บท 38: 38 - High Roller
Making his way to the Texas Hold'em table, Li Yun greeted the regulars and took an empty seat.
If anyone were looking in, it would look like 6 regulars. Li Yun noticed that the players liked to wear a mixture of dark brown, black, and khaki colored t-shirts and slacks.
He was wearing a blue t-shirt yesterday, but wore a dark brown t-shirt and baggy slacks the following day. Not only was it more comfortable, he blended in with regulars.
When people wear similar clothes, it creates a sense of camaraderie.
Unlike their first initial reaction, they were friendlier on the second day.
"Starting out with 20k again?" asked Bullnose looking at Li Yun's chip stack. "That's not the typical bankroll at a high roller table. You sure you're alright with losing?"
"Yeah, I paid off my debt to my parents."
"What a good kid, wish my kids were that thoughtful," remarked Lao Cao.
"How many do you have?" asked Li Yun. Unlike the mainland, they didn't have restrictions in Macao.
"Three damn sons, they all manage to piss me off."
Judging from his age, they were probably in their twenties and thirties.
As Lao Cao continued to rant about his sons, they made it through a couple rounds without any major showdowns. Li Yun was down 5k after a series of bad hole cards and turns.
There were a couple of things Li Yun noticed. Bullnose's body would tilt ever slightly to the left when he got high pairs. His body being still gave it away that his cards were average. Li Yun stalled for a bit, calculating the odds. Playing with his chips, he called for an all in.
Bullnose tapped his forefinger on the table, thinking about what card Li Yun had that would make him go all in. The other two players folded, obviously, they didn't have cards they thought could win. Everyone switched between watching Bullnose and Li Yun, the two facing off in an intense staring match.
They could see that Li Yun was familiar with the basics of the game, but not someone who was a professional. It was easy to assume that he might have a full house. Bullnose finally shook his head and folded his three of a kind.
Li Yun easily won the round with poor hands and a bluff. He wasn't doing it to get money, he was purely playing a bluff to test their response. It seemed that the players still couldn't read him. Or, they were already onto him, and giving away the round to make a strong play the following round.
After winning the round, Li Yun let out a sigh of relief; 30k of chips looked a lot better than 15k.
"Whew, you guys are tough!" Li Yun dabbed a bit of sweat out with his napkin.
The players laughed. "When you sit here enough time, you see all sorts of players come in, complete amateurs and then real professionals too. Those guys are much more interesting to play with. Especially the ones who think we're easy just because we are cash players. They might make a few bucks from us, but we will leave them scars they wouldn't forget."
Li Yun knew that the first time he sat at the table, do not underestimate lifelong cash-round poker players. These people had an appetite for winning and enough bankroll to clean out any rookie.
But was he going to be scared off because of it? Well, hell, try sitting at a high roller table in Macao and then see how long would you would last. Also, it was Li Yun's second day gambling in his lifetime. The only thing that kept him at the table was that he had felt the same pressure under Zaowang, dealing with millions of dollars at stake.
To that end, he used his inexperience to throw off the players, while being experienced enough to handle the pressure.
At the end of the day, he made 40k. The other players were still in the dark about his actual playing level.
On the third day, he made himself at home and spoke with the regulars as though he had always been sitting at the table.
"Well, if you keep this up, we'll add you to our club," remarked Bullnose.
"There's a club?" Li Yun asked.
"Well, yeah. Texas Hold'em isn't really popular here, so you can consider it a pretty exclusive club. 12 members in the entire GD-providence, are you interested in joining?"
"I don't really play poker," Li Yun replied. He wondered if they would believe him if he told them that it was only his second day playing.
"No need, as long as you play Texas Hold'em whenever you visit, the club will take you in."
"Sure, is there any requirement?"
"Well, there is one requirement." Lao Cao paused, attempting to create a dramatic atmosphere. "You gotta bring in another person the next time you visit."
Li Yun laughed. It seemed like the club was meant to preserve the game rather than an actual club. He could understand it well. A few years ago, there were more Texas Hold'em tables, but every year the casino replaced the table in favor of the other games.
Unlike other table games, Texas Hold'em required a group of players to play against each other. It was mainly a competition between the players. The casino barely makes money from the commissions. For the players at the table, it wasn't just about the money, it was about the game.
"Oh! There's the Texas Hold'em game," a young man in a pinstripe suit excitedly said as he approached the table.
He was escorted by a beautiful long-lashed woman, a bodyguard, and a personal tour guide. Everyone turned to the newcomer, smiling in their hearts at the sight of a large whale.
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