Although Stanley Ho himself was not a gambler, in Hong Kong and Macau, simply saying "King of Gambling!" would make him a powerful figure.
The name Ho Hung is instantly recognizable; his gambling empire has stood strong for decades.
It can be said that Stanley Ho was the most powerful, most profitable, most famous, and longest-reigning gambling king in the history of Macau's gambling industry, and his life was full of legendary color.
Zhuang Rui's gaze lingered on the old gambling king for a moment before shifting to the person behind him. Closely following behind He Hong was the shipping magnate Shu Wen.
On the other side of He Hong's body was another foreigner, about forty years old, not tall, but with bright and piercing eyes. When Zhuang Rui looked at him, he seemed to sense it and turned his head to look in Zhuang Rui's direction.
After He Hong and his group entered the casino, they immediately greeted the group that had arrived earlier. Judging from the lively scene, it didn't seem like a gambling game was about to begin, but rather a gathering of old friends. However, after looking around the casino for a moment, Shu Wen immediately walked over to Zhuang Rui.
"Mr. Zhuang, I've brought my bet. Would you like to take a look at it first?"
Yesterday, Shu Wen didn't expect the bet to have such a big impact. However, he was in a bind, so he brought over the few remaining precious antiques from his father-in-law's villa. If Zhuang Rui used the excuse that his items were not good enough to cancel the bet, Shu Wen would lose face big time.
"Of course, I hope Dr. Shu won't disappoint me..."
Zhuang Rui nodded. He wouldn't pretend to be rich when he wasn't. Why should he gamble if the items weren't worth the money?
Shu Wen waved his hand, and the people behind him placed the items they were carrying on the only gambling table in the gambling hall. Then they opened the outer packaging and displayed the items inside.
"Mr. Zhuang, please take your time reading."
Shu Wen gestured for Zhuang Rui to proceed, but then blocked his way.
Zhuang Rui was taken aback for a moment. Then he suddenly realized what was going on and beckoned to the waiters to place the porcelain pieces he had won yesterday, along with Lang Shining's paintings of court concubines, on the gambling table.
Shu Wen smiled and stepped aside, then let an old man behind him examine the items Zhuang Rui had brought out. Although Zhuang Rui hadn't left the gambling ship yesterday and couldn't possibly pull off a switcheroo, Shu Wen still brought an appraiser from a famous auction house in Hong Kong just in case.
Zhuang Rui ignored Shu Wen and the others, and went straight to the gambling table to examine the items Shu Wen had brought. There were two pieces of porcelain and two scrolls in total, one less than yesterday's. However, with antiques, quantity doesn't necessarily equate to value. Even though Jingdezhen still produces so many ceramic items every year, all of them combined might not be as valuable as just one item on this table.
The two porcelain pieces, a pair of Kangxi-marked blue and white jade pots, had delicate bodies, smooth glazes, pure blue coloring, and vibrant hues. The pieces were layered, full, and clearly distinguished between primary and secondary elements, forming a cohesive whole without feeling cluttered or piled up. After examining them with his spiritual energy, Zhuang Rui confirmed that they were indeed exquisite pieces among Kangxi blue and white porcelain, and of considerable value.
"Damn, these are things you'd be hard to find even once in China, and this foreigner's carrying a whole pair..."
Zhuang Rui felt indignant. This showed how many treasures passed down from ancestors had been stolen from the country by those bandits back then, and now they were brazenly showing them off. They were utterly shameless.
However, the market value of this pair of porcelain pieces is similar to that of the pair of white porcelain pieces from the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty. Obviously, the other two paintings must be priced higher. Otherwise, according to my argument, the value of these items is not equal, and the bet would not stand.
Zhuang Rui eagerly unfolded a scroll on the table, only to be immediately stunned. Putting aside the scroll itself, the inscriptions in the corners of the painting shocked Zhuang Rui. The most obvious one was the seal with the words "Master of Tiyuan". Zhuang Rui knew that it was one of Emperor Kangxi's private seals, which was enough to prove that the painting had definitely come from the palace.
This painting is Shen Zhou's "Mount Lu High," a hanging scroll on paper. Using a few simple colors, it depicts the precipitous beauty of Mount Lu, with its long rivers, waterfalls, green pines, and yellow rocks, creating a majestic and imposing scene. Even someone like Zhuang Rui, who knows little about ancient paintings, was completely captivated by it.
The painting is about two meters high and about one meter wide. Such a size is extremely rare in ancient paintings. Shen Zhou mostly painted small paintings in his early years. He began to paint large paintings after the age of 40. His middle-aged painting style was rigorous and delicate, and his brushwork was steady and vigorous, with strength in the strokes. In his later years, his brushwork was bold and unrestrained, with a powerful momentum.
He was a learned man with a rich collection and a wide circle of friends. He was highly praised by later generations of famous figures. Wen Zhengming once called him a "divine person" who seemed to transcend the world. Shen Zhou's works were favored by several emperors of the Qing Dynasty. This painting bears the seals and inscriptions of three emperors: Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong. Zhuang Rui estimates that the value of this painting is much higher than that of Lang Shining's "Concubine's Portrait".
Zhuang Rui had previously heard that this painting was housed in the National Palace Museum in Taipei, but upon seeing it today, he realized that most of the rumors were false. Putting aside everything else, just based on the rich, almost purple spiritual energy in the scroll, Zhuang Rui was certain that the painting was genuine.
Surprisingly, it is also a work by Shen Zhou. This is a small calligraphy work called "Landscape Calligraphy", which consists of sixteen pages. The calligraphy is vigorous and powerful, and it is extremely well preserved with virtually no damage. It is truly remarkable that it has survived for more than six hundred years.
The price of this pair of porcelain pieces and the two works by Shen Zhou is no less than the items Zhuang Rui won yesterday. After looking at these items, Zhuang Rui nodded and said to Shu Wen, who had been watching him, "Dr. Shu is also a collector. These items are quite good. Our bet can proceed."
Shu Wen didn't rush to reply. Instead, he waited until his appraiser finished his assessment before looking at Zhuang Rui and saying, "Alright, I'll ask Mr. Stevenson from Macau to bet on this for me. I wonder if Mr. Zhuang will bet himself, or if you'd like to bet on his behalf?"
I'll bet myself!
Zhuang Rui's words surprised everyone. They were all well-informed and knew that several people had come from China yesterday, including a gambling expert.
No one in the arena expected that the expert would not step into the arena. Instead, Zhuang Rui personally gambled against Stevenson, who had won the title of King of Gambling in Las Vegas. This was like swatting a fly on a tiger's head, courting death!
Chapter 398 Forhouse
Zhuang Rui, with Qin Xuanbing in tow, calmly walked to the gambling table and sat down. The gambling table was very large, with a distance of five meters between the two ends, which was still within the range of Zhuang Rui's spiritual energy perception. Therefore, Zhuang Rui was not worried at all about not being able to see through the opponent's cards.
The white man named Stevenson quickly walked to the other end of the gambling table and sat down. Zhuang Rui, on the other hand, was joking with Qin Xuanbing next to him with a relaxed expression. He said, "Why didn't you add some lights and music when the gambling king made his appearance? It's so lacking in atmosphere."
"Hello everyone, I'm Ji Yi. I'll be hosting this betting game today. Now, I'll explain the rules that both sides need to be aware of..."
Today, Ji Yi, the technical director of the gambling ship, is not only responsible for supervision, but also has to act as the host. He is a little nervous. The audience includes not only billionaires from Hong Kong Island, but also many senior figures in the gambling industry. In terms of seniority, he can only be considered a junior.
The rules of Texas Hold'em are simple: you need five consecutive straights of the same suit. A straight flush starting with Ace is the highest. If both players have a straight flush starting with Ace, then the suit of Ace is considered, and the order of suits is Spades > Hearts > Clubs > Diamonds.
Next is the Four of a Kind, which consists of four cards of the same rank plus a single card. The rank is compared, with the Ace being the highest. Then comes the Full House, which consists of three of a kind plus a pair. If another player also has this hand, the rank of the three of a kind is compared.
Playing cards in sequence results in a flush... five cards of the same suit that do not form a straight, a straight... a set of five consecutive cards, three of a kind... a hand consisting of three cards of the same rank, with three of a kind starting with an Ace being the highest, two pairs... a hand consisting of two sets of two cards of the same rank.
In addition, there are single pairs... hand types consist of two identical cards plus three single cards, and there are also loose cards.
After explaining the rules of the game, Ji Yi continued, "Given that today's game is wagering on physical objects, based on the valuation of the objects, both sides need to exchange for HK$30 million in chips. The base bet for each round is HK$100,000. If all the chips are lost, the game is lost. The HK$30 million and these antiques belong to the winner. I wonder if Mr. Zhuang and Mr. Shu have any different opinions?"
Zhuang Rui was taken aback. Hadn't they agreed to only gamble on antiques? Why did they need to spend 30 million? But after thinking about it, Zhuang Rui nodded in agreement. Why not take the money that was being given away? He immediately took out the bank draft he had won yesterday and handed it to the staff of the gambling ship.
Shu Wen, who was in the audience, had no objections. Two piles of chips with a face value of 100,000 yuan were placed in front of Zhuang Rui and Stevenson. A total of 300 chips were neatly arranged in front of the two of them.
"Do you two need your licenses checked?"
Ji Yi was also acting as a dealer today. After taking out an unopened deck of cards from the card box, he asked Zhuang Rui and the other man.
"No, no..."
Two voices rang out at the same time. In this kind of situation, no one would dare to collude with the gambling ship to cheat. Ji Yi was Mr. Zheng's man, and he had close ties with both the Ouyang family and Shu Wen. He was impartial and trusted by both sides.
Ji Yi took out a deck of cards, picked out the two jokers, and didn't show any particularly superb shuffling skills. Instead, he repeatedly shuffled the two decks of cards over and over, but his movements were very fast. Zhuang Rui stared at him for a while and felt dizzy. When he looked back at Stevenson across from him, he found that he was also staring intently at the deck of cards in Ji Yi's hand.
"Could it be that this legendary card-counting system really exists?"
Zhuang Rui was starting to feel uncertain because of Stevenson. You see, the gambling skills shown in the movies are incredible. Gambling masters can memorize the position of every card while the dealer is shuffling the deck. If Stevenson has such abilities, today's bet is going to be a bit risky.
"Mr. Stevenson, I heard you won the title of King of Gamblers in Las Vegas. I wonder if you also played Texas Hold'em?"
Zhuang Rui suddenly asked Stevenson across the table in English.
"Huh? Yes, it's all in!"
Stevenson was taken aback when Zhuang Rui spoke to him. He replied politely, but after he finished, he found that Ji Yi had already shuffled the cards. Although Stevenson's face was expressionless, he hated Zhuang Rui to the core.
It's absolutely impossible for one person to remember the positions of all 52 cards while someone is shuffling them. However, some people, through long-term practice, can remember the positions of three to five cards.
Don't underestimate these three or five cards. You should know that one of them might be the opponent's hole card. Whether you can remember it or not is the key to winning or losing the game. On this earth, there are definitely no more than a handful of people who can remember three or five cards when the dealer shuffles the cards, and Stevenson is one of them.
Stevenson agreed to today's bet because Shu Wen had invested heavily. If he wins, not only will all the chips on the table belong to him, but Shu Wen will also contribute an additional HK$20 million as commission.
Therefore, as long as Stevenson wins this bet, he can earn HK$80 million. So Stevenson was prepared to go all out from the start, but unexpectedly, Zhuang Rui disrupted his train of thought. He couldn't remember a single card from the previous hand.
Of course, Stevenson's title of Las Vegas gambling king was not solely based on his card counting skills. He is also a PhD in psychology, and his judgment is exceptional. He can often tell from the opponent's expression after looking at their cards whether they truly have a strong hand or are bluffing. Therefore, although he was a little angry because he didn't remember the cards, he didn't feel much regret, since it was only the first round.
After Stevenson and Zhuang Rui each threw out a 100,000 chip, Ji Yi dealt each person a face-down card, and then immediately dealt a face-up card. Zhuang Rui's face-up card was the three of hearts, while Stevenson's face-up card was the jack of spades. Stevenson had the higher hand, and it was up to him to decide whether to raise.
Stevenson reached out and looked at his hole cards. He found that his hole card was also a Jack, which meant he had a pair of Jacks. Even if Zhuang Rui's hole card was a three, it would only be a pair of small threes. Stevenson casually picked up two 100,000 chips and threw them on the table. It wasn't that he didn't want to bet heavily, but he was afraid of scaring Zhuang Rui away.
"Mr. Zhuang, Mr. Stevenson has bet 200,000. Would you like to call?"
Ji Yi asked that Zhuang Rui had to call the bet for the hand to continue; otherwise, he would have to shuffle the deck and start a new one.
"I'll go with it. It's all about luck anyway. Two hundred thousand it is!"
Everyone noticed that Zhuang Rui hadn't even looked at his hole cards before throwing out 200,000, and they couldn't help but shake their heads in disbelief. A bet between two people is not like a three- or four-person stud game, where the chances of getting a big hand are quite high. If you only have a three on your face, whether you get a straight or a pair later, you've already lost to your opponent on the face of the cards.
"Zhuang Rui, that's not how you play all-in."
Qin Xuanbing couldn't stand it any longer and whispered something to Zhuang Rui.
"Hey, let's gamble on luck. Maybe I'll get a straight flush."
Zhuang Rui shook his head nonchalantly, signaling Ji Yi to continue dealing. He had already seen his own hole card, a two of spades, and he had also seen Stevenson's hole card. However, he wasn't worried because he had also seen through the hand in front of Ji Yi. If each person received five cards, Zhuang Rui would have three threes with a pair of twos, while Stevenson's final hole card would only be three Jacks, which he could easily beat.
After the third card was dealt, Stevenson had the Ace of Spades, while Zhuang Rui only had the Two of Hearts. Stevenson still had the turn to speak, and both of them had a straight flush, but Stevenson's was higher than Zhuang Rui's.
"Five hundred thousand!"
As soon as Stevenson finished speaking, a dealer next to him took out 500,000 from the chip pile and placed it in the betting area.
"23 of Hearts, a straight flush! There's no reason not to call. I'll call the 500,000."
Zhuang Rui didn't ask the dealer to do it; instead, he took five chips and threw them over himself. At this moment, in everyone's eyes, Zhuang Rui still didn't intend to touch that hole card. Everyone shook their heads, wondering why they had gotten up so early to come all this way, only to have this bet end in one round?
When the fourth card was dealt, Stevenson received the Jack of Clubs, while Zhuang Rui received the Three of Diamonds. Stevenson's hand was still the higher one, and he pushed out two million chips this time.
"Zhuang Rui, let's see what's going on..."
Qin Xuanbing was getting a little anxious.
"I won't look. I don't have any gambling skills; I just gamble on luck. If luck isn't on my side, I deserve to lose!"
After Zhuang Rui placed two million bets, his expression changed, and he said, "We're all a couple, maybe I'm Zhang Santiao, I'll bet another two million!"
"He's insane, this man is truly insane..."
The audience shook their heads. You dared to bet two million without even looking at your hole cards. Even if your hole cards are three, the other person's hole cards could be jacks. You would still lose even if you had three of a kind.
Stevenson was overjoyed. He was worried that Zhuang Rui would stop betting because he had a strong hand. But the man didn't play by the rules at all. He didn't even look at his hole cards and dared to bet against him. Of course, he called.
But after the last card was dealt, a collective gasp filled the entire gambling hall. Zhuang Rui's final card was still a three, while Stevenson had a king, which was lower than Zhuang Rui's on the table.
It's important to know that Zhuang Rui's hand consists of three threes with a two, and his final hand is likely to be four of a kind or Fulhouse. Stevenson, on the other hand, only has two Jacks with an Ace and a King, and at most, he has three of a kind or two pairs. His chances of winning are far less than Zhuang Rui's.
"Hehe, it's finally my turn to speak, five million!"
Zhuang Rui still didn't look at the hole card. It wasn't that he didn't want to go all in, but he was afraid that doing so would scare his opponent away.
The tables have turned, and now it's Stevenson's turn to be conflicted. He didn't expect the kid opposite him to throw up five million without even looking at his hole cards. Judging from the current hand, he doesn't have any advantage. If the other side's hole cards are a three or a two, then he will be completely defeated.
Stevenson frowned, trying to glean something from Zhuang Rui's face, but he was disappointed. Zhuang Rui hadn't even looked at his cards; what could he possibly reveal? His opponent had clearly told him, "I'm just gambling with your luck; take it or leave it."
In a straight bet, you are allowed to run away, but all the previous bets will then go to the other side.
"I'll take five million! I have three Jacks, I want to see your hole cards!"
Stevenson gritted his teeth and pushed out five million chips. If Zhuang Rui's hole cards weren't two or three, then he would have been cheated, and he couldn't afford to lose face like that. He was willing to take five million to gamble, especially since Zhuang Rui himself hadn't even seen his hole cards. Stevenson's chances of winning were still very high.
After putting out his chips, Stevenson revealed his hole cards and stood up.
When Stevenson bet on the five million, everyone in the room held their breath, their eyes fixed on Zhuang Rui's trump card, which hadn't been touched since it was played. Everyone wanted to know if Zhuang Rui's luck was really that good.
"Mr. Stevenson, don't get agitated. Even if you lose this round, you still have over 20 million chips. The game isn't over yet. You don't need to stand up, do you?"
Zhuang Rui remained as leisurely as ever, making everyone's teeth itch with rage. They wanted nothing more than to bite him. Everyone else had already dealt their cards, what were you still wasting your breath on?
"Mr. Zhuang, please reveal your hand."
As the supervisor of this gambling game, Ji Yi has the right to order Zhuang Rui to reveal the cards.
"Xuanbing, you drive..."