When playing Bullfighting, from the bottom up, each round, whether with a hidden or exposed card, requires betting in turn.
In the preliminary rounds of the Thousand Techniques Competition, betting is done with points instead of chips. The maximum for a blind bet is one hundred points, and seeing the cards doubles the score, making it two hundred.
In addition to replacing chips with points, corresponding adjustments have been made to special card combinations.
For instance, in today's preliminaries, there is no mention of 235 beating an Ace flush, nor is there a "Ground Dragon" of A23 being only smaller than a "Heavenly Dragon" of QkA, which can beat other straight flush hands.
These special card combinations, born from regional folk card-playing styles, have all been abolished to minimize the probability of cheating.
Besides these strict rule adjustments, security and surveillance are also extremely tight.
I've been mentally calculating, and on average, a referee patrols every game, staying for about 1-2 seconds before leaving.
Although the referees' stay is brief, the pressure they impose on the contestants is extremely deep and heavy.
It's only been about ten minutes, and I've already heard the hall's speakers announce a string of contestant names who were caught cheating and immediately disqualified.
Therefore, at the beginning of the card games, no one at our table dares to casually cheat or play tricks; everyone is gambling according to the rules.
Including myself, everyone is very cautious.
When touching or looking at cards, no one makes any extra movements; everyone is playing purely by luck.
Of course, the calmest moments often precede a storm.
The reason no one is making a move at this time isn't that they don't dare, but rather that everyone is psychologically testing each other.
Everyone wants to see who will be the first to break and what kind of skill they will reveal when they do.
After about another five or six minutes.
Seeing that the game was still proceeding without any ripples, I decided to strike first and seize the initiative.
The reason I dare to act before others is not that I am overly confident in my cheating skills, but rather that I cannot afford to delay.
This is because, just before the competition officially began, Yun Luo sent me a MMS photo.
The photo showed Shen Mengqing and Xu Peiyu being escorted onto a cruise ship amidst a crowd.
According to our agreement, if I could eliminate the helpers brought by Ying Baolin from the top ten of the finals, they would release the women immediately.
Therefore, at this stage, without having identified that helper, I can only accumulate my own points as quickly as possible.
Because points are equivalent to chips!
Only by holding more points in hand can I have more ample and substantial capital to contend with Ying Baolin's hired help in secret before the finals.
A new round begins.
After the patrolling referee moved away, I immediately used the "Sleeve Concealed Universe: Shuriken" technique to swap the miscellaneous cards starting with an Ace in front of me for an Ace flush.
This round, whether from the timing of the referee's departure or the pace and desire of the players at the table to gain points, it was the best opportunity I could seize since the start.
Especially the way those few people were showing their intent to gain points made me feel they likely didn't have hands better than a flush.
The strongest hands were likely between a flush and a straight flush.
Under these inferred circumstances, making an Ace flush to collect the pot would be the most comfortable.
Scenarios like this are common in folk Bullfighting, when a few people are playing blind.
The person who played blind, upon looking at their cards, immediately chose to bet.
If you have encountered such a scenario, once might be a coincidence.
If it happens more than twice, and you cannot discern the reason, and your hand is not too strong... just fold!
Take my word for it, nine out of ten gambles involve deceit.
...
When it was my turn to bet.
I didn't pretend and directly called two hundred points.
This is because someone had already made the maximum blind bet of one hundred points earlier.
So, at this point, my only option was to see the cards and double the bet.
After I placed my bet, it was the turn of the beautiful woman who was the first to sit at the table.
If I recall correctly, her registered name with the points referee was Shui Cenyin.
A very unusual surname.
After glancing at me, Shui Cenyin said with a hint of frustration, "Handsome, I have a premonition that we're going to have a clash of fate this hand!"
After saying that, she also called two hundred points, just like me.
After Shui Cenyin placed her bet, it was the turn of her next player.
A stylish young man with a slicked-back pompadour and a side part, looking greasy and fashionable.
Despite appearing very fashionable and flamboyant, the stylish youth was actually very cautious.
He spent about twenty to thirty seconds looking at his three cards, which I calculated mentally.
Immediately after seeing his cards, the stylish youth chose to fold without hesitation.
He must have already seen his cards earlier and was analyzing my and Shui Cenyin's hands to decide whether to call.
If the stylish youth is not a cheater, then based on his actions, he is definitely an expert at playing Bullfighting.
Just as I was suspecting the stylish youth's identity, his next action gave me a definitive conclusion.
Immediately after folding, the stylish youth deliberately glanced up at Shui Cenyin and me.
Moreover, a faint smile played on his lips.
It's obvious that the stylish youth is also a cheater!
And he probably also guessed that between me and Shui Cenyin, someone was secretly cheating and changing cards.
As for whether he suspected Shui Cenyin or me, that remains unknown...
The stylish youth's next player was a middle-aged woman wearing a fox fur cape, with a black rose tattoo on her chest.
After calmly looking at her cards with a faint smile, the woman directly chose to call.
The next two players each folded and called with exposed cards.
In a six-player game, four players bet with exposed cards.
Except for the last person who looked at their cards and bet, all the other actions were within my pre-conceived expectations.
Thus, the four of us began to call bets of two hundred points in rotation.
Meanwhile, the referee responsible for tallying points was furiously recording the scores.
After about four or five rounds.
The last person who looked at their cards actually couldn't hold on and chose to fold!
A truly cunning move!
A cheater wouldn't do something so foolish.
This is clearly a seasoned gambler.
The tactic of seasoned gamblers playing Bullfighting is like this: when no one bets, they play by the rules.
As soon as someone bets, regardless of how bad their hand is, they'll make a couple of aggressive bets to test the waters.
Among the five players at the table, I have already identified the identities of two of them through this hand.
Even if I lose in the end, it won't be too much of a loss.
After all, knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory!