Vegas Ch. 07

Stetson checked and Daniel raised – another 600.

Stetson re-raised another 600. Daniel thought for only a second or two, and then called.

The pot stood at a little under four thousand chips. Stetson was probably the one player Daniel had most trouble reading. He had won very few pots, but enough to keep his chip stack steady and he had yet to show his cards.

Daniel decided he probably had a pocket pair. If not, then possibly Ace-Queen or King-Queen. If that read was correct then either of the two cards he needed – an Ace or a King – could give Stetson two pairs.

The turn was the three of clubs.

This time Stetson made a big bet, pushing 3,000 into the pot. Daniel stared at him, trying to pick something up, anything. But he sat there impassively, his head tilted and Stetson pulled forward to shade his eyes from Daniel's view.

Daniel really did not want to be outplayed but equally he did not intending to throw hard earned chips away. He thought for some time but realised there was no way he could call such a bet. Not with Ace high. Not at this stage of the tournament.

Removing the chip protecting his hole cards, he gently pushed his cards across the table, vainly watching Stetson's eyes for any sign that would provide a clue as to what he was holding.

"Nice hand, my friend," he conceded.

Stetson just smiled and Daniel's hope of him showing his hand proved forlorn. Ace-King had never been a favourite hand of his and as is often the way, these were the first cards he had seen in a long while. But they had just cost him 1,800 chips. Or perhaps he had just saved himself 3,000? Either way, he remained healthy.

The blinds were now 200 and 400 and although Daniel was able to play very few hands, pocket rockets brought him in a nice pot. Courtesy of that one hand, his chip stack had built to around 20,000 as they edged towards the end of the day. He gave himself the target of staying just above that figure as his final position, although he knew that meant making a few more moves if the cards remained elusive.

An ante had just been added to the game to accelerate progress, starting at 25 chips and increasing with every round. He damaged his chip stack as a couple of aggressive moves were called and without a hand, he had no option other than to fold. He had to revise his end of play estimate and felt stuck in a position in which he had no control.

Without cards, he was just not good enough to protect his chip stack and he felt his shoulders slumping as the situation ground him down. He prepared to fold the last hand of the day as he wearily glanced at his cards. Pocket rockets for the second time in that session. Statistics say pocket Aces are dealt to a player only once in every 220 hands, but despite his poor run of cards, right now that statistic that clearly did not apply to him, Daniel thought.

He usually liked to play Aces aggressively pre-flop, believing that you usually won a little or lost a lot. This time, in early position, he simply flat called. The guy on the button was another Englishman, wearing a Leeds United football shirt. He had replaced the blonde haired kid when he was knocked out and had seemed pretty solid. He pushed all-in, perhaps hoping to easily take the final hand of the day.

The petite woman on his left, who had taken out the kid much earlier in the day, thought for what seemed an imperceptible length of time. Her cards had also dried since the dinner break and her stack size was similar to Daniel's. All eyes around the table watched as she moved her chips into the middle.

"All-in," she simply said.

Daniel's heartbeat had increased and he could feel it thumping inside his chest. He had no choice but nevertheless realised that with two opponents, his chances of being eliminated were doubled. But his opportunities for making a massive move in chips was stronger. A buzz went around the table as he moved his chips across the green baize.

His chances increased when the cards were turned over. The Leeds fan revealed Big Slick, as did the petite lady.

The flop was unbelievably perfect. Ace–King–three.

As a result of that one hand, Daniel's stack had increased to around fifty thousand chips. And it had happened in the final hand of the day!

As he stood up, he removed the crystal from his pocket, rubbing his thumb along the edge. Perhaps there was something in what the crystal man had said at the beginning of the day? That seemed so long ago now, thought Daniel as he surveyed a scene that exceeded even his wildest dreams. He gave a deep sigh and thought, roll on tomorrow!

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