True gambling masters are rarely young, nor are they old. They are usually in their prime—middle-aged. Elderly gamblers may have rich experience, but their stamina and focus wane with age, making them prone to mistakes after several hours at the table. On the other hand, youth often equates to inexperience. Even with natural talent, gambling requires years of practice to hone the intuition needed to read opponents and grasp psychological nuances.
While card tricks and sleight of hand might be effective in a brief interaction, real mastery comes from countless hours studying human behavior, learning to read the subtlest expressions and gestures. Experienced gamblers can often tell what's in someone's hand just by the slightest twitch or glance.
Most people present doubted Ethan's skills; to them, he looked more like a young playboy than a seasoned gambler. Grant Shen, the owner of Fortune Aluminum, couldn't identify Isabella, let alone deduce that this young man was her partner. From his perspective, Tyler seemed to be out of options, resorting to a last-minute replacement—exactly what Shen expected.
Tyler shot a questioning look at Isabella, who frowned and shook her head slightly. She genuinely didn't know if Ethan was up to the task. But there was no backing out now. Shen's taunts made that option impossible.
"Deal the cards," Ethan said with a calm gesture to the dealer.
The dealer, Tyler's trusted man, dealt the cards without any tricks. Tyler, though crafty, played his games fairly. He wouldn't need an elaborate setup to fleece inexperienced players; a skilled gambler at the table was usually enough.
Isabella leaned down close behind Ethan and whispered in his ear, "Are you sure you can handle this?"
To onlookers, it seemed like she was merely a companion, a beautiful girl by his side as he gambled—a common sight at high-stakes tables.
Ethan replied quietly, "It's only a few million. If I lose, I'll cover it."
The dealer's shuffling machine clicked and clattered before dispensing the cards, and the game began. Ethan reached out to adjust his card slightly, a habit of his to make sure they were perfectly aligned. Then, he picked up just one corner of the card to peek at it before flipping it over to reveal a Seven of Spades.
The game was Texas Hold'em, and they both revealed their second cards—Ethan had the high card with a Seven of Spades, while his opponent's card was a Five of Hearts. Ethan had the better hand and was first to bet.
"Fifty thousand," Ethan tossed out a chip stack with ease.
"Call!" said Shen's man, Ben Yao, a seasoned gambler with a reputation that preceded him.
Ben Yao had a calm and cautious demeanor; his slight adjustments to his glasses and focused look showed he was reading Ethan's every move. But Ethan knew Ben Yao's style well—after all, he'd faced Yao countless times in his thousand-year loop. Ethan's confidence stemmed not just from skill but from years of knowledge; he knew he could beat anyone.
After a few rounds of betting and card draws, Ethan managed to win three out of five hands, leaving him with a respectable pile of chips, totaling over a million.
"Raise the stakes?" Ben Yao suggested, smiling as he observed Ethan's accumulating chips.
"Sure," Ethan nodded with a smile, as if he were simply there to enjoy the game.
More rounds passed, with Ethan holding his own and slowly building up his stack to 2.5 million. Yao had let Ethan win several times, hoping to lull him into a false sense of confidence, setting him up for a big loss. But in reality, Ethan had been carefully reading Yao's strategies, knowing full well that Yao planned to go all-in when the time was right.
Finally, the decisive hand arrived.
Without checking his hole card, Ethan glanced at his second card and revealed an Ace of Hearts. Yao revealed his card, a King of Spades, indicating a fairly even match. Ethan placed a starting bet of 100,000, and Yao called without hesitation.
The dealer dealt more cards. Both continued to call each other's raises, each determined to outlast the other.
The fifth and final card brought the table to a tense silence. Ethan had a lackluster set of cards—an Ace, Six, Seven, and Three of various suits. His best shot was a high card with an Ace. Meanwhile, Yao's hand wasn't impressive either, with a King and a mix of low-value cards.
Despite the poor hands, everyone at the table was focused, waiting to see if Ethan would finally check his hole card.
"All-in!" Ben Yao suddenly pushed his pile forward, his face breaking into a confident smile.
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