Zhuang Rui grabbed Qin Xuanbing's right hand and jokingly blew on it, making everyone laugh and cry at the same time. This kid really has a big heart. While they were all watching with great tension, he still had the leisure to joke.
Qin Xuanbing blushed at Zhuang Rui's actions, but she felt a sweet warmth in her heart. Zhuang Rui's willingness to be affectionate with her in front of everyone meant that he cared about her.
With this in mind, Qin Xuanbing wasn't too nervous and reached out her right hand to turn over the bottom card on the table in front of her.
"Huh? It's Zhang Er?"
"Three lines with three belts and one pair with two?"
"It's Folhaus!"
"Damn, this kid's luck is fucking amazing!"
This authentic Mandarin phrase can only be uttered by Ouyang Jun; no one else could say it like that.
In an instant, the gambling hall erupted in excitement. Although Zhuang Rui's hand previously suggested the possibility of four of a kind or Fulhouse, no one could be certain until the hole cards were revealed. Now that they were out, everyone was stunned and burst into a huge discussion. The once quiet gambling hall became bustling with noise.
"Mr. Stevenson has three Jacks, Mr. Zhuang has three threes with one pair and two extras. Mr. Zhuang wins this round..."
As the project manager spoke, the 9.8 million chips that originally belonged to Stevenson were transferred to Zhuang Rui's side, and a dealer at the table quickly arranged the chips neatly.
Chapter 399 Blunder
"This young man is really lucky. Mr. Liu, your youngest daughter isn't married yet, is she?"
Hong Kong people are very superstitious. Seeing how lucky Zhuang Rui is, some gossipy people started wondering whose daughters were still unmarried.
"Brother Wu, didn't you see my daughter sitting over there? This is my son-in-law, don't joke like that..."
Qin Haoran was naturally unwilling to be outdone. If his son-in-law, whom he had finally secured, were to be snatched away by someone else, the Qin family would lose face big time.
Aside from the murmurs in the audience, Stevenson was also a little frustrated. He hadn't expected his opponent to be so lucky, getting a hand of Fulhouse's cards without even seeing his hole cards, and taking away his three of a kind. However, he quickly adjusted his mindset. Going all in isn't all about luck.
After the dealer next to him collected the discarded cards, Ji Yi took out a new deck of cards, opened it, and skillfully shuffled them. This time, his shuffling technique was different from before; it became extremely fancy. All the shuffling techniques that Zhuang Rui had seen in movies were displayed in Ji Yi's hands, leaving Zhuang Rui dazzled.
This time, Stevenson finally seized the opportunity. He saw the top three cards, which meant that he now knew Zhuang Rui's trump card.
"Mr. Stevenson's 10 of Spades, please place your bet!"
"One million!"
After the cards were dealt, Zhuang Rui received the nine of diamonds as his hole card and the two of spades as his face-up card, while Stevenson had a pair of tens. Stevenson immediately added one million chips.
"One million, I'll go with it..."
Just like the last hand, Zhuang Rui didn't look at his hole cards in public. He threw out a million dollars. He had already seen the cards below and knew that he would get three nines in the end, while Stevenson had two pairs. He was sure he could beat him.
"Two million..."
"Two million!"
"Mr. Stevenson, you have a pair of Js, please place your bet..."
The fifth card was dealt quickly. Zhuang Rui now had a pair of nines, plus a 2 of spades and a 3 of spades, making a set of three of a kind. Stevenson had a pair of jacks, a 10 of diamonds and a 9 of clubs, with a 10 of spades as his hole card, making a set of two pairs. If the cards were revealed, he would still lose to Zhuang Rui.
"Mr. Zhuang, aren't you going to look at your cards?"
Stevenson didn't place a bet, but suddenly started speaking to Zhuang Rui in English.
Zhuang Rui's English was naturally flawless. He smiled and replied, "I don't gamble. Today I'm just betting on luck. If Mr. Stevenson goes all in this hand, I'll bet too..."
"Oh, Mr. Zhuang, I might have three Jacks in this hand, while even if you have three Nines, it won't be higher than mine. If I go all in, are you really willing to call?"
In this hand, 3.1 million had already been bet. Stevenson was putting pressure on Zhuang Rui to fold so that he could take the chips on the table.
"Hehe, Mr. Stevenson, why don't you give it a try..."
Zhuang Rui was just hoping he would go all in, so the betting game could end.
"Mr. Zhuang is having a great day, I'm folding..."
Stevenson shrugged and decisively folded his cards. It wasn't that he didn't want to bluff. But if Zhuang Rui called after he went all in, he would be completely wiped out, with no chance of even breaking even. After all, Stevenson had seen Zhuang Rui's hole cards.
"Mr. Stevenson folds, Mr. Zhuang wins..."
As Ji Yi spoke, the 3.1 million chips were pushed to Zhuang Rui's side.
"What's wrong with Stevenson? He's even afraid to look at the cards?"
"Is this gambling king just a name without substance? He actually folded to such a strong hand?"
"Hmm, that young man does have a bit of the gambling king's demeanor. He's really impressive. He dares to call without even looking at his cards, and he's won two hands in a row..."
Today's betting game left the onlookers somewhat bewildered. In the first round, the gambling king confidently revealed his cards but lost. In the second round, Stevenson didn't even dare to look at his opponent's hole cards and folded immediately, which left the audience completely baffled.
"This foreigner clearly had the upper hand, so why did he fold immediately? Did he know my hand?"
Zhuang Rui ignored the whispers around him, a sense of unease creeping into his mind. He had been hoping to finish the game quickly, but Stevenson had unexpectedly folded. This thought crossed Zhuang Rui's mind. Earlier at the restaurant, while dining with Lu Wenpeng, he had heard Lu Wenpeng mention that some skilled players could memorize several cards while the dealer was shuffling them.
As Ji Yi took out a new deck of cards and began shuffling, Zhuang Rui stared intently at Stevenson. He noticed that Stevenson's pupils were actually following Ji Yi's hands as they moved. He immediately understood that the legendary card counting technique was not nonexistent; the gambling king in front of him was indeed quite skilled.
"Please place your bets, both of you..."
"Wait, I need to cut the cards, cut off the top five cards..."
When Ji Yi asked the two to place their bets, Zhuang Rui suddenly raised his right hand, indicating that he was going to cut the cards. This was to prevent anyone from cheating, which was permitted by the rules.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Stevenson abruptly raised his head and looked at Zhuang Rui in surprise. He hadn't expected the other party to do such a thing. He knew that with his abilities, he could only remember a few cards at most. If the cards were cut off, he would be completely lost again and on the same starting line as the other party.
What frustrated Stevenson even more was that Zhuang Rui never followed the usual path, never played by the rules, and never looked at his cards, forcing him to rely on luck and preventing Stevenson from finding any opportunities to cheat or bluff. And to make matters worse, his luck wasn't as good as Zhuang Rui's, which made Stevenson so upset he felt like vomiting blood.
Stevenson had now abandoned his initial underestimation of Zhuang Rui. After two rounds, Zhuang Rui was actually exerting an invisible pressure on him, something Stevenson had never encountered in the King of Gamblers tournament. Looking at the smiling, seemingly harmless Zhuang Rui across the table, Stevenson couldn't tell whether his opponent was a sheep or a wolf hiding among the sheep.
"Hehe, it's finally my turn to win big! I'll bet five million!"
In this hand, Zhuang Rui's face-up card was the Ace of Spades. He immediately pushed out five million. He remembered that the God of Gamblers in the movies often did this move, which was so dashing. However, Zhuang Rui did not know that in other people's eyes, his move would be described in two words: idiot.
Stevenson was annoyed and covered his cards. Zhuang Rui had been on a winning streak these past few rounds, and he wasn't going to follow suit. Playing Texas Hold'em wasn't just about skill; sometimes it was also about patience. Like a cheetah roaming the grasslands, it could patiently wait for its prey for half the night, and then strike down its prey the moment it was off guard.
"Zhuang Rui, having a big hand isn't what you call it. You need to bet less, lure the opponent in, and then wait until the fifth card before going all in or making a big bet based on the cards you have."
Qin Xuanbing couldn't stand it anymore; her man really knew nothing about gambling.
"Hehe, I won't do that next time..."
Zhuang Rui scratched his head and laughed. He actually understood the principle, but he just wanted to have some fun, and he was sure he would win that hand anyway.
After the cards were shuffled in the next round, Zhuang Rui also called for the cut, and Stevenson, though very unhappy, had no choice but to accept it.
"One hundred thousand..."
Zhuang Rui threw a chip up.
"Followed..."
Stevenson also threw out his chips, this time taking matters into his own hands and no longer bothering the dealer beside him.
"Two hundred thousand..."
When Zhuang Rui received the second card, he spoke again and threw down two more chips.
"Followed..."
Stevenson also wanted to win, and although his hand wasn't great, he still called.
"Mr. Zhuang's hand is the Seven of Diamonds, King of Clubs, Queen of Clubs, and Ace of Spades. Please place your bet, Mr. Zhuang..."
When the fifth card was dealt, neither of them had a pair on their cards. Stevenson's hand consisted of the Ace of Hearts, the Four of Diamonds, the Six of Diamonds, and the Nine of Spades, but his hole card was the Four of Spades. In other words, Stevenson's final hand was a pair.
"Mr. Stevenson, you still have 17.5 million, right? Let's stop dawdling. I'll beat your Ace of Hearts with my Ace of Spades. Let's just go all in!"
Zhuang Rui checked the bets in front of him, then pushed out the neatly stacked 17 million chips. His action made everyone gasp. He didn't even have a pair in his hand, yet he dared to go all in?
However, Zhuang Rui's hand is better than Stevenson's. As long as he can make a pair of cards, his chances of winning are still very high. But the most important thing is that Zhuang Rui has not looked at his cards once since the beginning of the game. Not to mention these spectators, even Qin Xuanbing does not know what his cards are.
"I won't go with..."
Zhuang Rui's actions made Stevenson so frustrated he wanted to bang his head against the wall. He had never encountered such an opponent before. You want to say that the other party cheated? Zhuang Rui hadn't even seen the hole cards. He didn't even know what the hole cards were. How could he cheat?
As for luck? It seemed that his opponent was a little better off than him, and even if his opponent lost this hand, he still had more than 20 million chips. If he lost, he would lose the whole game. Stevenson could only fold his cards in frustration. His mind was in turmoil, and he dared not gamble on this hand.
"Zhuang Rui, what's your trump card?"
Qin Xuanbing was somewhat curious.
"How should I know? Go see for yourself..."
Zhuang Rui knew exactly what the opponent's trump card was—just a third party. He was playing a bluff, betting that the opponent wouldn't dare to go all in with him. Naturally, he won. The reason was simple: he could afford to lose, while Stevenson couldn't afford to lose.
"ah?"
After Qin Xuanbing flipped over the card on the gambling table, she immediately opened her mouth wide in surprise, then covered it with her small hand. The hole card was actually a three of diamonds. However, considering Stevenson's hand, if he didn't have a pair, the three of diamonds would have been a sure win.
Qin Xuanbing didn't notice that Stevenson's expression was incredibly complex after seeing the mistress. His fair face turned as red as Guan Yu's, and the deep red blood seemed to drip from the pores on his face.
All his gambling king demeanor, composure, and general's bearing were gone. Stevenson was filled with shame and anger. He had actually been intimidated by his opponent. He had two pairs of hands that were sure to win, but he lost to a single three.
Seeing the expression on Stevenson's face, the people in the casino naturally understood that his hand was stronger than Zhuang Rui's. The crowd immediately erupted in uproar. The dignified gambling king had actually been cheated out of his hand. If this got out in the gambling industry, it would definitely be big news.
The expressions on the faces of Stanley Ho, the gambling tycoon, and Shu Wen, the shipping magnate, both turned somewhat grim. They knew that Stevenson's mind was starting to wander, and if they continued to gamble on this hand, the chances of them losing were very high.
"I request a fifteen-minute break..."
Stevenson picked up the water glass in front of him, took a sip, and his expression slowly returned to normal. He knew that he had been flustered, so he raised his hand to signal Ji Yi that he wanted to rest before fighting again.
"Mr. Zhuang, what is your opinion?"
Ji Yi looked at Zhuang Rui. According to the rules, a break could only be taken two hours after the start of the game. It had only been a little over an hour. If Stevenson wanted to take a break, he would have to get his opponent's consent.
"I don't mind. If Mr. Stevenson wants to rest, then let him rest."
Zhuang Rui nodded. The outcome of this gamble was already predetermined. He had long considered the precious antiques that Shu Wen had brought as his own.
After seeing Zhuang Rui agree, Stevenson immediately stood up and went to the restroom, but he was accompanied by two dealers, which is a casino rule to prevent anyone from doing anything shady during the break.
The spectators in the stands also felt that their trip was worthwhile, as they had witnessed a unique game of chance. Ouyang Jun even brought Xu Qing to Zhuang Rui's side, looking as if he wished he could gamble a few rounds in Zhuang Rui's place.
Zhuang Rui chatted easily with Qin Xuanbing and Ouyang Jun. He didn't seem to care much about the game and had an indifferent attitude towards winning or losing. It was rare to see someone who dared to go all in on 17.5 million without even looking at their cards. Many people in the gambling industry who had spent their entire lives in the industry had never seen such a person before.
When Stevenson came out of the bathroom, there were still traces of water on his hair and temples, presumably from washing his face to wake himself up. Fifteen minutes passed quickly, and the gambling game resumed under Ji Yi's direction.
After the break, Stevenson's luck seemed to improve. He played several hands with Zhuang Rui and even won them all when the cards were revealed. However, Stevenson had lost too much earlier and didn't dare to bet heavily. He only won back a few million in those hands, and now he has about 19 million chips left.
In contrast, Zhuang Rui remained the same as always, basically betting every hand without ever looking at his cards. Even after losing, he would still chat and laugh with Qin Xuanbing. Although Zhuang Rui's gambling skills were terrible, his demeanor still earned him the secret admiration of everyone.