Chapter 609 - 628: A Rookie
Robert Johnson gave James Brown a detailed explanation of the rules, and James listened very seriously, occasionally asking a question or two. From his demeanor, it was clear he had never played this bluffing card game before. Charles Goodman looked impatient but didn’t want to seem like he was taking advantage of James not knowing the rules, so he forced himself to wait until Robert was done explaining.
Finally, the explanation was over, and everyone started playing.
A deck of cards, with two jokers set aside, and players took turns dealing. For the first round, Robert Johnson dealt the cards, and immediately after, Charles Goodman tossed out a One Thousand Bucks chip without even glancing at his cards.
Next was Ryan King, who also matched One Thousand Bucks, and Brandon Carter followed suit. In the first round, everyone checked their cards directly, which seemed quite stingy.
When it was James Brown’s turn, he picked up his cards and looked at them. Sandra and Lucy Campbell both leaned in to take a look. James asked, "Can I follow with these cards?"
Sandra shook her head, saying, "I don’t know, but it seems like a pair isn’t very big."
Lucy Campbell smiled and said, "It’s up to you."
James hesitated for a moment, took a One Thousand Bucks chip, and said, "Then I’ll give it a try."
Charles immediately gave him a glare, saying, "We didn’t check our cards, but you did. If you want to follow, it’s Two Thousand Dollars."
"Two Thousand... then I won’t follow." James said, tossing away his cards which revealed a pair of little eights.
In this bluffing card game, such a hand is not that big but worth a try. Big hands don’t come often, and sometimes even a small pair can win it.
James’ action made Charles Goodman and Robert Johnson realize that he really didn’t know how to play. Moreover, he seemed very cautious; to win his money, they would have to slowly set him up.