Chapter 168
Chapter 168:
Each round brought a fresh wave of strategy as players chose to bet, raise, check, or fold based on the cards they held—or the bluff they sold.
After all the dust settled and the final bets were placed, the remaining hands were revealed, and the best one swept the pot.
When Jacob peeked at his hole cards, a grin crept across his face. Lady Luck seemed to be in his corner today.
A pair of Queens, one of them a spade—a solid hand that made his pulse quicken with anticipation.
Wasting no time, he scanned the table with his sharp, expectant gaze before casually tossing in a bet of one hundred thousand.
It was early, and he had no idea what the others were packing, but he figured it was worth testing the waters.
Then came Yelena’s turn. Without so much as a pause, she folded. Just like that.
Jacob’s elation deflated like a punctured balloon. He stared at his cards, and then back at Yelena, his frustration simmering just beneath the surface.
It made him want to tear his hair out in sheer frustration.
After landing such a sweet hand, he was itching to reel in a hefty win—but Yelena had shut the door on that dream in record time.
Running a hand through his hair in exasperation, Jacob glared at Yelena. “Do you even know how to play? Folding right out of the gate? What’s that about p>
Yelena stayed as cool as ice. “What’s your problem? Folding’s part of the game. My cards were trash, and I’m not about to throw good money after bad. I’m smarter than that p>
Jacob gave a dry chuckle, leaning back in his chair. “Cautious, huh? Alright, then. Humor me—what were you holding that scared you off so fast p>
Most players guarded their hole cards like state secrets. It was the poker equivalent of playing their cards close to their chest, literally.
Your imagination begins with gαℓησν𝒆𝓁s﹒ç𝗈𝗺
But Yelena? She didn’t seem bothered. She flipped her cards over for Jacob to see. “Pair of eights. Not exactly high rollers, so yeah, I folded. No regrets p>
Jacob blinked, his mind racing. A pair of eights? Really? And yet, she wasn’t satisfied? Although not particularly high, a pair was still a decent hand with a shot at winning.
Did she even know the basics of poker?
Around the table, murmurs started bubbling up.
“Is this girl out of her mind, flashing her hole cards like that p>
“Totally! That’s Poker 101 — you never show your cards. And honestly, a pair of eights isn’t too bad. Why would she fold p>
“She’s gotta be clueless. At this rate, she’s going to lose everything p>
The collective sighs and headshakes painted Yelena as a novice who didn’t belong at the table. Jacob couldn’t hold back a laugh.
If Yelena truly didn’t know what she was doing, that worked in his favor.
The less she understood, the easier it would be to line his pockets.
The next round kicked off with a fresh dealer, and this time, one of Jacob’s associates led the betting. After sneaking a glance at Jacob, the man opened modestly, tossing in fifty thousand—careful not to scare Yelena off.
Yelena came across as a tightfisted penny-pincher, clutching her chips like they were precious family heirlooms and refusing to follow.
Getting her to part with her money felt like trying to squeeze water from a stone.