Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Daniel leaned toward him. “I can see you have that look in your eyes, Leo. You’re bound and determined to raise the bet and drive me right out of the game.” He laughed, tying them together in that sociable way he had, putting everyone at ease. He sounded as if he and Leo were old friends.
Vienna hadn’t gotten that particular vibe off Leo at all. In fact, she thought he might actually fold, but not only did he stay in, he raised, just as Daniel had predicted.
Daniel sighed and shook his head. “I was afraid you would push it.” He eyed the flop mournfully, and then pushed his chips in.
Vienna made the pot right, although she wasn’t quite buying Daniel’s act. She knew he had two hearts concealed. Leo had three jacks. She had three aces.
The turn was a two of hearts. That gave Leo no help. That gave her no help. Daniel had his flush. Leo needed to fold.
Before he could say he was going to fold, Daniel laughed softly. “Don’t do it, Leo, old friend. Don’t make me put all my chips out there. You’re always pushing me to my limits. I don’t know how you do that to me, but playing with you makes my hair even whiter than usual.”
Leo laughed with him and pushed most of his chips in.
Daniel gave a mournful sigh and matched him, then immediately raised again before turning to Vienna. “You don’t want to raise again, do you, woman? Pushing an old man like me might give me a heart attack. I’m sure you should fold, not raise.”
The sound of his voice tried to slide into her mind, but she was resistant to it. She did, however, realize that there was a cadence to the notes that acted like a suggestion, a form of hypnosis almost, so that the receiver did exactly what Daniel wanted. He emphasized the important words. In this case, he didn’t want her to fold, he wanted her to raise. Since she had no intention of folding and every intention of raising, she could give him the impression that his “gift” worked on her. Clearly, he didn’t have the same talent she did.
Dutifully, Vienna met the bet and raised. She felt bad for Leo, knowing he wouldn’t survive this round. The dealer burned a card and turned over the river card. An ace of diamonds. That gave Leo a full house. Daniel had a flush. Vienna had four of a kind.
Daniel continued to talk to Leo until Leo bet everything he had on the hand. He appeared cheerful and confident. Daniel met the bet and raised. Vienna met that bet and raised Daniel back when he goaded her. Daniel looked pleased with himself as the betting went around again.
Art shook his head. “Never bet against Vienna on a river card, Daniel,” he warned.
Daniel laughed the advice away as chips went into the pot as if they were penny chips. Leo turned over his full house, Daniel his flush and Vienna her four of a kind. She watched the hotel owner’s face carefully as she revealed her hidden pair of aces. For just a moment his jovial mask slipped and he looked shocked. Truly shocked. He hadn’t expected her hand to beat his. She knew for certain he had no knowledge of her “gift.” It was that different from his.
Leo shook hands all the way around and left the table. Art sent Vienna a little grin. “I think I’m becoming superstitious about this river card and you, Vienna.”
She laughed as she sipped at her water. “I thought Daniel had me. I was becoming a little paranoid. I nearly folded. I don’t know why I stayed in.”
Surprisingly, it was Art to go six hands later. Vienna folded before the flop. She didn’t have anything worth bragging about. Jameson won two small hands, Art one large one and Daniel the largest of all. Vienna just couldn’t seem to get any cards. She wasn’t going to play lousy cards just for the sake of playing with the “big” boys, no matter how much Daniel subtly taunted her.
She detested seeing Art go. If there was one person she thought of as a friend, it was Art. The one thing his leaving the table did do for her was change the way her luck seemed to be running when the cards were dealt. She found herself with a pair of kings, both red. Daniel and Jameson both stayed in. Daniel had two jacks, both black. Jameson had two tens, one heart and one club.
Daniel started the betting fairly controlled for him, a quarter of a million dollars. Vienna and Jameson stayed. The dealer turned over the three cards to reveal the king of spades, the jack of diamonds and the ten of spades.
Daniel pushed the betting to a half-million dollars. Vienna stayed in. Jameson did as well. The turn revealed a jack of hearts. That gave Jameson a full house with his concealed tens. Vienna had a full house with her concealed kings and Daniel four of a kind with his concealed jacks.