As the dealer reached to reveal the cards, the wealthy man's expression shifted instantly from prayer to annoyance.
There was no other reason than the dealer revealing a hand the wealthy man least wanted to see, anything above 10.
The Jack of Spades!
With the first card being a 7 and the second a 10, the hard 17 hand immediately removed any suspense about the outcome of this round.
Because according to the rules of Blackjack, a dealer's first two cards totaling 17 are considered a hard 17, and no further cards can be drawn, meaning they must stand.
Therefore, regardless of the hands of the other six players, my 20 points and the next player's doubled 18 meant the wealthy man was undoubtedly going to pay up.
I won the first round after sitting down.
Although the wealthy man paid his stake, admitting defeat, I clearly caught the unconcealable anger in his eyes as he looked at me.
Seeing this, I couldn't help but sneer.
Honestly, I was a bit worried earlier that the wealthy man, sensing my ill intentions, would simply cut his losses and leave.
But now it seemed this fellow was quite eager to go head-to-head with me.
Clearly, he took me for someone Bian Liang had called to help him seek revenge, and was preparing to confront me directly.
Without further ado, let's get straight to the fight...
In the second round, during the dealer's shuffling and betting phase, I still placed the maximum bet of two hundred thousand in chips.
I knew in my heart that the wealthy man would now focus all his attention on me, preparing to strike me with precision.
Little did he know, I was thinking the exact same thing.
In a casino, playing Blackjack, you can cheat as much as you dare, as long as you're not caught red-handed.
This was not only the wealthy man's advantage, but now it was mine as well!
If you want to take the 200,000 chips in front of me, just come at me!
Just as the dealer finished collecting the chips and was about to shuffle and deal, a sweet, delicate female voice suddenly rang out without warning.
And it came from behind me.
"Handsome, I saw you had pretty good luck just now. Could you let me hitch a ride?"
Hearing this, I instinctively turned my head to look.
I saw a woman, just over twenty-five or twenty-six years old, standing behind me with a charming smile.
While the woman's appearance was only slightly above average, her figure...
It was the legendary "S" curve!
This woman was very skilled at dressing, her tight, low-cut, butt-hugging mini-skirt perfectly showcasing the advantages of her upper and lower body!
The low neckline revealed not only a captivating glimpse of fair skin but also formed a natural, deep cleavage between her two closely-set peaks!
A visual effect that was almost spilling out!
One word: Stunning!
If I weren't in a casino right now, perhaps I might have felt a tiny bit of curiosity about this woman's sudden appearance.
But in the cunning and treacherous casino, women are ill-intentioned, ravenous predators who devour men without spitting out bones!
After withdrawing my gaze from the woman, I began to recall her request to hitch a ride.
This woman appeared at the most opportune moment, not earlier, not later, but precisely after I sat down and won my first hand against the wealthy man.
If she had no connection to that wealthy man, I'd write my name backward!
Therefore, I was certain that this woman, with her exaggeratedly good figure, was likely an accomplice of the wealthy man, appearing now specifically to deal with me.
Facing this situation, the most stable and safest approach would be to refuse directly.
But I didn't. Instead, I readily agreed.
As for the reason, let me keep you in suspense for now...
In a casino, a table where players have good luck is highly sought after and favored.
However, due to limited seating, many outsiders who cannot get a seat at the table can only stand by and watch enviously.
Hence, the concept of "hitching a ride."
"Hitching a ride" means, when unable to join the game, placing chips in front of any player at the table.
Of course, this is only permissible if that player personally agrees to it.
The casino completely turns a blind eye to this practice of "hitching a ride."
Although the seating at each table is limited, the casino's desire to make more money is infinite, and they would be delighted if this situation happened more often.
So, seeing my nod, the accustomed dealer didn't hesitate and signaled the busty woman that she could place her bet.
"Thank you, handsome!"
After receiving permission, the busty woman decisively took out a chip worth ten thousand and placed it in front of me.
After this sudden minor interlude, the dealer shuffled the cards and immediately began dealing.
I didn't pay attention to anyone else, my gaze fixed only on the wealthy man and the two cards in front of me.
The wealthy man's up card was an Ace, his down card unknown.
According to Blackjack rules, if the dealer's up card is an Ace, players can consider buying insurance. The insurance amount is half of the bet and is non-refundable.
Subsequently, if the dealer's down card is a 10-point card, it constitutes a Blackjack.
Players who previously purchased insurance will then receive a payout of 1x their bet.
Conversely, if the dealer does not draw a 10-point card, the player continues the game.
Let me explain simply.
I had bet 200,000 chips earlier. When the wealthy man's up card was an Ace, if I wanted to buy insurance, I would have to bet half of my previous bet, meaning 100,000, to purchase insurance.
If the wealthy man's down card was a 10 or higher, then at a payout ratio of 1:1 for the 100,000 insurance, I would immediately receive 200,000 chips.
However, the initial 200,000 bet would be lost.
But with this exchange, it would effectively mean I only lost 100,000 chips in the end.
Because buying insurance would earn me 100,000.
But this premise is only valid if the down card is a 10 or higher.
If the down card turns out to be less than 10, then the 100,000 insurance chips are essentially lost.
Even if I win the round, when calculating the net profit, this 100,000 must be deducted.
The cards that double the win in Blackjack are limited. Normally, even if I win, I can only win 100,000 chips in the end.
Therefore, there was absolutely no need to buy insurance.
Glancing at the two up cards in front of me, I directly chose to pass.
At this moment, the busty woman standing behind me suddenly asked, "The dealer's up card is an Ace, why didn't you buy insurance?"
Nonsense! You're in cahoots with the dealer, of course you want me to buy insurance!
Without even guessing, I knew this woman had ulterior motives, wanting me to foolishly hand over another 100,000 chips.
Standard Blackjack in casinos starts with four to six decks. With fewer players, it's one thing, but in a nine-person long table game, how likely is it to get a Blackjack?