Vegas Ch. 10

It has been pointed out that some text from the final part of chapter 10 was missing when posted. This is the full transcript of that final piece (excluding the poker commentary).

CHAPTER 10: KATHERINE IS TAKEN

Despite the early finish, Daniel had still slept soundly but when the morning call that he had booked roused him, he felt an alarm go off in his head when he realised that Grace was not in the bed beside him. And from the look of the bed, she had not returned that night. Feeling a sense of apprehension, he had jumped out of the bed, only to find a note pushed under the door.

The last such note was from Katherine but this one was in Grace's handwriting, briefly explaining that she was staying at Lisa's hotel that night and would see him later. He felt all kinds of an idiot. Of course, she had been performing with Lisa Welles last night and such was his focus on his poker, the thought had not occurred to him. And with his early finish, he could have gone to the club to support her!

He cursed himself all the way to the Rio, but as he sat down at his table, he pushed Grace out of his mind and quietly reflected on the fact that after three, tough, exhausting, days of play, he was still here.

Despite his early morning shock, the relatively premature finish yesterday had allowed him to recharge his batteries and he felt relatively fresh and ready for the twists and turns that awaited. His main objective was to stay out of trouble in an effort to finish in as high a position as possible, but to play the cards aggressively when they came his way.

He had drawn a tough seat including chip leader, Ollie Willson, an amateur from Ohio, but then at this stage, he knew there were no easy tables. There were three professionals at the table, the delightful Gavin Smith and Humberto Brenes, and the brash Josh Arieh. He had no thoughts of lasting out the day as that would be almost impossible. Instead, his focus was partly on staying alive for as long as possible but also on proving to himself, let alone others, that he belonged in this company.

The amateur from Ohio controlled the early action as would have been expected as his chip stack of 645,500 was around 150,000 ahead of his closest rival. That was Annie Duke, and the possibility of a woman winning the Main Event had sent a major buzz around the poker world. And with Annie generally being acknowledged as the best female player among a talented bunch, her hopes were high.

At this table, Wilson had Daniel almost two and a half to one in chips and was at least three to one ahead of everyone else. The man from Ohio was in seat seven and it appeared his strategy was to play just about every hand from the start, betting three times the big blind seemingly irrespective of the cards he was being dealt. It was powerful stuff, stealing blinds, punishing raises, and for a while it seemed that the table was unable or unwilling to prevent his march to glory.

Daniel was amongst those keeping a low profile. Until he caught pocket tens, that is. He made a small raise of 15,000 chips. For some reason Wilson decided to sit this one out and it was Humberto Brenes who re-raised the same amount. Brenes was a quirky, well liked Costa Rican who often wore loud, colourful scarves and he raised his card protector as Daniel looked at him, waving the small shark at Daniel.

"Careful, my friend. The shark is going to get you!" he boomed out in his deep voice.

He stood up, walking around, sliding his spectacles down low on his nose and staring at Daniel over the top of them, a bright smile lighting up his face.

The flop was Queen-Eight-Three.

After Daniel checked, Brenes raised again. He pushed in 20,000 this time and again, Daniel called.

The turn was the five of clubs. That was no help to either it seemed, but this time Brenes pushed his sleeves up in his now familiar gesture and waved his chips into the middle of the table.

"All in!" he theatrically announced, a big smile adorning his face.

Remaining standing, he immediately waved his shark through the air again, clicking on the light in its mouth as he teased Daniel with the small toy.

"The shark is going to get you! The shark is going to get you!" he repeated, waving a finger in the air as if in admonishment.

Daniel smiled back but attempted to ignore the traditional Brenes sideshow. Even so, his mind would not fully focus as out of the corner of his eye he caught Brenes wandering across to the rail to talk to his two brothers in their native language as if he was out for a walk. Daniel's issue was that whilst he had no idea where he stood, his instinct told him he was ahead.

He agonised before reluctantly throwing his cards in, pretty sure he was doing the wrong thing, but feeling it was too early for such a confrontation. Brenes nodded knowingly from his position beside his two brothers before sauntering back to the table and, picking up his cards, flicking them over to reveal two black Aces. He waved an admonishing finger in the air again.

"Good fold, my friend. Good fold. Stay away from the shark!" he said.

With a biting motion into the empty air, followed by a big smile, Humberto sat back down, ready to play the next hand. It was to prove his last. Remarkably he picked up Aces again, but Gavin Smith hit a set of threes on the flop. He re-raised Brenes all-in and the shark was on its way home.

Daniel had been struggling from the start of play and the pot he had lost to the Costa Rican had not helped. His chip stack was steadily reducing and he realised that he would have to raise his game. It was as they approached the break that he became involved in three hands that turned around his day.

In the first, he made a big raise with pocket Queens, four times the big blind. Willson immediately called and Daniel's prayers were answered when the flop brought rags: Three-Five-Eight.

Daniel raised again, 60,000 this time. Willson called again.

The turn brought a Jack. Daniel had half his chips in the pot and the instinct that had proved incorrect against Brenes, told him he was ahead again. But although he tried, he was unable to put Willson on a hand. Impetuously he pushed the rest of his chips in, immediately cursing himself for his action when he received an immediate call.

Willson flipped over Jack-Five. He had two pair.

Daniel cursed inwardly. That rash move was about to end his tournament.

He stood up in time-honoured tradition, his chair squeaking on the floor as the back of his legs pushed it away. The Chip Leader was about to take him out with a Jack-Five unsuited and other than stroke his crystal, he could only watch the final card being dealt. His fate was now out of his hands. Only a five, eight or queen would prolong his tournament.

The river was the Five of spades.

A gasp ran around the table and amongst the army of observers. Willson just shook his head in frustration and Daniel shook his in disbelief. The card gave him a better two pair and his suck-out kept him alive.

The very next hand brought the King-Jack of diamonds and having just doubled his chip stack, he decided to speculate. He raised 75,000. Gavin Smith had been quiet up to that point, other than hitting his set against the Costa Rican, but he called.

Again, the flop brought rags: Nine-Six-Three, with two diamonds.

Daniel pushed in another 75,000. The amiable Canadian did not even think. He immediately re-raised him, making it 150,000 in total.

Daniel had little to go on, other than the hands he had seen Smith play whilst watching the World Series on television. Certainly, he had given away very few clues at today's table. Instinct told him that he was ahead, but that had proved incorrect on his two previous reads. And he knew that with nothing better than King high, he had better not be wrong. Yet he could not lay it down.

He thought of pushing all-in but if he were wrong, he would be badly damaged. His mind wandered back to one of T J Cloutier's sayings: Sometimes you can send boys out to do a man's work.

That convinced him. He saw that Smith was observing him closely as he re-raised, pushing 175,000 into the pot. Staring down at his cards, Daniel could feel his chest about to burst, but only momentarily as Smith immediately tossed his cards in.

"Guess you had something after all," he said, looking for information.

Daniel just smiled as he raked in the chips. His stack was now above 600,000.

Half a dozen hands later and Daniel, confidence high, again became involved with Willson. The man from Ohio had been squandering chips of late and seemed to be feeling the pressure. Daniel had position and with Ace-Four of spades called Willson's strong pre flop raise.

The flop was Seven-Eight-Nine, all different suits but not a single spade. Willson surprised Daniel by checking after his earlier raise.

Daniel took that as a sign of weakness, knowing that Willson could have raised preflop with just about anything. He checked too.

The turn was a six and Willson made a 15,000 raise.

That really confused Daniel. He had not seen Willson play this conservatively in the few hours they had been at the table today and struggled to think what he might have. He doubled the raise, knowing it would not take Willson out of the hand, but thought it might buy some information. It did not. Willson thought about it for some time, a long time, and then re-raised, but only another 15,000.

This was strange, powder-puff poker and Daniel felt he had to do something. Either fold, which was not an option he was considering, or a big raise.

He pushed in 100,000 chips. Willson thought about it a long time and out of the corner of his eye Daniel could see the man from Ohio staring at him. But he kept his eyes down, glued to his hole cards.

When he heard the words, "Okay, I call," Daniel's heart sank.

His betting had taken him down to a little over 400,000 in chips and Willson had around half his remaining stack in the pot.

The river was a Ten, which would have made either of them a straight if they had a seven or a Jack.

Willson checked, telling Daniel that either he was slow playing the straight or, more likely, that had very little, possibly a small pocket pair. Daniel was close to checking too, but felt that with Ace high, that would almost certainly hand the pot to Willson. He had too much invested, to do that, but any small bet would invite a call.

Crunch time, he thought, and pushed all-in. He knew that if Willson called then he would be crippled, but then a wrong call and Wilson would be out. Daniel could do no more. He had put the pressure on the former chip leader.

"What the hell," he heard Willson say and looked up to see him prepare to push his remaining chips in the middle.

But the move was a feint designed to produce a reaction, and whilst Daniel's heart jumped inside his body, on the outside he managed to stay motionless. Not getting the reaction he wanted Willson sat back. He placed his hands on the back of his neck for a few moments, then looked at his hole cards again and casually tossed them into the middle, displaying pocket threes.

"I guess you sucked out and hit the straight," he ungraciously added.

Daniel turned over his Ace-Four without speaking and the table gasped at seeing this young, solid player having risked so much with so little. As for Daniel, his confidence soared further at pushing Willson off the pot and in the knowledge that by showing the bluff, it would confuse the others as to his style of play.

Hell, he had confused himself. He had played three hands badly at the table and was still ahead.

There were twenty-three players remaining when they reached the dinner break, the field having been almost halved from the position at the start of play. Daniel checked with Norman Chad, who had for some reason taken an even friendlier interest in him over the previous twenty four hours, and the little man gleefully informed him that he was in eighth chip position.

Even if he was knocked out now, Daniel was guaranteed another excellent payout. But his mindset had changed. He wanted to reach the Final Table.

*

Unknown to Grace, Katherine had watched her performance with Lisa at the Club last night and had found the experience intoxicating. This was not just Daniel's girlfriend, this was someone who was on their way to becoming a star. And it was clear that Grace was bi and that she found Katherine attractive. For the first time in a long while, it was Katherine who had been seduced rather than the other way around and that was a situation that she had found exhilarating.

When she returned to her room after today's promotional event, she had found a note stuck under the door. When she read it, the feelings of arousal that had been simmering away since her session with Grace in the dressing room were immediately brought to the surface again. It seemed only five minutes ago that she had been slipping a note under Daniel's hotel room door and now Grace was doing the same with her.

She had only just finished her shower when she heard Grace's soft knock at the door and she quickly wrapped the big, white towel around her curves. The note had said that Grace would call out to her room that afternoon, after rehearsals, and here she was.

"Perfect timing," she said, standing to one side and allowing Grace to enter.

She still felt unsure of herself and was not yet certain of her feelings other than she knew she was under the spell of this brunette. And the fact that Grace was still with Daniel only added spice to her imagination.

She was a highly sexed woman and after the voyeuristic and frequent sex with Daniel, she needed something else. But even in her wildest fantasies she had not expected this. And not only had Grace stepped into the gap, but she had done so in a way that brought Katherine alive with feelings she would never have dreamed that she would experience. Sex with another woman. And mind blowing sex at that.

She shivered as Grace embraced her in a big bear hug and sensually bit onto her lower lip, gently pulling it downwards. But as she began to react, the brunette pulled away.

"Champagne, anyone?" she said, twirling the neck of the bottle in her hand. Then looking Katherine up and down she deliberately licked her lips and added, "And I'm so pleased that you dressed appropriately!"

Katherine's hands immediately went to the towel, looking down at herself in embarrassment. "Oh, I..."

Grace's shrill laugh stopped her. "Oh Katherine, I'm just joking! I'm feeling really good. I had a fantastic evening singing with Lisa, and now Joshua tells me you are going to stay as part of Samuel Smith's team. Let's celebrate!"

Grace popped the cork and poured the bubbling drink into the two small glasses on the dresser. They sat on the bed for a short while, just talking as they sipped their drinks. Katherine told Grace she had seen her performance and how wonderful she had been. But she found it difficult to concentrate as the singer had put a slim hand on her head and kept stroking a strand of her red hair.

Grace was wearing a very short summer dress and no bra. She knew that much would be obvious and the way Katherine's eyes kept glancing at her breasts only served to increase her arousal. She had spent a quite incredible night of lovemaking with Lisa and they had only parted at lunchtime, with the blonde diva needing to get involved in some interviews before flying back to New York that evening.

When she left Lisa, she had wondered whether she could go through with this. Her body was sated after their night together, but curiously enough she quickly found her arousal returning with the thought of seeing this redhead again. Partly as it was the final step in breaking her and Daniel's relationship, but also because the incredibly sexy girl had seemed to have developed a real passion for pleasing Grace.

She knew that she had to return directly to the Club from Katherine's hotel, but Mario was on hand to drive her there and she was determined to enjoy her short time with this freckled stunner. She eased herself off the bed and refilled their glasses, before slumping back down, her head resting on the clean, white pillow, her legs sprawled out in front of her.

She knew her dress was very short, way too short, but then Joshua had bought it for her, deliberately chosen for this occasion he had said. Katherine remained at the bottom of the bed, staring up at Grace. The singer could tell the passion building up behind the green eyes and it turned her on, too. She slowly and deliberately eased her long, tanned legs slightly apart, watching Katherine's eyes.

They were following her movements, her sparkling eyes widening as Grace displayed herself. She heard the redhead emit a small gasp. That was just the effect she wanted.

"Grace...." Katherine started to say, only to pause as Grace laughed.

The singer provocatively eased her legs further apart.

"Well, I did have my panties on earlier, Katherine," she softly whispered. "But I took them off in the elevator. I thought you would appreciate the little surprise."

Grace closely watched the stunning, green eyes as they narrowed in desire and she slowly and teasingly slid her tanned hand down across her stomach, onto her bare thighs and between her legs. Her gaze remained fixed on Katherine as she began to move her immaculately varnished fingernails in slow stroking motions, her index finger seeking out her unfurling clitoris.

The redhead could not help herself. For a moment she sat mesmerised, but then gently placed her glass on the carpet beside the bed. She slowly eased herself onto the bed linen and crawled on her hands and knees across the few feet between them. Her eager hands ran along Grace's legs and up to the inside of her thighs as her long tongue began licking, kissing and sucking its way to the natural valley.

She felt Grace move her masturbating hand away and place it on the top of her head, slowly stroking her hair before guiding her head forward. After the urgency of yesterday's lovemaking, Katherine was determined to please this woman for longer this time and slowly took her time, her tongue running along the soft skin of the pulsing vulva as she ever so gradually built up the pace.

Grace's soft moans of approval encouraged her in her efforts and the singer raised her knees to allow Katherine easier access. The hand that had remained on her head now took an insistent grip on the red hair, her hips pushing upwards in response as Katherine's tongue found and began to pleasure her aching clitoris. As she sucked and licked the delightful bud, Grace's moans of appreciation grew louder in their intensity and her grip on Katherine's hair tightened further.

Katherine's nose was flattened against the soft cushion of brown hair as she intensified her efforts, her probing tongue moving more rapidly as Grace's moans grew. The singer was responding wildly as her sensations spiralled, thrusting upwards with her hips and grinding herself into Katherine's mouth. She gripped the red hair with both hands now, moaning loudly as she drove herself on the willing face, her movements becoming less controlled as her orgasm began to overtake her.

Grace thrust her moist sex into Katherine's face one final time as the powerful tremors of her orgasm racked through her body. Such was the intensity that Katherine had difficulty in breathing and tried to pull away, but Grace was determined to hold the redhead's face tight against her until eventually, the intensity of the spasms in her body began to soften.

*

Within an hour of the restart, the number of players had reduced to eighteen and they were down to two tables. It was then that Daniel ran into a big confrontation with Josh Arieh. Daniel drew a pocket pair of fives, and called Arieh's 50,000 raise. Arieh was well known for playing any sort of hand and also for playing with aggression. Daniel had watched him carefully and knew he had to be careful.