitated, then folded, deciding it wasn't worth it.
The middle-aged man looked at Pra Walton, his eyes gleaming.
"You're very bold," he said. "But the table limit is only $10,000. How about we bet off the table?"
Pra Walton raised an eyebrow.
"Let's bet $100,000 on the side," the man continued. "If you win, you take the money. If you lose... you owe me a dinner."
His words drew gasps from the crowd.
A hundred grand just for a meal?
Many women watching felt their hearts flutter.
Handsome, elegant, rich, and generous — he was like a prince from a fairy tale.
Unfortunately for him, his opponent was Pra Walton.
"Not interested," she said coldly, pushing her cards forward for the dealer to reveal.
The man's smile stiffened, but he quickly hid his annoyance.
Instead, his desire only grew stronger.
He believed no woman could resist him forever.
It was just a matter of time.
The dealer revealed their cards.
Pra Walton had a full house — a strong hand — but her opponent had a straight flush.
The $20,000 pot changed hands instantly.
The man sighed dramatically, thinking:
If only she'd accepted my offer...
But he wasn't worried.
He had plenty of time — and plenty of money.
Just then, a hand casually rested on Pra Walton's shoulder.
An Asian man's face appeared beside her — Jiang Hai.
The middle-aged man watched with growing fury.
"I won! Look!"
Pra Walton's entire demeanor changed.
The icy queen melted into a smiling, innocent girl, proudly showing off her chip stack to Jiang Hai.
The middle-aged man clenched his fists, feeling a fire of jealousy burn in his chest.
How hateful!
(To be continued.)