Chapter 234
Chapter 234
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 234
Chapter Title: 77. Dancing with Summer (3)
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As her master, if I had to name Yeoreum's greatest strength as a disciple, it was that she possessed the "beast's heart." Was it because she had no backing? Yeoreum had no fear when charging headfirst into something.
This was a matter of innate nature. It was something that Yoo Ji-tae, who wielded near-omnipotent power yet always remained cautious and strategic, lacked.
That personality of hers was on full display even in the casino.
"Raise 1000."
Yeoreum shoved her black chips into the center.
In response, the opponent's eyebrows curved upward.
"Hey, miss. You think you're gonna keep winning forever just 'cause you're on a hot streak? Come on. Haven't you heard of beginner's luck?"
"What?"
Smoking was allowed inside the casino. The middle-aged man put a cigarette in his mouth.
"If you plan on sticking around the casino, let me give you a tip. Watch the board closely. There are already three hearts in the community cards, right?"
[5♥] [2♥] [K♥] [A♦] [10♣]
Yeoreum also put a cigarette in her mouth.
Exhale. Thick smoke scattered with her breath.
"But."
"Think about it. Why do you suppose I've been raising by 100s until now and suddenly went to 500 this time?"
"......"
"You think I don't have two hearts in my hand?"
A sleazy smile crept onto the middle-aged man's lips.
But the raise had already been made. Yeoreum's chips were out of play.
The middle-aged man pushed out chips worth 1000. Then he pushed out five times more.
"Raise 5000."
5000?
This time, the eyes of the players, dealer, and onlookers widened. "5000?" "Whoa! The bets are jumping huge!" Murmurs rippled through the crowd. 5000 was the betting limit at this casino. Even for spectators, the loser would suffer a massive loss.
Yeoreum glanced at Yoo Ji-tae. Was she scared? No. Her expression had become so unreadable it was hard to tell.
Intentions showed on her face. That was Yoo Ji-tae's teaching. So right now, Yeoreum wore a face that revealed no intentions whatsoever.
However, it seemed insufficient to hide the desire glinting in her eyes. Yoo Ji-tae smiled faintly and nodded. The beast's heart was stirring again.
Yeoreum exchanged every credit on her card for chips and shoved them in front of her opponent.
"Call."
A bet totaling 140 million won in Korean currency.
As the stakes grew, even the dealer raised his voice with excitement.
"Showdown!"
Finally, time to reveal the cards.
The man's two hole cards were flipped.
[Q♥] [10♥]
"Flush!"
"Queen-high heart flush! That's strong...!"
The players gasped in admiration.
A flush. The fifth strongest hand.
Moreover, there were no duplicates in the community cards. No full house or four of a kind stronger than a flush was possible.
And that wasn't all? Three hearts in the community, two in his hand. And among them, the Queen—the strongest after the King—was in his grip. Out of 52 cards, there were 13 hearts total, and five were already exposed.
98%.
The man pegged his odds at 98%.
No way he could lose under normal circumstances.
There was only one hand that could beat Yeoreum here.
But when Yeoreum's cards were flipped, cracks formed in the middle-aged man's confident expression.
Of all things, that was in Yeoreum's hand.
[A♥] [4♥]
Shouts erupted.
"Whoaaa!"
"Ace of hearts! The Ace of hearts was in that girl's hand!"
"She's turning it around? No way, incredible!"
The same flush.
But Yeoreum held the Ace of hearts, one pip higher than his.
As shock and horror dawned on his face, Yeoreum giggled.
"What? I thought I had a royal flush or something for a sec."
"You, you, you damn brat...!"
"Here's your Ace of hearts. And take my hearts too~ Mwah♥"
She pressed her fingers to her lips and blew a kiss. The middle-aged man trembled with rage as he stood from his seat.
The defeated player left the table. Yeoreum, who had converted her chips back to credit balance, also rose. The onlookers parted like the Red Sea.
"Impressive, miss!"
"How much did you rake in on that one hand?"
"Share some of that luck! I've been losing since last night!"
Everyone reveled in the dramatic defeat. "Nice!" Yeoreum bumped fists with passersby.
But the night's game wasn't over yet.
It happened when the two stepped out for some fresh air.
In a dark alley, three burly men blocked their path. All of them were superhumans trained in combat arts.
"What do you guys want?"
Yeoreum asked leisurely, cigarette in mouth.
"Eh, nothing. No need to be on guard—we're not here to do anything bad."
"Then?"
"How about we continue the game at a bigger table?"
They jerked their chins toward the distance. There, the middle-aged man who'd lost his money waved with a grin. At the end of the dim alley, he pointed to a shabby building rare in this paradise.
It was an underground casino. A "real" gaming den where unlimited betting happened in the shadows.
"What is this? Can't stand losing?"
"No, no. Don't misunderstand. We can't just rough up tourists either. Don't wanna get our heads blown off by the cops. Go if you want."
The men nodded, proving their harmlessness.
Yoo Ji-tae didn't like it one bit. As the stakes grew, places like that harbored even greater madness.
She'd won big enough. Enjoyed it plenty. No reason to step further in.
"Let's go, Yoo Yeoreum."
But when he turned, Yeoreum's face brimmed with excitement beyond compare.
"No."
"What?"
"Why are you ordering me around? I'm the master here."
He'd forgotten for a moment. Yeoreum had paid off her original debt.
"Slave. Let's go over there."
"Hey."
"Ah-ah! It's 'master'."
"......"
As he hesitated, Yeoreum grabbed his wrist and pulled. With no choice, he followed her and the men into the underground casino.
Unlike the rundown exterior, the interior was lavish despite the dimness. Lights, carpets, and all. A proper casino fully equipped. Countless "real deal" gamblers played there.
No sooner had they entered than some gamblers approached to greet Yeoreum and Yoo Ji-tae.
"Ooh! She's here! The red-haired girl!"
"You're the one who cleaned out that old fart Silron's wallet, right!? Good job! Kahahaha!"
"This kid's on fire tonight!"
Rumors spread fast. Yeoreum showed no intimidation, flashing a V-sign with two fingers.
"So. Who's up to play me?"
"Yeah! Where's that old Silron?"
"Nah, he was grinding his teeth earlier!"
"Ah, here he comes!"
The middle-aged man who'd lost big to Yeoreum approached. He brought a short young man with him.
Yoo Ji-tae eyed the diminutive youth. No superhuman aura. Just a regular person. But his eyes were sharp with intellect. Rare in a place where eyes were bloodshot from booze, drugs, and money.
"Dennis?"
"No conscience, that geezer. Why drag last year's poker champ here?"
"He must really hate losing. Heh heh."
The middle-aged man scowled at the onlookers' chatter. Yeoreum grumbled.
"What? A sub?"
"That's right."
"Pass."
"Hmph. Your choice. Don't wanna play? Scram."
"Crazy old man."
"Pipsqueak who's barely wet behind the ears. What, you chickening out?"
The cheap taunt had no effect. Just questionable if it was even allowed.
Yeoreum glanced at Yoo Ji-tae, seeking permission.
He decided to let her do as she wished. Today was her time. He'd handle any aftermath. Yoo Ji-tae nodded, and Yeoreum sat with a beaming smile.
Thus, the game began.
Over ten spectators watched. The underground dealer announced loudly, perhaps due to the high stakes.
"Small blind."
The gambler named Dennis, who had the dealer button, pushed out one black chip.
100 dollars right from the start... The pot sizes were different. Yeoreum frowned.
"Crazy bastard. No limping?"
"......"
The opponent said nothing. His expression was deadpan, gaze blank. His posture stiff like a machine.
No presence from his stance at all... Realizing this, Yeoreum got serious too. She posted the big blind of 200 dollars. Then pre-flop. Two hole cards each were dealt.
They peeked at their hands.
Dennis started the betting.
One black chip. 100-dollar bet. Yeoreum called.
Up to then, the game was peaceful. No need to heat up early. The night was long. Onlookers planned to watch leisurely. But right after, the flop revealed three community cards, flipping the mood.
[J♠] [J♣] [J♥] [？] [？]
Screams like shrieks exploded.
"Arrrgh!"
"What?! Already three Jacks?!"
"Dealer, you fuck! Did you even shuffle this shit properly!?"
As glares arrowed in, the startled dealer pointed to the Las Vegas-certified shuffle machine.
"Unbelievable...! Can't believe it even watching!"
"Does this turn into a one-shot game?"
Bloodshot eyes replaced leisurely anticipation.
The relaxed vibe vanished in an instant.
Even in Texas Hold'em—where high hands appear most often among poker games— a flop trip on the first hand was a once-every-three-months rarity.
If either had a matching pair, full house.
If one had the last Jack, four of a kind.
And hands beating four of a kind were rarer than once every half-year.
In short, it was set for an immediate showdown.
Amid the frenzy, Dennis stayed calm. He silently raised, pushing ten black chips.
"1000 dollars from the start...!"
"What happens now? Does the redhead die here?"
"Hell no! Who the fuck folds here!?"
One onlooker's cry voiced everyone's thoughts.
No folding, no matter the pot.
With a cold expression, Yeoreum called out "Raise 20."
Dennis impassively raised to 50.
Yeoreum raised back to 100.
Dennis to 200.
Yeoreum finally called.
1000 dollars.
5000.
10,000.
Up to 20,000.
72 black chips piled before the dealer. A whopping 72,000 dollars bet!
Onlookers gasped.
What were they holding to push like that already?
One had the last Jack for quads? The other a pair for full house?
But on the turn, the fourth card revealed.
[J♠] [J♣] [J♥] [J♦] [？]
Screams poured out again.
"Four of a kind! Damn it! Quads on the board!"
"What the hell!? Did you shuffle right!?"
"Wait, so neither had a Jack to begin with?"
No Jack in hole cards.
Did both have pairs for full houses, maybe?
Yeoreum called 50,000 in the next betting round.
Incredibly, Dennis raised to 100,000.
Chips mounted higher. Tension built like a sandwich, swelling thicker with the stakes. As onlookers held their breath waiting for Yeoreum's response,
She casually matched the absurd bet.
"Call."
372,000 dollars. About 400 million won in black chips on the table.
This flow wouldn't stop until one was utterly ruined. Onlookers knew from rare experiences. They watched with excitement-stained eyes.
The race to ruin had begun.