There were various gambling methods in the manor house of State Duke Cheng.
Only those who enjoyed betting heavily would wager from the very beginning on the ultimate winner of the chess tournament. Most people bet on the games as they proceeded.
Jing Shang was naturally cautious, so he had followed others in how they gambled. He bet a large amount on the first game. He thought that with Jing Jiu having won first place in the chess tournament of the Four-Seas Banquet, his chess playing prowess should be extraordinary. Even if he couldn't win in the end, it should be easy for him to win a few games in the beginning.
But no-one predicted that Jing Jiu would encounter the unbeatable Tong Yan in the first game.
The caretaker knew what had happened on the Chess Board Mountain. "We don't know the final result yet. So don't worry too much, master," he said to Jing Shang sympathetically.