Chapter 1 The First Round Qualifiers
The first round of qualifiers stipulated that each participant would start with 100,000 chips. After two hours, the top three chip holders would automatically advance to the elimination rounds.
On the surface, it seemed simple: just play casually for two hours and try to preserve one's chips. However…
In both Texas Hold'em and Stud poker, it's possible to go all-in with a good hand.
If, before the two-hour mark, someone was forced to go all-in, many variables could come into play.
To prevent chip-grabbing through all-in bets, Yun Jin had imposed a 10,000 chip limit for all contestants participating in Stud or Texas Hold'em.
While a 10,000 chip limit might not seem like much, it was actually quite high given the starting stack of 100,000 chips.
Therefore, the first priority upon sitting at the table was to identify the identities of the other players. This was crucial.
If there were any cheaters at the table, one would need to be extremely vigilant.
However, in my opinion, the demeanor and behavior of the players at my table earlier suggested that it was unlikely they were disguised cheaters.
This meant I could now play with full confidence.
Just as I was preparing to make my move in the fourth round, I suddenly saw the girl, after posting her big and small blinds, directly raise the bet!
As a side note, because the chip stacks were limited and the time was ample, the blinds in the Texas Hold'em qualifiers started at 100, with a maximum bet of 10,000.
It was noteworthy that this attractive girl had raised her bet to 1,000 right at the start of the fourth round.
Moreover, the intense confidence she exuded while betting created a significant sense of pressure.
Earlier, I had been so focused on observing the men that I had overlooked the girl who was the center of their attention.
Judging by her actions, it was highly probable that she, like me, was a cheater, and her strategy so far had been similar – hiding her true strength.
Starting with a 1,000 bet, it was very likely that by the time the last two community cards were dealt and it was time for the showdown, she would raise to the maximum limit.
In other words, before the outcome was decided, following her to the end would mean losing at least 13,000 chips!
This would immediately account for about one-seventh of the 100,000 chip stack.
With this thought, after taking a glance at the three community cards on the table, I calmly chose to fold. Folding meant that the outcome of this round was no longer my concern.
Subsequently, I used this opportunity to covertly observe the girl's every move…
About half an hour later.
The girl's chip count had increased rapidly, more than doubling her initial 100,000, making her the undisputed number one at our table!
As for me, I was comfortably in second place, neither excelling nor falling behind, fluctuating within the 100,000 chip range.
If things continued at this pace for the next hour and a half, the top three at our table would soon be decided.
Although there was still a gap of about 30,000 to 40,000 chips between me and the third-place player, I dared not be complacent.
This 30,000 to 40,000 chip difference could be closed with just three consecutive wins if luck was on my side and I raised to all-in.
After another ten minutes or so, two participants at my table were eliminated for losing all their chips.
Here's how it happened.
From the fourth round onwards, whenever the attractive girl received a decent starting hand, she had been using raises and then going all-in during the final betting rounds to lure others into the game.
Those two eliminated players had fallen for the bait, losing a small amount initially only to suffer greater losses.
By the time the dealer had dealt all five community cards, regardless of who held the blinds, when the girl bet, it was almost always the maximum limit.
Seeing that the game was nearing its conclusion, with the final showdown about to determine the winner, and having already committed chips earlier, as long as their hole cards weren't too bad, players were hoping to risk it for a chance at a bigger win.
As a result, as they kept betting, they discovered that their chips… were all gone!
With about an hour remaining, the girl had completely taken the lead, firmly holding the first place with over 300,000 chips.
As for me and the other two players, we were closely ranked from second to fourth, with extremely small differences between us.
Seeing that the girl had a firm grip on victory, and as she herself began to slow down her pace and rhythm to continue playing…
I decided it was time to make my move!
Not long after, I found a very good opportunity.
The three community cards dealt by the dealer were the 10 of Hearts, the Queen of Hearts, and the Queen of Spades.
My hole cards were a 9 of Spades and a 10 of Clubs.
If the dealer did not reveal either of the remaining two Queens in the next two community cards, I would have an opportunity to cheat and swap my 9 of Spades for a winning Queen.
However, before that, I still needed to estimate the range of their hole cards based on the betting patterns.
Just as everyone had finished betting and it was my turn to speak, and I remained motionless…
“Sir, it’s your turn to speak,” the dealer politely interjected, breaking my reverie.
Upon hearing this, I glanced at the chips on the table and said, “Ten thousand!”
After speaking, I tossed a chip worth ten thousand onto the table.
Seeing that I had been playing passively for the past hour and was now suddenly betting the maximum, the other three players at the table all turned their gazes towards me.
The girl, in particular, frowned and stared intently at me, as if trying to see through me.
My decision to raise to the maximum at this point was rather critical for the other two male contestants.
Because from the moment they called the bet until the final showdown, a guaranteed 30,000 chips would be involved, and there could only be one winner.
If everyone called, it meant that the eventual winner would gain over 90,000 chips, including the initial blinds.
In a single hand, the final placement of second place could be largely determined.
Finally, only the two players with the fewest chips would be left to contend for the insignificant third place.
It was insignificant because the first-place player, with over 300,000 chips, was far ahead.
The second-place player, winning this hand, could accumulate nearly 200,000 chips if the other three players all called, including their initial bets.
As for the third-place finisher, they would advance with a mere 100,000 chips, a rather uneventful outcome.