Chapter 395 - 358: Arrogant Little Days, Master Level Poker

Wang Jike glanced at his up-cards—a 10 of clubs and a 10 of diamonds. His hole card was the 10 of spades, giving him three of a kind. Full of confidence, he smiled and said, "Call!"

He pushed five chips forward.

Wang Jike’s confidence stemmed from his understanding of the game. His opponent, showing a Jack and Queen of spades, was obviously going for a big hand—a straight flush or a straight.

But since he held the 10 of spades, his opponent’s chances of making a straight flush were zero!

There was still a chance the opponent could make a straight or a flush, which would beat his three of a kind.

However, since the other three players had folded early, it was highly likely his opponent would end up with nothing but a high card. If that happened, even if Wang Jike drew two useless cards himself, his three of a kind was a guaranteed win!

’Screw it, let’s go for it! Go big or go home! Poker is all about skill and mental fortitude.’

In Stud poker, the hand rankings are: Straight Flush > Four of a Kind > Full House (three of a kind and a pair) > Flush > Straight > Three of a Kind > Two Pair > One Pair > High Card.

The dealer then dealt the fourth round of cards.

What made the white man hesitate was the card he just drew: a 10 of hearts. Combined with his hole card, the 9 of spades, he now had a four-card straight draw, though it wasn’t a flush draw.

But precisely because of this, the odds of the final card failing him and leaving him with just a high card were also significant. He couldn’t be certain he would draw a King or an 8.

What reassured him, however, was that his opponent couldn’t possibly make four of a kind, and the odds of him getting a full house were even lower than his own odds of completing the straight.

This round, Wang Jike drew a Queen of hearts. It was his turn to act.

"Raise! One hundred thousand!"

The white man hesitated for a moment but chose to call.

At this, not only did the other players at the table sit up straight, but the spectators outside grew tense as well.

With their bird’s-eye view of the game, the spectators who understood the rules knew the situation was now neck and neck. The winner wouldn’t be clear until the very last card.

The room fell silent, the only sound being the soft rustle of the dealer’s cards against the tabletop.

As the final round of cards was dealt, a buzz of excitement went through the audience.

From their all-seeing perspective, everyone knew the final hands of the two dueling players.

The middle-aged white man had indeed completed his straight: 8, 9, 10, J, Q. Though he was just one suit shy of a straight flush, his expression remained calm and collected.

What made the man nervous was that Wang Jike had drawn another Queen, the Queen of diamonds. Wang Jike was now showing two pair on the board. If his hole card matched one of those pairs, giving him a full house, the man was guaranteed to lose!

After seeing a flicker of regret on Wang Jike’s face, the middle-aged white man made up his mind. If Wang Jike’s bet wasn’t too high, he would risk a call. It was only the first hand, after all, and it was still anyone’s game.

"Queen of diamonds, your bet," the dealer prompted.

Although Wang Jike had just been feigning regret, he knew a large bet would definitely scare the white man off. So, after pretending to hesitate, he tossed out a hundred-thousand chip and said through gritted teeth, "Just this, I’ll try my luck! I’m betting you’ve got nothing but a high card!"

Inside the glass room, it was a battle of wits and courage, but the spectators outside knew clearly that Wang Jike was baiting the middle-aged white man into calling.

"Wu Yunsang! This poker game is so difficult! It requires not only skill but also brains! If I were playing, I’d lose every penny to my name!" Ayaka Sanji exclaimed, leaning against Wu Yun.

Wu Yun chuckled. "It’s definitely a test of mental fortitude. Look! This guy’s about to win."

Just then, the middle-aged white man also tossed out a hundred-thousand chip, saying, "It’s the first hand. I’ll play along with you!"

Everyone played rationally in the first round; there was none of the dramatic all-in action you see in the movies.

Wang Jike flipped over his hole card with a grin. "Sorry about that. Three 10s, two Qs. Full house! I win!"

Seeing this, the middle-aged man didn’t get angry. He simply pushed his cards toward the dealer without revealing his hole card.

Chuckling, Wang Jike raked in the chips he’d won that round and placed them in his box.

Afterward, the dealer handed the first deck to a staff member, opened a new one, and let the players inspect it before starting the second hand.

However, it seemed Wang Jike had used up all his luck in that first hand, as he came up short for the next few rounds.

Even when he was dealt a great hand, his bad luck seemed to persist. In one round, Wang Jike was dealt a 7-to-Jack straight flush in spades. The normally audacious player surprisingly went for a capped bet (the maximum all-in bet was 50% of the smallest player’s stack, with the room’s single-bet ceiling at 10 million USD).

This special all-in bet immediately ignited the passion of everyone both inside and outside the room.

The spectators, however, were mostly just enjoying the spectacle. They could see from the broadcast that, aside from the short, stocky Japanese man whose hole card was hidden, Wang Jike’s visible hand was the strongest on the table.

Wang Jike’s move sent a chill through the room. The middle-aged white man and the Arab, who had just placed their bets, were starting to have regrets. The audience knew Wang Jike’s hole card was the 8 of spades, but the other players had bet on the long shot that he was bluffing with a worthless hand.

But now, with Wang Jike raising them like this, any fool could see he must have hit the straight flush.

Only the short, stocky Japanese man was left to act. He couldn’t afford to be arrogant now. He sat up straight and carefully bent a corner of his hole card to take a peek. A moment later, an excited look flashed across his face.

The Japanese man then said in broken English, "I call!"