After watching for a while, Zhuang Rui became eager to try his luck. Just then, a person next to him ran out of chips and left. Zhuang Rui quickly sat down, picked up his chips, and looked at the table.
Watching others play and playing yourself is a completely different experience. When Zhuang Rui was watching from the sidelines, he knew how to place bets, but now that it's his turn, he doesn't know where to put his chips.
"Place your bets now, friends! If you want to bet, hurry up and place your bets, the cards are about to be dealt!"
The dealer standing in the middle started shouting. Zhuang Rui was a little anxious. He took a chip, didn't even look at the face value, and put it directly on the "Tie" betting spot.
"Zhuang Rui, why did you bet on 'Tie'? The odds are really low, huh? And you even bet 10,000?"
Qin Xuanbing felt quite embarrassed when she saw Zhuang Rui's actions. He was so unskilled. Although the odds of betting on "Tie" were very high, and if you won, 10,000 would become 80,000, the odds were very low.
Looking at Zhuang Rui's innocent-looking face, Qin Xuanbing said helplessly, "Alright, maybe we can win."
"Xuanbing, do you think he's Hanbo? That he can win every bet? You don't have many chips, be careful you don't lose them all and have to go get more."
Zhuang Rui was about to ask if he could place another bet when he suddenly heard Niu Hong's gloating voice.
Niu Hong had been watching Zhuang Rui and his group ever since they entered the gambling hall. However, Zhuang Rui hadn't gone to the table to gamble, so Niu Hong hadn't found an opportunity to ridicule him. Now, seeing Zhuang Rui bet 10,000 yuan on a tie, Niu Hong almost laughed his teeth out.
"Zhuang Rui, it can still be changed. You can change the pressure."
Qin Xuanbing tugged at Zhuang Rui's sleeve.
Niu Hong, like a fly, fanned the flames from the side, saying, "Yeah, it's not too late to change now, but it won't work later."
Chapter 384 Baccarat
"Is Young Master Niu very free?"
Zhuang Rui didn't touch the chips on the table. Instead, he turned and smiled at Niu Hong.
Niu Hong was stunned for a moment. He didn't know what Zhuang Rui meant. He glared at him and said, "So what if I'm just free? What's it to you!"
"Oh, so he's just a boring person. Xuanbing, don't bother with him. There are too many boring people in this world; you'll run into them everywhere you go..."
Zhuang Rui turned around, ignoring the furious young master Niu, and said to the dealer at the card table, "Deal the cards, I'll bet on a tie..."
Zhuang Rui never intended to win money; otherwise, he wouldn't have come to play baccarat. He could have just found a dice table and bet on big or small. However, based on his upbringing, Zhuang Rui always felt that the money he won was ultimately ill-gotten and not as genuine as the money he earned through gambling on stones, finding bargains, or playing with antiques.
To ensure fairness, the dealer who shuffles the cards doesn't deal them; instead, there's a dedicated dealer who takes the cards from the dealing box and hands them to each person at the table using a long, ruler-like tool.
The first card dealt to Zhuang Rui was face up, a seven of spades, while the dealer had a five of hearts. The second card was face down. Zhuang Rui lifted a corner of the card and looked at it; it was a six of diamonds. This meant that the last number on his two cards was a three, and the dealer could only tie if he got an eight.
"One more card!"
Zhuang Rui raised his hand to signal, and the dealer, upon hearing this, took out another card and handed it over. However, the dealer refused to accept it and revealed his face-down card, which was a three of peaches. Thus, his final number was eight, which was already a considerable number in baccarat.
"Ugh, damn it, the house wins again..."
"Yeah, I'm only six o'clock..."
"The banker has won four hands in a row, that's crazy, I'll bet on the banker next time..."
"You're ignorant, aren't you? The banker can win fourteen rounds in a row. What's so special about that!"
After the dealer revealed their cards, everyone looked at their hole cards and started discussing them. Several people at the table dejectedly threw their cards into the discard box, while a few others asked for a third card and were preparing to look at their cards with serious expressions.
However, some of the people placing bets on the sidelines won and some lost; they weren't necessarily betting on the player.
"Blow, blow, blow out... three sides, three sides, damn it, how come it's five points? It's exploded!"
The person sitting next to Zhuang Rui was quite comical. He was leaning so low that his head was almost parallel to the table, his right hand pressing down firmly on the face-down card, while his left hand slowly lifted a corner of the card. His mouth wasn't idle either; he was blowing air vigorously onto the card, as if this would bring good luck.
Zhuang Rui looked at his cards. His two face-up cards were an Ace and a five. If he could have a card with a 5, he could beat the dealer. He had bet on the player to win, but after blowing his horn for a while, he only got a five. As a result, his final hand was only a one, and he lost to the dealer again.
"Sir, please reveal the cards..."
As Zhuang Rui was looking around at the spectacle, the dealer who was betting against him spoke up and reminded him.
"Oh, I almost forgot..."
Zhuang Rui smiled sheepishly. He had been so engrossed in watching the fun that he hadn't realized he was the only one at the table who hadn't revealed his cards. The reason no one had urged him earlier was because no one had called for a tie with him. But now everyone's eyes were on the face-down card in front of Zhuang Rui.
"Brother, if I gave you this five, you could make eighty thousand in one hand..."
The man sitting next to Zhuang Rui was from Hong Kong, around thirty years old. He looked refined and cultured, but when he was dealing the cards earlier, he looked like a petty thug. Now, speaking broken Mandarin, he started chatting with Zhuang Rui. He wasn't betting much; he had only lost a few hundred dollars in chips in the previous hand.
Zhuang Rui revealed his two face-up cards. The cards are now... The last face-down card must be a five to tie with the dealer. Ties are common at the poker table, but a tie between the dealer and the player, and winning the bet, is rare. Moreover, Zhuang Rui bet 10,000 chips, which is also unusual in the casino, since wealthy people usually gamble in the private rooms upstairs.
"Young man, hurry up and show your cards..."
The onlookers were getting impatient. It wasn't that they wanted to know Zhuang Rui's hand; in their eyes, Zhuang Rui was sure to lose this round. However, if Zhuang Rui didn't reveal his cards, the rest of the game couldn't proceed, and that was what everyone was concerned about.
Zhuang Rui touched the dzi bead bracelet on his left wrist. He really hadn't looked at the cards; he just wanted to try his luck. When he revealed the cards with his right hand, a chorus of "Ah!" erupted from around the table.
The sound.
"It's five! It really is five! Zhuang Rui, you're so lucky..."
After seeing Zhuang Rui's trump card, Qin Xuanbing rubbed her eyes in disbelief. When she confirmed it was true, she grabbed Zhuang Rui's arm and shouted excitedly.
"Damn it, why didn't I call his tie? It was eight times the stake!"
This is hindsight.
"Even if I put the cards face down now and let you call again, you wouldn't dare."
This is just idle talk and sarcastic remarks.
"Lucky, this kid is lucky. I'll bet on him next round."
Immediately, the onlookers began to express their opinions, and many even gathered around Zhuang Rui, ready to place a bet with him.
"It actually worked?"
Zhuang Rui was also a bit dumbfounded. He had just placed a bet randomly, without any skill involved. However, gambling is all about luck. In Macau casinos, it's quite normal for some lucky people to win three or five hundred thousand in one night.
"Sir, the player has bet on a tie, with odds of 8 to 1. Here is 80,000 chips. Please keep your chips safe..."
While Zhuang Rui was still in a daze, the dealer opposite him had already pushed over eight chips, each worth ten thousand. After collecting the useless cards in front of Zhuang Rui, the second round of betting began.
"Damn, what incredible luck!"
Niu Hong, standing behind Zhuang Rui, was also dumbfounded. He had originally been waiting for Zhuang Rui to lose money so he could mock him, but he never expected that this novice would actually win, and with such high odds of 1 to 8. This made Niu Hong look sullen and very unhappy.
"Zhuang Rui, what should we bet on this round? I'll bet whatever you bet..."
Qin Xuanbing held the chips in her hand, waiting for Zhuang Rui to place his bet. It has to be said that gambling is suitable for men, women, young and old. Even someone as indifferent as Qin Xuanbing became excited. This was not because she wanted to win a few coins, but because she was in the game and was unconsciously infected by the surrounding environment.
Not only Qin Xuanbing, but also the people around Zhuang Rui were watching him expectantly. You know, luck in casinos is a strange thing; some people can win many rounds in a row. If you follow the right people, even those who place small bets can make a small fortune.
"Is this dzi bead bracelet, given by the Living Buddha, really able to bring good fortune?"
Zhuang Rui did not answer Qin Xuanbing's question, but instead touched the bracelet with his hand. He had had this bracelet for more than half a year. Perhaps it was because he used too much spiritual energy when gambling on stones and finding bargains that the bracelet's brilliance was obscured?
"I'm still betting on a draw, 20,000!"
Zhuang Rui made up his mind, picked out two 10,000-yuan chips, and threw them into the tie betting area. At this gambling table, whether or not you can see through the opponent's cards is irrelevant to the overall situation. Zhuang Rui just wanted to see how his luck was today. Anyway, this money was won, so he didn't feel bad about spending it.
"Zhuang Rui, are you kidding me? You're still betting on a draw?"
Zhuang Rui's actions not only stunned those around him, but even Qin Xuanbing couldn't understand them. Gambling like Baccarat is actually a number game, and there are certain patterns to follow.
There was once a digital genius who won millions in one night playing baccarat in Las Vegas. He relied on precise calculations to choose his bets. Generally speaking, the chance of two consecutive draws is quite small. Therefore, everyone who saw Zhuang Rui making bets had an incredulous expression on their faces. This young man doesn't look like he has too much money.
However, these people always forget one thing: while precise calculations can win money, gambling ultimately depends on luck. In Macau, getting eighteen consecutive big dice rolls is simply a matter of luck, and there's no logic to it.
"Has this guy gone mad? He's betting on a tie. I'm not betting anymore. Old Zhao, are you betting or not?"
"I'm not going to follow either. It would be strange if we ended up with another draw. This guy isn't Hanbo."
The "Hanbo" mentioned by the person behind is none other than the former gambling king, Yip Hon. In his more than 70 years of gambling career, he experienced all kinds of things. Not to mention two consecutive draws, even three or five draws were possible for Yip Hon. Therefore, people in the casino often used Yip Hon to describe the behavior of some people.
Those who were originally going to follow Zhuang Rui's betting orders shook their heads and walked away. Even if you're lucky, you can't just place bets randomly. If you follow along, you're bound to lose money. For a while, Zhuang Rui's betting area was left with only his two lonely chips lying there.
"Does he really think he's the God of Gamblers? Hahaha..."
Niu Hong, who was standing next to Zhuang Rui, was like a leech, clinging to him all day. After seeing Zhuang Rui's actions, he couldn't help but mock him again.
"Zhuang Rui, I'll bet with you!"
Qin Xuanbing glanced at Niu Hong with dissatisfaction and actually bet all of her 25,000 yuan chips on a tie, leaving the gamblers around her dumbfounded. Were these two young people not here to gamble, but to spite each other?
Seeing that Qin Xuanbing had embarrassed him with her actions, Niu Hong's laughter stopped abruptly, and he uttered a vicious sentence: "Go ahead and bet, you'll all lose big time."
Chapter 385 Destiny
"Brother, I'm also betting five thousand on a tie!"
The Hong Kong man sitting next to Zhuang Rui actually got up and stopped gambling, taking out five thousand chips and placing them on Zhuang Rui's betting area.
"Hey, there really are people with a lot of money."
When Niu Hong saw that the seat next to Zhuang Rui was empty, he quickly sat down, took out his chips and placed 10,000 yuan on his table for the "Player Win" bet, and then took out another 20,000 yuan and threw it into Zhuang Rui's betting area for the "Banker Win" bet, clearly intending to make trouble for Zhuang Rui.
Zhuang Rui ignored Niu Hong and instead looked at the Hong Kong man who had bet five thousand yuan on him, saying, "Brother, I'm just playing around. Whether I win or not is hard to say. Aren't you afraid of losing?"
"Hehe, just call me Lao Xie. Gambling is all about winning and losing. I'm optimistic about your luck, so I'll just follow your lead. Those opportunists never make any money."
Old Xie works as an editor in Hong Kong. His Mandarin isn't very good, and he stammered for a long time before he could express himself. Unlike the tourists who come to the casino temporarily, Old Xie is a seasoned gambler who often goes to Macau or gambling ships to wander around.
In the past, Hong Kong people loved going to Macau, but things changed after the introduction of gambling ships. They were inexpensive and included food and lodging, so gambling ships became the first choice for many Hong Kong people. Old Xie was no exception. Every three to five days, he would go out to sea for a spin. His understanding of luck was also different from others.
Old Xie believed that when a person's luck turned, they would be on a winning streak. No matter how unethical their betting methods were, he would simply follow suit and place his bets. When he was playing casually, he had only bet three or five hundred, but he had immediately poured in five thousand with Zhuang Rui, betting on whether Zhuang Rui would have good luck.
While Zhuang Rui and Lao Xie were chatting, the dealer had already dealt two cards to Zhuang Rui. The face-up card was the seven of spades, and Zhuang Rui hadn't looked at the face-down card. The dealer's card was the three of hearts. After looking at Zhuang Rui's cards and glancing at the hole cards, the dealer hesitated for a moment before calling another card.
The second card was flipped over, revealing an Ace of Diamonds. The dealer now had four points. Zhuang Rui didn't bother guessing the dealer's hole card and simply flipped over his own, revealing a Four of Hearts. This meant that Zhuang Rui's hand was only one point, and the dealer's last card, unless it was a seven, would guarantee a win against Zhuang Rui's bet on a tie.
"Hehe, just a little bit. Luckily I didn't follow."
"Yeah, that idiot even bet five thousand dollars."
"Don't rush, the dealer hasn't revealed their cards yet, maybe it's a seven."
"Impossible, I would have eaten that card if it were seven o'clock."
Although the onlookers around Zhuang Rui didn't place any bets, it didn't stop them from enjoying the spectacle. When Zhuang Rui revealed his cards, a murmur arose around him. Of course, they were all pessimistic about a tie. In baccarat, three to eight points are more common, while smaller points like one and two are less frequent. If both the banker and player get a one, that's even rarer.
Although the dealer betting against Zhuang Rui remained outwardly calm, he was already starting to get nervous. Zhuang Rui's bet on the tie was not low; including the call bet, it totaled 50,000 yuan. If he really won, the casino would have to pay out 400,000 yuan. This amount was nothing in the private room, but in the casino hall, losing 400,000 yuan in one go was extremely rare.