Chapter 39: 39 – High Roller

"Well, well, looks who's back," Old Cao was the first to notice Li Yun's appearance.

Making his way to the Texas Hold'em table, Li Yun greeted the regulars and took an empty seat. Unlike the initial chilled reaction, the regulars were friendlier on the second day.

"Have a beer on us," said Bullnose, sliding a green canned beer toward Li Yun. "We thought you would run away on us."

"Why would I run away from free beer?" Li Yun grabbed the beer and chugged down the beer to cool down. Being the South, it was a lot warmer than what Li Yun was used to, but he was also settling in quicker than yesterday.

If anyone were looking in, it would look like 6 regulars. Most of the regular players liked to wear a mixture of dark brown, black, and khaki-colored t-shirts and slacks. Li Yun wore a blue t-shirt yesterday but wore a dark brown t-shirt and baggy slacks the following day. Not only was it more comfortable, but he also blended in with regulars. They say, when people wear similar clothes, it created a sense of camaraderie.

"Starting out with 20k again?" asked Bullnose looking at Li Yun's chip stack. "That's not the typical bankroll at a high roller table. You sure you're alright with losing?"

"Yeah, I paid off my debt to my parents."

"What a good kid, wish my kids were that thoughtful," remarked Old Cao.

"How many do you have?" asked Li Yun. Unlike the mainland, they didn't have restrictions or strict policies in Macao.

"Three damn sons, they all manage to piss me off."

Judging from Old Cao's age, they were probably in their twenties and thirties.

As Old Cao continued to rant about his sons, they made it through a couple of rounds without any major showdowns. Li Yun was down 5k after a series of bad hole cards and turns, but he wasn't too concerned as it was the regular cycle of the game that relied on luck. When he had used Zaowang on professional players, he felt the sense of despair a pro would face after losing a large hand. The negative thoughts and energy remained, crumbling down the mountain like an avalanche. As long as Li Yun could continue his focus and energy, he wouldn't be overwhelmed by the loss.

While watching the other players, there were a couple of things Li Yun noticed. Bullnose's body would tilt ever slightly to the left when he got high pairs. His body being still gave it away that his cards were average. Li Yun stalled for a bit, calculating the odds. Playing with his chips, he called for an all-in.

Bullnose tapped his forefinger on the table, thinking about what card Li Yun had that would make him go all in. The other two players folded, obviously, they didn't have cards they thought could win. Everyone switched between watching Bullnose and Li Yun, the two facing off in an intense staring match.

They could see that Li Yun was familiar with the basics of the game, but not someone who was a professional, his timing was completely sporadic and random. Many players watch carefully how much time a player took to make certain calls, whether they check, raise or go all time. Some of the time could be a calculative move and other times it was out of instinct. Based on Li Yun's quick reaction time and inexperience, it was easy to assume that he might have a full house. Bullnose finally shook his head and folded his three of a kind.

Li Yun won the round with poor hands and a bluff. He wasn't doing it to get money, he was purely playing a bluff to test their response. It seemed that the players still couldn't read him. Or, they were already onto him, and giving away the round to make a strong play the following round.

After winning the showdown against Bullnose, Li Yun let out a sigh of relief; 30k of chips looked a lot better than 15k.

"Whew, you guys are tough!" Li Yun dabbed a bit of sweat out with the back of his hand.

The players laughed. "When you sit here enough time, you see all sorts of players come in, complete amateurs and then real professionals too. Those guys are much more interesting to play with. Especially the ones who think we're easy just because we are cash players. They might make a few bucks from us, but we will leave them scars they wouldn't forget."

Li Yun knew that the first time he sat at the table, do not underestimate lifelong cash-round poker players. These people had an appetite for winning and enough bankroll to clean out any rookie.

But was he going to be scared off because of it? Hell, try sitting at a high roller table in Macao and then see how long would you would last. Also, it was Li Yun's second day of gambling with real money in his lifetime. The only thing that kept him at the table was the experiences he had gained under Zaowang had prepared him with ways to manage the stress and pressure. It was similar to how surgeons dealt with critical care patients, but instead of his patient's life, his own financial health was at stake. He wasn't dealing with millions of dollars, but a good portion of his measly resident's income.

At the end of the day, he made 40k and the other players were still in the dark about his actual playing level. Li Yun had used his inexperience to throw off the players, while being experienced enough to handle the pressure and knowing when to buff.

On the third day, he made himself at home and spoke with the regulars as though he had always been sitting at the table. His bankroll wasn't increasing, but he was focused on understanding what the players were like.

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"Did you use to be a trial lawyer?" Li Yun asked Bullnose.

"Yeah, how you figure that?" asked Bullnose.

"Just the way you stared at me during the showdown," said Li Yun. "It's very tense, but once that was over, you suddenly relaxed your demeanor. It seems like you have a lot of experience of making people sweat on the podium."

Bullnose laughed. "Why don't you think I'm a cop?"

"Cops are more aware of their surroundings," said Li Yun. "Like Old Cao, he surveys the floor every once in a while."

"Everyone knows I was a cop, you could ask the dealer and half the people in this casino," Old Cao had been to the casinos many times, mainly to break up fights and take away cheaters, so a lot of dealers knew him.

"Yes, but do they know the real reason why you're always on alert?" asked Li Yun.

"Why?" Old Cao wondered. It was a habit of his to survey his surrounding, but it came from years of watching his back during patrol.

"Your wife."

Everyone at the table laughed, including Old Cao. He had to admit, he was most fearful of his wife.

"Well, if you keep this up, we'll add you to our club," remarked Bullnose, who liked Li Yun's conversational playing style.

There were a lot of poker players out there, but not many who could converse well with others at the table. While playing, Li Yun regularly asked the players about their families and hobbies. It didn't come across as probing, but a simple small talk amongst strangers with common interests.

"There's a club?" Li Yun asked.

"Well, yeah. Texas Hold'em isn't really popular here, so you can consider it a pretty exclusive club. 12 members in the entire GD-providence, are you interested in joining?"

"I don't really play poker," Li Yun replied. He wondered if they would believe him if he told them that it was only his third day playing.

"No need, as long as you play Texas Hold'em whenever you visit, the club will take you in."

"Sure, is there any requirement?"

"Well, there is one requirement." Old Cao paused, attempting to create a dramatic atmosphere. "You gotta bring in another person the next time you visit."

Li Yun laughed. It seemed like the club was meant to preserve the game rather than an actual club. He could understand it well. A few years ago, there were more Texas Hold'em tables, but every year the casino replaced the table in favor of the other table games.

Unlike other table games, Texas Hold'em required a group of players to play against each other. It was mainly a competition between the players. The casino barely makes money from the commissions and casual gamblers found it difficult to enjoy the game against serious poker players. For the serious poker players at the table, it wasn't just about the money, it was about the game.

"Oh! There's the Texas Hold'em game," a young man in a pinstripe suit excitedly said as he approached the table.

He was escorted by a beautiful long-lashed woman, a bodyguard, and a personal tour guide. Everyone turned to the newcomer, smiling in their hearts at the sight of a large whale.

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