Chapter 72. White Crystal (1) (1/2)
Seven-card stud had a simple set of rules.
At the beginning of the game, players were each dealt three cards by the dealer. Each player would then choose one of those three cards to reveal while keeping the other two hidden.
Then, players would begin betting, with dealers providing each player with a new open card. When the number of cards became seven, the betting would stop.
Players who were still in the round would show their hands, and the person with the best hand would win.
“This bastard really won’t look at his hand until the end… Look at your hand for god’s sake! How can you be so confident?”
“You’ll read my face if I do. I’m not confident in maintaining a poker face.”
The bald guy sitting next to me kept pestering me. However, I only glared at Bert. To be exact, I was glaring at the bracelet on his left wrist.
An obsidian bracelet with black luster.
That was an artifact Bert obtained through one of his scams. However, Bert didn’t know that it was an artifact, yet.
Rather than Bert’s money, I wanted his bracelet.
Currently, we were in our twelfth round of poker.
Chae Nayun was still in the negative, while my chips had multiplied to 60 million won.
“…Tsk.”
Bert was angry, understandably so. I would be angry too if a random kid suddenly barged in on my scheme and took 50 million won.
However, Bert currently had the best hand. Five cards had already been dealt, so there were two cards left until we would show our hands. If Bert got an ace, he would complete an ace-high full house.
“Next hand.”
The dealer dealt the sixth round of cards.
Bert got an ace of hearts.
He had completed his ace-high full house.
The chances of getting an ace-high full house were 0.144%. It was a hand that normally didn’t lose as the only hands that won against it were four of a kind, straight flush, or royal flush. The chances of getting a four of a kind when someone else had a full house was even lower than winning a lottery.
However, there wasn’t even a single movement in Bert’s facial muscles. Since I couldn’t tell even with my heightened perception, it was safe to say he had a perfect poker face.
“…Hm.”
But I was fine.
My luck led the situation to my advantage. If I had a four of a kind and my opponent had no hand, I would be unlucky as my opponent would just fold.
The opponent having a full house was the perfect trap.
That said, my four of a kind was still incomplete.
In my hands were the deuce of diamonds, deuce of hearts, and deuce of clubs. I was still missing the deuce of spades.
However, I trusted my luck.
“Call”
Bert made his bet, maintaining his calm.
“I raise!”
The bald man increased the pot size with a terrible hand. I wasn’t sure what happened, but he must have received Bert’s sign somehow.
“Call.”
Chae Nayun also called carefully.
…She really was terrible at this game.
In any case, I also called just like Bert wanted. In this seven-card stud table, the maximum betting limit was 500 million won. Although I made quite a bit, I was still short stacked compared to the other more rich players on the table. With that last call, I had gone all-in.
“Here’s the final hidden card.”
Deuce of Spades.
My four of a kind was complete.
“Ah, kid, you already went all-in, so you can’t bet anymore, huh.”
Just like Bert said, I was out of money. There was still a round of betting left.
Bert asked casually.
“Why don’t you bet that ring on your finger instead?”
Bert noticed that the ring on my finger wasn’t an ordinary ring. As expected of a scammer, he had good eyesight.
“What!?”
However, the one who reacted fiercely wasn’t me, but Chae Nayun.
“Is this guy crazy!? Hey, let’s just leave!”
“…What, the game isn’t even over yet. Just stay put.”
“It’s fine, I’ll give you the money you would have lost—”
“Just sit.”
What’s up with her? I grabbed Chae Nayun’s wrist and made her sit.
“Fine, I’ll bet this priceless ring, so you bet that too.”
I pulled my ring out and placed it on the table. Then, I pointed at the obsidian bracelet on Bert’s left wrist.
After thinking about it for a moment, Bert took his bracelet off.
“Deal.”
Then, Chae Nayun whispered into my ear with a worried face.
“Hey, are you really okay with that? That’s your family keepsake—”
“I won’t lose, so just stay still. I would have folded if I didn’t stand a chance.”
I didn’t even hear what Chae Nayun was saying.
“Now then.”
The pot size was 300 million won, but the real value of the pot was much higher with two artifacts on the line.
“What will the others bet?”
When I asked, Bert’s teammates immediately folded.
“…I also fold.”
With that, Chae Nayun also fell silent.
Only Bert and I were left in the pot.
“Then shall we show our hands?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll go first.”
Bert revealed his hand, ace-high full house.
“Full house?”
Chae Nayun’s face stiffened. For some reason, she seemed to care more about the outcome of this match than me.
“Haha, sorry, kid.”
Bert grinned and moved to sweep the chips to his side. It was the stereotypical scene of someone about to lose.
“Hold on, I haven’t revealed my hand yet.”
“…What?”
Just like what victors would do in gambling movies, I grabbed the loser’s wrist and stopped him from sweeping the chips away. Then, I slowly revealed my hands.
Four cards, all with the number 2, showed up.
“Four of a kind. It’s my victory.”
Immediately, Bert’s expression darkened.
Chae Nayun cusped her hands and shouted.
“Wow! A four of a kind! H-How!?”
Chae Nayun’s hair stood on ends, as did mine. Although I already knew I would win, winning brought a great sense of ecstasy.
**
Just as I expected, Bert made a big scene, calling me a scammer. However, Chae Nayun subdued him before the security guards could even arrive, and I grabbed all the chips along with his obsidian bracelet.
===
[Athenian Citizen’s Obsidian Bracelet] [Magic Artifiact]
A bracelet with magic seals.
<Magic Seal (1/4)>
—Shock Absorption & Automatic Recharge
*When its wearer receives damage, some of it is converted into magic power and stored in the bracelet.
*Slowly charges magic power when exposed to air.
===
Although this bracelet could store magic power, the wearer couldn’t use it directly as the magic power would only linger inside the bracelet. This was the reason that Bert wouldn't realize the true worth of this bracelet until a year later. Of course, that was in the original story. Now that the bracelet was in my hands, he would never find out about its true worth. 
Then how could this bracelet be used?
It was simple. You just had to engrave another magic seal into the bracelet.
This bracelet could store up to four magic seals. For now, I planned to put seals that enhanced my physical body.
“…What were you going to do if you lost?”
Chae Nayun, who was walking next to me, suddenly asked.
“Jump off a bridge.”
I meant it to be a joke, but Chae Nayun made a serious face.
“…Don’t say that. You have to live your life to the fullest.”
It was surprising to see her say something like that in such a serious tone.
“What is it all of the sudden? What, you want your money back?”
Of the 300 million I won, 100 million belonged to Chae Nayun.
“No, you use it. You won it fair and square. I’ll consider it a lesson fee. I won’t gamble ever again.”
Chae Nayun walked forward while grumbling. It seemed she planned to leave the casino.
“Oh, by the way.”
Then, she suddenly came to stop and turned around to face me. After hesitating for a moment, she spoke abruptly.
“You were pretty cool today.”
With that, she turned back and left the casino.
“…I guess I was.”
Of course, I had no plans to leave yet.
Standing in the middle of the casino floor, I breathed in the heated atmosphere’s air.
Trrrrr—
The sound of a spinning roulette struck my ears.
I could hear people screaming at a baccarat table.
Slot machines tempted people with their addictive tune.
The laughter of dealers rang out, and tables were stacked with chips and cards.
Casino, where the fate of fortune was decided by luck.
Here, I was king.
“….”
I clenched my fists and chose my target.
First was the roulette.
I walked up with heavy steps and put down 100 million won.
“1 to 12.”
Spectators gave me curious glances.