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High Stakesby H.A. Levigne
Click here for reading level. This book is part of the Bayview High series. To read the first chapter of High Stakes, click here. Enjoy! Other Tea Leaf Press books by H.A. Levigne: The Big Split Dear Liz Muscle Bound New Girl Striking Distance High StakesIt was a great hand. One of the best he had ever seen. Ace of clubs, king of clubs, jack, and ten. It was almost a perfect straight, lying face up in front of the dealer. All that was missing was the queen. Gus McDonald licked his dry lips and looked around the table. Everyone was guarding their cards in their hands."Check." "Check." "Check." There was only one card left to play now-the river. Gus held his breath and waited. The dealer turned up the last card: a deuce. Each player made a move. Now, it was time to lay down the cards. The queen never turned up. Frank Wickett won the hand with two aces and two kings. Two pair. He scooped up the money from the pot in the centre of the table. Then he finished his drink, wiped his mouth, and started shuffling the cards for the next hand. The other men sat back in their chairs and waited for Frank to deal. A voice to Gus' right said, "Gus, did you bring the chips and dip?" "Right here, Dad." Gus put two bowls down on the table. His dad grunted a little and reached for the snacks as Frank dealt the next hand. Gus had been busy watching the game. He had forgotten about the snacks for a second. It was his dad's weekly poker night. Gus liked to hang around and watch the games when he was home on Saturday nights. He could watch these guys play for hours. Luckily, his dad didn't mind if he watched. He kept sending Gus to fetch snacks from the kitchen. Frank dealt two cards to everyone, and the next hand started. Gus knew these were called "hole cards." They all picked up their cards, making sure no one else could see what they were. He tried to read the faces behind the cards. It was hard to tell what these guys were thinking. They were seasoned players. Frank was the best player at the table. Gus liked his style. Frank didn't twitch. He didn't make eye contact with anyone. He didn't reach for the bowl of chips. He didn't even take a sip from his glass. He always waited until the hand was over. He sat there without moving, looking down at the scratched wooden table. Gus studied Frank's face. He waited for Frank to make some kind of move that would give away his hand. He never did. Nick Demakis was a lot easier to read. He could hardly sit still. Every time he got a card, he pursed his lips. If he had a good hand, he ran his hands through his hair. He also did this if he had a really bad hand. By the end of the night, his hair was sticking up all over the place. Nick was a nice guy, but he didn't win many games. Then there was Gus' dad, Bill. Bill was a fair player. He won about as many games as he lost. Sometimes he drank a little too much beer. He lost more often when he was drinking. If Gus' dad lost too much money, he was a really sore loser. But when he was on a lucky streak, nobody could beat him. Gus preferred to watch those games. The most important thing was to watch the other players' actions. Sometimes a player did something that gave clues, or "tells," to the other players about his hand. They didn't even know they were doing it. Gus knew all the tells. He had been watching these guys for years. His dad had a habit of chewing his thumbnail when he had a good hand. Nick was obviously the worst at keeping a straight face. Frank never did anything to give away his hand, as far as Gus could tell. It was fun to watch them. Gus had learned a lot about the best way to bluff, when to bet, when to raise, and when to fold. The men played a variety of poker games. Their favourite was Texas Hold 'Em. They usually played at the McDonalds' house. They had a big rec room with a huge TV so the guys could keep the hockey game on while they played cards. Gus sat nearby, watching the guys play and listening to the hockey game. Bella, the family's old dog, lay sleeping on the floor nearby. "Hey, Bill, it's your turn to deal," Nick said. "I'm coming. Anybody else need a beer?" Bill took three bottles from the fridge in the rec room. He gave one to each of his buddies, and opened the third one himself. He took a swig, and started shuffling the deck. Suddenly Frank leaned forward and said, "Gus. You want to play?" Everyone looked up. Gus said, "Me? Are you serious?" Gus' dad stopped shuffling and looked at Frank. He frowned and said, "Frank, you don't really-" "What's the big deal?" Frank said, shrugging his big shoulders. "He knows how. He's old enough. What's the problem?" Bill McDonald looked at his son, his eyes narrowed. Nick just sat there, looking surprised. No one said anything. Finally, Gus said, "Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal. I should go and get my homework done or something..." He stood up to leave, but his dad said gruffly, "I guess you can play a few hands. You okay with that, Nick?" "Sure. I don't mind taking your kid's money," Nick joked. He gave Gus a friendly slap on the shoulder. Gus couldn't help smiling a little. "We'll see about that." He went to his room and came back with his money. Everyone moved over to make room for him at the table. Gus pulled up his chair. He looked at his dad sitting opposite him. He wasn't smiling, but he didn't look mad. Just serious. It was his normal poker face. This is awesome! Gus thought. He tried to keep a straight face. As his dad dealt the cards, Gus looked around the table. Frank kept his eyes on the cards in front of him. He was back in his zone. Nothing could take his mind off the game. Nick shifted around in his chair and drummed his fingers on the table. "Okay," said Bill. "This is No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em. Gus, you're the big blind this time. You have to make a forced bet. You know, put down the amount we all agreed on at the start of the game." Gus already had his money ready. "I know how to play, Dad." He put down his money and looked around the table. "I'm in." |
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