Vienna rolled her eyes. “You might be missing the point.”
Over the next two hours they discussed the merits of equality, and she found that all three men were actually very much progressive in their attitudes about women. She liked them the more she got to know them. They were sometimes a little old-fashioned in their views, but in a good way. They were protective of women and children, but she didn’t have the impression any of them thought women were less intelligent.
The cards were in play, and once again Art opened the bet with a hundred thousand. Once everyone was in, Leo pushed the bet to a half-million dollars. Jameson stayed. Vienna folded. Art folded. Vienna could see that the flop appeared to help both men. Queen, four and five of diamonds. Leo bet another half million, and Jameson stayed with him. The turn was the five of spades. The room went silent, tension increasing until it was stretched so tight it felt as if a wire had been pulled to the breaking point.
Leo doubled his bet. Jameson answered him. Leo didn’t hesitate, staying with him. The dealer turned over the last card to reveal the three of diamonds. Leo bet another million. Jameson went all in. Leo matched him, calling him.
Art studied the cards on the table and shook his head, raising an eyebrow at Vienna. Jameson had a straight flush, with the ace and two of diamonds in the pocket. Leo had a full house, with three queens and two fives, two queens in the pocket.
Leo stood, shaking his head. “Hell of a play, Jameson.” He held out his hand.
“Good cards,” Jameson replied.
Leo offered his hand to the other two and left the table to the respectful applause of the spectators.
The very next hand, Vienna kicked off the betting with a quarter of a million dollars. Art and Jameson stayed in. Vienna was dealt two aces in the pocket. She bet a half-million dollars. Both men stayed with her. The flop added the ace of diamonds, seven of clubs and jack of spades. Vienna pushed the bet to a million. Both Jameson and Art stayed with her.
The turn revealed the queen of clubs. Vienna bet another million. Jameson matched her million and raised another million. Art looked the cards over and folded. Vienna stayed in with Jameson. He already had his straight and was certain of the win.
She was pushing her luck depending on the river card, a dangerous thing to do. That calm place she had, the energy moving in her, gave her the ability to “see” the cards before they turned over. She knew the card coming up was the seven of spades. The dealer placed it face up. That gave her a full house, aces full of sevens. Jameson had a straight—a very good hand. She already had him beat. Still, when she went in with a million, he pushed it with an all-in bet.
With a straight? With the board pairs? She looked the cards over. She supposed it looked as if she didn’t have anything and was possibly bluffing. They had all tried to see how and when she bluffed. But this wasn’t the time to find out, or at least, she wouldn’t have chosen to test the waters at that precise time. She called him.
Jameson showed his straight, and she showed her full house. The spectators erupted into wild applause.
“It’s that river card,” Art said. “Never bet against her on the river card.”
Jameson stood up and extended his hand. “You’ve got some kind of luck when it comes to the river.”
She supposed she did. It was down to Art and Vienna. The next two hands were lousy and she folded. Then he folded. Art bet a quarter of a million and she went in with him to see her cards, already knowing both of them were going to get good cards. Hers looked good. Art’s looked great. He had a pair of aces. She had the queen and jack of hearts. The dealer turned over the flop. The ace of spades. The seven of spades. The ten of hearts.
Vienna studied the cards. Looked at Art’s face. He gave her his little grin that said nothing and everything. She bet a million dollars. He matched her bet and raised her a million. She felt the instant ratcheting up of the tension in the crowd as she pushed her chips in to answer him. The dealer burned a card and dealt the turn. Another heart, a nine.
Art studied the cards and looked at her face as she made a two-million-dollar bet. “Are you betting on that river card? You have to be. You don’t have your hand yet. I know you don’t. You and your lucky red on the river.”
To see her cards and the river card, he’d have to put up another two million in chips. He certainly had it, but clearly, his warning system was telling him not to do it. Art gave her another grin and shook his head as he matched her bet.
A groan erupted from the spectators. Art didn’t look up, his gaze on the dealer’s hands as she burned the next card and turned up the eight of hearts. Art leapt out of his chair and paced away from the table. “No way. That’s your card, isn’t it? You were bluffing this entire time and the river gave it up to you.”
He sank back into his seat. Vienna bet two million. Art shook his head. “I’m not crazy, Vienna. That’s your card. You have a flush. Not just a flush. You have a straight flush. I’m not handing you another penny.”
He’d been a good sport and he’d lost a lot of money to her. She turned her cards face up and sent him her own little grin.
“I knew it. You do bluff.”
She didn’t answer. Let him decide when she was bluffing and when she wasn’t. Three hands later, Art was dealt two pocket jacks. She had two pocket tens. Vienna’s initial bet was half a million dollars. Art immediately raised it by another half a million. Vienna stayed in to see the flop. Two tens and a jack. That gave Art a full house with three jacks and Vienna four of a kind. Vienna bet two million. Art saw her two million and raised her two million. She met his raise.
The turn gave them an ace of hearts, which didn’t do anything for either hand. Vienna bet five million of her chips. Art looked the cards over carefully and then studied her face before he matched the bet and upped it. She upped it again. A hush had fallen over the room. Art coolly pushed the appropriate chips in to match hers.
The dealer turned over the seven of hearts. Vienna bet five million chips. Art studied the cards again and then went all in. There was no possible way for him to have four jacks. He couldn’t beat her with a straight flush, even if her “gift” wasn’t working. She had the stronger hand. She pushed her chips in to match his.
Art revealed his full house, three jacks and two tens. She revealed her four of kind, four tens. Vienna had won the championship at the Northern Lights Hotel and Casino. Art, ever the consummate professional, extended his hand to her immediately.
“Amazing, Vienna. I want to be here when you play Daniel Wallin. I’ve asked him, I hope you don’t mind. The game will be in a couple of days.”
She paused halfway through the act of rising. If she were being truthful with herself, part of the reason she had accepted the invitation to play in the live tournament at the Northern Lights was that she knew part of the prize was to play poker with Daniel Wallin—a man considered unbeatable. Every top celebrity gambler did anything they could for a chance at an invite to play with him.
“Wait. What? A couple of days? I have other commitments.” Her heart sank. She’d watched every single YouTube video Wallin was in, studying his every move. She was convinced he used a psychic talent of some kind. Not the same as hers, but something else. She had to know what it was. The compulsion was stronger than most things that took hold of her. Still, she’d given her word to her friends, and she didn’t go back on her word.
“The winner of the tournament always plays a game with Wallin. You have to play with him.” Art moved closer to her in order to be heard over the yelling of the crowd.
“Of course I want to, Art. Who wouldn’t? He’s considered the best there is.” Then she was pulled away from him and microphones were thrust at her as announcements were made. Photos were taken. She was escorted to a room where Daniel Wallin waited, surrounded by his security and a selected camera crew to televise the prize being given as well as the speeches and her interview with the owner.