The man pointed across the small crowd at a bulky looking fellow standing at the edge of the gathering with a small ledger in his hand.

On his face was a relaxed expression which said that while he was enjoying the game, he didn’t have any stake in it.

Lukas thanked the man before making his way over to the bulky fellow, tapping him on the shoulder.

The man looked up from the game and at the sight of Lukas, a wide grin appeared on his face. "Do you want to register for a game?"

"I am."

He chuckled at that. "Trying your luck, are we? Well, fortune favors the bold. But it’s a hundred gold for the entry fee. You win your match and you take the pot. Lose and you’re out."

Lukas reached into his spatial ring, handing the man a hundred gold coins in fists.

The man made a note in his ledger, scribbling Lukas’ name after a brief inquiry, then tucked the ledger back under his arm.

"You’re up after the next set of matches. Shouldn’t be long. Don’t wander off. If you’re called and you’re missing, the next person would be called to take your place, and we don’t do refunds."

Lukas nodded and drifted back into the crowd to watch.

He’d missed one round of the current match, and from what he could hear, there were two rounds left.

He kept his eyes on the game, trying to pick up a trick or two before it was his turn.

He raised his eyebrows as he saw that the two players sitting on either side of the table could not have looked more different.

On the left sat a woman in her thirties who had a confident expression on her face. One couldn’t tell if it was a bluff or not but her entire demeanor said she already knew she was going to win before she even sat down.

She handled her cards without looking at them, her eyes staying on her opponent instead.

Across from her was a younger man who compensated for visible nerves with aggressive confidence. He leaned forward, tapping the table constantly, while picking up his cards and setting them down repeatedly.

"He’s trying to rattle her with his tapping but it isn’t working."

Lukas turned to the side to see the man who’d explained the game to him talking in excitement, his voice low.

"She’s been reading him since they sat down, so it’ll be hard for him to rattle her. I don’t know how, but I can tell that she’s already clocked every tell he had."

"And him?"

"Trying to use aggressive tactics. As I’m sure you’ve already noticed, it’s not working."

The dealer called the round. Both players selected their three cards and placed them face down in sequence.

"It’s time for the reveal." The man whispered.

The woman went first, flipping her card face up. "A four of spades."

Murmurs filled the air.

The man’s face twitched but Lukas couldn’t tell what it was. In response, a small smile appeared on the woman’s face.

The young man reached forward, flipping his card over. A nine of clubs.

"Low wins," Lukas murmured, reminding himself. The woman had won this matchup. Remain two.

"Damn," someone whistled.

The man looked irritated by it, but said nothing, frowning as he looked down at the cards in front of him.

This time, he was the first to reveal his cards.

"Watch his hands," the man whispered to Lukas.

Lukas’ eyes narrowed as he watched. The young man’s fingers hovered over his second card for a half second longer than they should have before he flipped it.

A two of diamonds.

As for the woman, her face was unreadable as she flipped her card over.

A seven of diamonds. The man won the second matchup.

"Did he swap it?" Lukas asked quietly.

"Most definitely. But the question is whether she can prove it."

It was time for the third reveal.

The woman looked up, holding the man’s gaze as she flipped her card over. A seven of hearts.

The man’s eyes widened immediately before he could control himself, but everyone had already seen it.

Groans filled the air immediately, but the man ignored it, quietly flipping his card over. It was an eight of spades.

Conversation immediately exploded around them as the young man sat back with a clenched jaw.

"She let him cheat," Lukas said quietly, almost to himself.

The man beside him smiled. "She let him think he cheated successfully. That eight of spades wasn’t his original card. She already predicted he’d swap the cards, so she placed the eight of spades there to counter it. She gave up the second matchup to take the third."

"She sacrificed a matchup on purpose."

"Controlled losing, I guess," the man grinned. "The hardest thing to do in this game."

The young man stood, pushing his coins across the table. He’d already lost both rounds, so there was no need to continue with the third.

The woman collected them without ceremony, and the crowd began to shift as the dealer called for the next set of players.

"Mr. Lukas?" Lukas blinked, wondering if it was him or someone sharing the same name.

But when the dealer called his name again and no one answered, he raised a hand. "Here."

The moment the dealer laid eyes on him, he began calling the other name. "Mr. Trent?"

His opponent answered immediately. "Here."

Lukas took his seat, and a second later, Trent sat in the chair across from him.

Lukas blinked, studying his opponent.

The first thing he noticed was the man’s appearance. Trent had dark blue hair that fell down to his neck, and brown eyes that seemed to sparkle.

He was, objectively, very handsome. Some would say just as handsome as Lukas.

He extended his hand across the table with a wide grin. "Good to meet you. Hope you’re ready to lose your entry fee."

Lukas looked at the hand, then back up at Trent.

"Nice to meet you too," he gave the man a nod, leaving his arm in the air.

If he shook it, he’d be nothing but a fool. Ansel Potter had played this trick on him before. He wouldn’t be falling for it here again.

Trent’s grin flickered for half a second before he withdrew the hand.

The dealer finally spoke up. "Best of three or best of five?"

"Three," Trent said, without taking his eyes off Lukas. "There’s no point in dragging it out, is there?"

"Best of three," Lukas agreed.

"And the wager?" the dealer asked.

Trent leaned forward, both forearms on the table as his grin grew sharper as he stared at Lukas. "That depends Can you afford to bet big?"

Lukas had a blank expression on his face as he met his gaze.

"I’ll match whatever you put down," he said.

Trent’s expression changed, but only slight enough to show a hint of surprise. His smile widened.

"Two hundred thousand gold coins," he said. Then he leaned forward, his voice holding a hint of mockery. "Do you have that kind of money on hand?"

The surrounding spectators murmured, whispering furiously with each other.

As for Lukas, he could tell the man was trying to rile him up. So he simply leaned forward, holding his gaze.

"I do," he said simply. "Deal the cards."

***

A/N: Due to the ongoing event, every golden ticket you cast counts as double, so don’t hesitate to cast your golden tickets. Remember, this makes it easier to meet our golden ticket goals and get more bonus Chapters.