Black thirty-one it is.
Nadia gets lots more chips.
She’s already got a crowd around her, because – as is obvious whether or not you’re a roulette aficionado – this does not usually happen.
‘Wondering whether I should quit while I’m ahead,’ she says.
‘I don’t feel like you’re going to make much of a dent in your massive pile if you carry on only gambling one at a time,’ I point out.
She goes for a row of numbers this time.
And wins.
‘Unbelievable,’ I say (very unoriginally; everyone round the table is saying it). ‘If only you were playing for real money.’
‘We are,’ Nadia says very seriously. ‘There are prizes at stake.’
When she places her fourth single chip on a red sixteen, everyone except Nadia is very surprised when she loses.
‘I’m going to take my winnings now,’ she announces to the table. Everyone cheers and Nadia laughs and bows.
Once she has all her chips stashed in the two extra velvet bags the croupier gives her, I say, ‘So what are we doing now?’
‘We?’
‘I would very much like to see how the rest of your gambling pans out. Should you choose to continue your winning streak.’
‘Is it a streak, though?’ She says it like it’s a very serious question. ‘Given that I lost on that last bet?’
‘Er it was a big win overall, though?’
‘Hmm, we’ll see. I’d like to play something involving more skill and less chance next time.’
We look around the room. There’s also poker and there’s blackjack.
‘Poker’s definitely very skilled,’ I say, ‘going by what everyone says. I never know how, though. You have so few cards. How can you work out what anyone else has? I’ve played a few times and I’m terrible.’
‘Really?’ Nadia studies me. ‘Is that true, or are you being cunningly poker-faced so that you can fleece me of all my hard-earned winnings?’
I smile at her. ‘Who knows?’
‘Hmm.’ She continues to look at me through narrowed eyes and then says, ‘Okay. I’m going to go for it. How bad can it be?’
Yesssss. I’m going to fleece her.
It becomes immediately apparent that she’s never played before. She has to ask for a chart of all the poker hands, plus she keeps forgetting how to play. So itwouldbe easy to fleece her of her roulette chips except her aversion to betting big continues and she folds really easily (once she gathers what folding is).
Soon I give up on the idea of fleecing Nadia and just concentrate on winning money from the others in the game. It goes very well. I’m going to need another velvet bag or two myself.
‘Okay,’ says Nadia as I pull another pile of chips towards myself. ‘This is ridiculous. I want another go. Your luck’s going to run out soon like mine did with the roulette. There’s no way you can carry on like this for long.’
‘It isn’t entirely luck, though?’ I point out for the sake of honesty. ‘I mean, for example, you have the world poker championships and you don’t get complete beginners winning them, do you?’
‘Really?’ Nadia has her elbows on the table (that is really not good poker-playing etiquette but obviously she doesn’t know that and I’m not going to be petty enough to point it out because this is a party, not a serious poker evening) and her hands propping up her chin, and is looking searchingly at my face. Her eyes move to the table and the cards. ‘How is that possible, though? There aren’t enough cards used in the game. How can someone work out what everyone has, given how many there are left in the pack?’
Okay, I’ve done enough honesty. I want her chips.
‘Fair point,’ I say, trying hard not to glare at her elbows. ‘I still think I’m going to stay lucky though.’
