Poker Face (IC)

[Aoiroo]

Legal casinos weren't very scarce, but they were generally pretty empty during the week. Freedom City wasn't a tourist destination because of legal gambling. Weekends however brought about a bit of a crowd, usually that of older gentleman with nothing better to do, I.E. someone like her father. Carrie wasn't the type to gamble often, because that usually required having money to burn, and the whole ordeal was a bit troubling(especially when constantly questioned about her being of legal age). So in general, it was something she only attended on the rare occasion she was asked to accompany her father to a poker tournament. Even then she'd only enter any tournaments if he fronted the entry money(which was always).

Sitting back and folding the crumby eight and two she been dealt, Carrie let out a soft yawn and pulled out a book while a few other tourny goers played through the round. It was only about an hour into the days tournament, and she was just a bit bored. She had a decent stack, but almost never went all in even with an ace in hand because unlike a lot of the casual bargoers the cash prize was more her objective than anything else. It wasn't a lot, not by any stretch of the imagination but it would certianly help and if she holds off to get even the lowest amount possible to be won then it would be a good day.

[quotemyname]

A few minutes went by, before the hand was actually over. Carrie was only dimly aware of the betting that was going on. Soon enough, the man next to her stood to pull in all of the money from the center of the table. As he as back down, he gave her a look, "I reckon if'n ya really wanna win, y'all should put that there book down'n watch they game even when y'ain't playin'." Colt sorted out the bills he'd pulled from the center of the table, and then used a few of them to put up the ante on the next hand. He was small blind this hand. This meant that Carrie, to his left, was the big blind. She'd practically have to play this hand.

[Aoiroo]

Skimming down a particularly interesting line, it took her a second to look up at him and then down at the table to examine where the dealers button was. Sighing, she tossed in her minimum bet and waited while the hands were dealt. It was a slight silence that made her want to go back to her book, however she gave the man left her to her a slight side glance before saying.

"As interesting as it is to see a bunch of grown men stare each other down into trying to reveal some inner depths that would somehow reveal whether or no they should make there next bet I see no point in watching a round I've already opted out of."

Sitting back again, she let the two cards slide face down in front of her, and quietly took a glance at both. No expression grazed her pale face and she let out a slight sigh and checked her way through the first round of betting.

[quotemyname]

Colt's hand was only so-so that round, but he would gladly take a free card if they would allow it. Eventually he opted to fold his hand midway through the second round of betting. Though he was now out of the round he still continued watching it like a hawk.

"Now I reckon that's where yer wrong, little lady. Y'all c'n get'a feel fer how them other players're bettin' if'n ya keep yer eyes on'a game."

[Aoiroo]

With a lousy five, two, seven flop most of table went out as someone pushed out two hundred on what was either an ace or a weak pair Carrie watched the man next to her do the same before matching the bet without even looking away from him.

"First off, never call me that again, second off, how the players bet is irreliavant. The only thing you need to pay attention to is how you bet, and how you want to play your odds."

The round heated up a bit with an ace on the river. Apparently the two others still in the game found this an excepting prospect as they both went all in. Carrie just eyed it with a side before pushing her own pile into the fry and waited quietly as the last card, a queen went on the table. There was no real waiting as the other men flipped there own aces paired with a nine and a king each, Carrie just let out a sigh as she flipped a hand she would of usually simply discarded. The white of the cards of the new deck that showed the four and three Carrie flipped wasn't nearly as bright as the faces now drained color of the two gentleman who had just lost there place in tournament.

[quotemyname]

Colt nodded his approval. "Good hand," He commended. "Y'ain't half bad when yer watchin' the game." He smirked.

The next round of cards came around, making Carrie the little blind, and giving Colt a free hand. Two players had just been knocked out, however, and that meant that the bets had just been raised.

As the cards came around, Carrie was reminded of her own expression when she saw Colt's. As still as stone. When the betting came around to him, he reached for his chip stack, and raised above the normal value of the blinds. The was a hand he intended to play, apparently. "Bets ta you." He smirked, giving Carrie a sideways glance.

There were few things in this world or his own that made Colt feel alive. Shooting, and poker were both high on his list.

[Aoiroo]

"I can just get lucky on occasion, if only because I know how to bide my time."

Folding her hand she leaned back in her chair and glanced around at the two other tables in the tournament. She didn't spot her father anywhere which probably meant he got out earlier and was hanging in another part of the casino. Putting up two fingers she and ordered a glass of water while she waited for the hand to play out. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to watch a little bit, and her book could wait for the bus ride back.

[quotemyname]

Most of the players at the table quickly got scared out by Colt raising the blinds. So few people were used to the tactic that it worked surprisingly well many times. But the truth of the matter was that Colt only needed one fish to bite, and bite he did.

The flop came. 9 of Clubs. 9 of Diamonds. King of hearts. It gave both players a pair right off the bat. The other man made a bet, and Colt called him. He didn't look to happy about that.

The turn was a 10 of spades. Really not much help to anyone, but all the suits were in play now. The man checked. It was obvious that his hand was fading. Colt checked. A misplaced bet now, my shake the hook from the fish's mouth.

The river: Ace of spades. The man went all in, almost without hesitation, standing up from the table in the process. Colt simply tipped his hat down, and responded, "I reckon I'll pay'ta see them cards. Call."

"What have you got?"

"I called you."

"Hmmph" The man turned over the Jack and Queen of Diamonds. A straight, and a high one at that. Colt sighed. He placed his cards face up in front of them, with the 9 of spades showing. "Ha! Straight beats Three of a Kind! You're out, my friend."

"It ain't three." Colt leaned forward and pressed a single finger down on the 9 in front of him. He turned the top card, revealing the 9 of Hearts that lay below it. "Y'all have'a nice day now, y'hear?"

[Aoiroo]

Now that was just dumb luck.

Sitting back, she looked at the rather unlikely beat down the RC(Random Cowboy) next to her to only other guy on the table. Though even if it was only a lucky draw, the man the qualities of a showman and brought up the dramatic reveal to new leveles of hamminess. It was quite a show she had to admit, though hopefully she wouldn't be pulled to deeply in with the act, she wasn't here to play, she was here to win.

The next few rounds ended with a break and the last three players on the table moving onto the final one in the tournament. Since Carrie had gotten a decent stack from the two all ins, she mostly limped along and never tried to call any particular players out by calling bluffs or stopping someone from stealing blinds. The other guy, well he had one or two more preformances with a little less dramatic flare before they made it too the final table. They sat next to each other again, if only for the sake that anyone who held the cowboy facade well enough to probably have some sense of chivilary if anything happened in the last few rounds. As the table came to a break and most the gentlemen left to take care of one thing or another, she saw her father come alongside her with a bag from a local fast food chain. She smiled slightly,

"I can't believe they let you in here with that."

Reaching and taking out a hand full of fries she had two in her mouth when he said,

"How are you doing on the final table, I heard that Colt guy was pretty good with his hands."

Nearly choking on her fries she reached for her water before looking at him,

"What?"

Her father looked at her for a second,

"The guy next to him, he's the hero that sometimes work with Jack O' Blades and such, he usually comes around during the week though."

Well that explains the whole cowboy mofit he had going on.

Taking another drink from her water she looked to see if had come back. Maybe she shouldn't of been so nervious about the whole thing, Freedom City heros did have lives outside the whole rescuing thing after all. Reaching for her burger she started to take a bite and think it over then looked at him,

"If I win this thing, you're going to tell everyone aren't you."

He gave her a wry look,

"Just you're mot..."

"Who will tell everyone,"

He gave her a smile,

"Probably,"

Rolling her eyes she sat back in her chair with her food as her dad made his way to the sidelines. So she had a good chance at beating a big time hero at poker, that made things a bit more interesting.

[quotemyname]

Colt came out strong in the final round, immediately taking the first hand with a full house, nines over kings. He only won a moderate amount of chips with it, but it was enough to make a statement. The next few hands, he slow played, however. He wasn't particularly fond of the cards he had in the hole. "Glad ta seeya made't." He finally said to Carrie, after his third fold in a row. "An' ya gon'n put that there book down too!" Colt gave her a good natured smile, though she couldn't help but think he might have been giving her a hard time.

The next set of cards were dealt out. He peeled them away from the table just enough to get a look at...A pair of queens, spades and hearts. Colt kept his expressions to himself, but he couldn't deny that he had gotten a decent opening hand this time...

[Aoiroo]

Carrie let out a soft sigh at the statement as she folded her own hand. With a shrug she gave in her slightly wordy southern accent,

"To be honest, I hadn't o' opened that there book sinc' a the big money's been let down on the table."

She didn't to go in with hot pairs on the table, especially since she only had a jack eight to counter. Sitting back she watched them go around a bit, but didn't care much for the result of the hand. Anybody with anything would probably try their luck against that high pair looking for maybe a two pair set against the next couple of cards, or even a full house, all in all though it was too risky a pot to go in on.

[quotemyname]

As the minutes ticked away, Carrie proved to have made a good decision, as Colt pulled in another reasonable pot, having won it from a single other player with three of a kind: Queens.

"Well, I reckon that there's a good idea. Y'all don't wanna take yer eyes offa th'action after all."

Still no one had been knocked out, and Colt ended up folding early on the next few hand which he actually had to serve as the blinds for. Even when you were the big blind, it wasn't worth playing the 2-7 off-suit.

"So, how y'all like yer chances? Think ya c'n beat me?" Colt regarded her with a sly look on his face. Normally, Carrie might think he was up to something, but he currently didn't have any cards in front of him, so the look was a rather peculiar one.

[Aoiroo]

Matching the bet, she gave him a sideways glance and with a shrug,

"Maybe, but that's not the main objective."

It wasn't, the objective was to last until the other people on the table lost their piles going in on good hands but getting beaten. This wasn't going to happen immediately at the last table since none of the players were part of the chum bucket, no it was a table of sharks waiting to feed. Taking a glance at her hand as a jack, and seven of diamonds, and a ten of clubs came down on the flop she limped along with the rest of the table since apparently no one else had much of a hand yet either.

[quotemyname]

Minutes passed, and slowly but surely, chip stacks began to dwindle. Before too long one of the players got knocked out by another at the table. The two had clashed, just as Carrie had predicted, both having good hands. One of them had to win, however. And unfortunately, that meant that the other was out, having gone all in on that hand.

Now only 5 players remained at the table. Colt and Carrie were both holding strong, but neither was the chip leader. Not after that last hand, anyway. Another bad hand came Colt's direction. In light of the blinds having been raised, after a player was knocked out, it was not a hand worth keeping.

"Sometimes'a reckon that there deck jus' pick the worst hands fer me." He drawled in disappointment.

[Aoiroo]

She gave a light snorted chuckle as she met the opening blinds after a quick glance at her own cards.

"Probably just something to balance out the kiss on the forehead lady luck gave you earlier."

Letting the blinds go around, she led with a strong bet that made the table opt out and pulled in the blinds quietly before looking at him again.

"Anyway, this can't be the first time you've gotten a string of bad luck, it just goes around even to everyone that's why I don't like playing odds terribly much."

[quotemyname]

"Ain't that the truth, partner," Colt tossed in yet another hand. He'd bled chips to the blinds twice around now. "Way I sees it, the more bad hands I see'n poker, the less my face's gettin' pounded by some villain on'a streets." Colt shrugged, "Karma'n all, right?"

Colt looked at his next set of cards, and finally decided to play them. He raised above the blinds, pausing to say, "Looks like we're back'n business."

[Aoiroo]

Sitting back she glanced at the flop after the first round of betting went down. It went as an ace and six of clubs, and a nine hearts pull down onto the flop and examined the looks of the two other gentlemen at the table who had decided to sit in on this hand with Colt.

"Well, if you win this hand, I suggest you invest some money in an athletic's cup before your next beat down, just in case."

She grabbed her glass and took a sip, whether or not the guys at the table have good enough cards to try going all in, it would be an interesting show as long as the cowboy was here.

[quotemyname]

The betting that round was furious. One man backed down almost immediately. The other stayed to see the card on the river, however. The man placed a small bet on it, but altogether seemed non-plussed by the card. That's when Colt slapped him with a huge raise, and an icy stare. The man took one look at Colt's face, and folded whatever was in his hand.

Colt took the pot without ever having to show the cards he was holding. "See, I reckon that's why y'all gotta watch th'other people at th'tables. I knew he'd fold if'n I hit'em hard wit'that there bet." Colt explained as he piled up his chips. "Playin' them odd's one thing, but there ain't no way y'all're gon' beat'a pair'a aces wit'a pair'a 4's. Leastways not til ya start playin' them other players."

[Aoiroo]

Picking up her cards for the next one and doing a standard raise she gave him a shrug.

"If they're intimidated from one little look, then they shouldn't of been at this table in the first place."

Letting the bets going round, there was a queen of hearts, and a seven and king of clubs. Watching the betting she sat back in her chair and looked over at Colt as it came to his turn.

"I don't suppose you're going to try and glare me down this round, or do you consider it rude to give such a look to a lady?"

[quotemyname]

Colt looked from the cards on the table, to the girl sitting next to him, "Hey now, I reckon all's fair in love'n war." Colt explained as he matched her bet. His Ace of Spades, and Jack of Hearts was looking pretty good at this juncture. He decided to play the hand slow and let her do the raising. It would also save him if the turn and the river didn't supply the 10 he was looking for.

[Aoiroo]

Carrie let the bets go round, and only one person opted out. As the turn card came around she eyed it quietly, jack of clubs. Setting back she gave a glance around the table before putting in the minimum bet. The man on the other end of the table seemed to have his hand right next to his pile. She said very quietly,

"He looks about ready to go all in, you gonna beat him to the chase or duck out before this hand gets too hot?"

((You choose the river.))

[quotemyname]

Colt Scrutinized the hand, very carefully. The table cards were: K clubs, Q hearts, J clubs, 7 clubs. And the two in his hand: A spades, J hearts.

He was still thinking about that ten that had to show up. That's when he saw it: Clubs, clubs, clubs. If the man across the table from him had a pair of clubs in the hole, Colt was in trouble. He'd just secured a Flush.

"Reckon, Mama always said y'ain't never s'posed ta bet'n a sure thing." Colt drawled, as he pushed his cards toward the center of the table. The man did in fact push his stack to the center, going all in. That left it up to Carrie to stay and call the bet, or get out.

[Aoiroo]

Carrie gave him a shrug as she watched the man push in his pile and did the same. Both of them flipped there cards. The man revealed an ace and ten of diamonds revealing a straight. He didn't reach for the center, as Carried flipped her own cards to show an ace and six of clubs. The win was clear as the pile was pushed towards and gave her the second largest stack on the table. Now there were only three, and it didn't matter if Carrie won or lose because she was sure to secure a cash price in the top three setting. Still, it would be fine to see how it played out, if only for the sake of filling the time.

[quotemyname]

"Well I reckon one'a y'all had t'have't." Colt smiled at her, "Just was'a question'a which one't was." As the next round of cards came around, Colt looked down at his hand. The Queen and Eight of Diamonds. Suited cards, with an inside straight possibility, and maybe even a flush draw. He'd play.

Colt placed his bet and center of the table, and waited to see the flop. He'd already secured the prize. He was playing for bragging rights, now.

[Aoiroo]

A few rounds went by, and the man was pulled out by a low straight on her part. When it came down to the next hand, she went all in immediately, and sat quietly while she waited for the flop. She was loaded with bullets, so it was no bluff but she eyed the table boredly like she was simply waiting for it to be all over. Looking over Colt she said,

"Want to make a final hand so we can just go ahead and get out of here, it's not nearly as interesting if we just limp our piles down to nothing. We might as well go out with the big finish."

Sitting down she watched him quietly waiting for his decision as to whether he wanted to pay to see the flop.

((You can choose the flop cards.))