The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry!
At first, I was aiming for a mix of cards, not expecting to stumble into a pair to start. With three opportunities, and a chance for a Full House, even Four of a Kind seemed possible.
Moreover, my opponent, He Guan, also had a pair with his visible and hidden cards combined.
At this point, if I hadn't considered the consequences of losing, I would never have raised the bet to only ten million, giving He Guan a chance to see the cards. I thought He Guan would call directly, but to my surprise, after hearing my bet, the corners of his mouth curved up strangely, and he sneered dismissively.
Glancing at my pair of Kings, He Guan said, "With such a strong hand like a pair of Kings, why only bet ten million? How can that be enough?"
"If you don't raise, I'll raise for you!"
"I'll call ten million, and then raise you another ten million!"
With that, He Guan tossed two ten-million-chip stacks onto the table.
Seeing He Guan's sudden, unprovoked raise, I couldn't help but frown.
The fourth card the dealer dealt had already been revealed by He Guan, showing a single 8.
Adding his visible cards from the previous two rounds, He Guan's visible hand was now: Jack of Spades, Ten of Hearts, and Eight of Hearts.
Why did he dare to bet twenty million? Was it just because of home advantage?
Having an advantage was true, but if he lost, just like me... He Guan would also lose a life!
It didn't seem like he was bluffing or putting on a show, because my visible hand was a pair of Kings, and no matter how he acted, he couldn't fool me.
If neither of the above deductions were correct, then only one last possibility remained.
The card He Guan had secretly swapped and hidden with the "Moon in the Clouds" technique, the one that was supposed to form a pair... wasn't a card that could form a pair, but a single 9 that could complete two straight runs.
This guy played an extremely brilliant game of "hiding in plain sight"!
To avoid confusion for those who might not understand, let me explain simply...
He Guan's starting hand was a 10 and a Jack, with the 10 being hidden and the Jack visible. His third card was a 9.
If he had played normally without any swaps, then the two visible cards in front of He Guan should have been the Jack and the 9, but he swapped the 9 for a 10.
Doesn't it seem confusing why He Guan would openly expose a card that could create a straight run? Wouldn't it be better to hide it to lure me in?
Many people would have this thought, including some cheaters who would never consider doing this.
However, they don't realize that true masters, besides having solid skills, also pay great attention to every detail on the gambling table.
This is also why He Guan was pushed onto the stage by Xiao Tianci as an opponent in this life-or-death gamble to compete with me.
He was playing a game of "hiding in plain sight," and then waiting for the fourth card to be dealt, deciding whether to reveal his true intentions based on the situation.
If his cards aligned and his plan succeeded, I would be in a dilemma.
On the fifth card, if He Guan managed to get a straight run from both ends, unless I could get a winning Full House, I would be doomed.
If I didn't call, I would lose the ante of one million plus the raised bet of eleven million for nothing.
Of course, there was a third possibility.
He Guan's hidden card was worthless, and he was bluffing me.
Choosing one out of three, only one could be the correct answer.
...
Coming back to my senses, I took out a cigarette from my pocket, flipped it back and forth in my hand, and at the same time, used my eyes to stare at He Guan, trying to subtly observe all his micro-expressions.
The skill of observing people's expressions in the workplace is equally applicable to the "Thousand Gate Blue Path," especially during high-level duels.
If you cannot restrain your opponent with strength, you must find ways to utilize their expressions and eyes, as well as subtle gestures and movements, to analyze them.
Everyone, please remember, whether in business, the workplace, the casino, or on the battlefield, the contest of hard power is actually secondary. The real contest is always about human hearts!
I heard Uncle Tuo say that in Hong Kong and Macau, many professional gamblers, when cheating in casinos, would conceal their faces.
For example: wearing sunglasses, or hats, or chewing gum, eating, or even covering their faces with scarves or masks.
These facial coverings are all to prevent opponents from detecting subtle changes in their facial expressions.
...
Following Uncle Tuo's past teachings, I used the action of flipping the cigarette in my hand to continuously observe He Guan discreetly.
Unfortunately, He Guan and I had only met today, and I knew absolutely nothing about him before.
Coupled with his deliberate attempts to conceal, I couldn't find any useful patterns from the expressions and demeanor on his face.
After looking at my hand again, I made an unexpected move.
I folded my cards and directly announced that I was folding and not calling.
Seeing that I had chosen to fold, He Guan gave a contemptuous cold smile and looked at me with a provocative gaze, saying, "No way, brother? You only raised ten million, and you're folding already?"
After speaking, He Guan revealed the card he had hidden as a hidden card using the "Moon in the Clouds" technique.
Two of Hearts, it was actually the third possibility!
"Before the game started, I thought you were a formidable opponent! Did such a useless small card scare you this much?"
As soon as He Guan finished speaking, Xiao Tianci and the hidden observers around the hall began to whisper and mock.
I had to admit that He Guan was a cunning old fox with excellent psychological resilience and a very tricky and deceptive gambling style.
His decision to reveal the card was to provoke me with psychological warfare.
After forcing myself to calm down, I lit a cigarette to compose myself and said coldly, "In a showdown, the winner and loser cannot be definitively determined until the very last moment!"
"Dealer, please shuffle the cards for the next round!"
As soon as I finished speaking, I picked up a plastic chip worth one million and placed it as the ante on the table.
In the subsequent rounds, I had both wins and losses.
With a total of one hundred million in chips, I had lost approximately twenty million by now.
There was one hour and thirty-seven minutes left until midnight. If I couldn't win back the twenty million before midnight, this life-or-death gamble would be considered my loss.
If I lost... I would die!
There was only one way to ensure a sure win, and that was to cheat!
But in a game like this, where there were no opportunities to shuffle or cut the cards, the maximum extent of cheating I could achieve would be card stealing.
In front of all the hidden observers of Tianci Tower, the countless surveillance cameras around the hall, and the unfathomably skilled He Guan...
Completing the act of card stealing was not a simple matter.
But no matter what, I had to find a way to try...