The most annoying thing about Texas Hold'em compared to Stud poker is that once the person with the most chips on the table decides to go all-in, it's truly possible to scare off a large number of people.
Those with capital dare not call, and if they do, it's a winner-take-all situation.
As for those without capital, they simply can't afford to call.
Although I knew very well that Isabella's all-in strategy was a mix of truth and deception, and that calling wouldn't necessarily mean losing, yet...
For me, any rank other than first place is a failure!
This is because only the ultimate winner of the final round will have the opportunity to interact with Yun Jin during the post-match awards ceremony.
Therefore, any hand that isn't a sure win is one I can't afford to play.
With this thought, after glancing at Xu Shiyu and subtly shaking my head to signal her to fold, I was the first to call out "Fold."
After Xu Shiyu and I folded, the other four players also chose to fold.
The reality of five players against two was now openly playing out.
If this continued, in any hand where it wasn't the big or small blind's turn, as long as someone on Isabella's side raised or went all-in first, Xu Shiyu and I would be relentlessly squeezed until our chips ran out!
Seeing Isabella suddenly flash a victorious smile, I knew...
My time was running out!
If I didn't find a way to accumulate some chips soon, there was a high probability of being dragged down.
My previous experiences had already taught me that trying to deal with the mole at the table was impossible.
The only way forward was to shift my target to the dealer...
Since the start of the final round, I had subconsciously believed that the mole's key to winning was through collusion with the dealer.
Now, it seemed I had been too quick to judge.
Even if the dealer responsible for dealing had the skill and technique to cheat, they wouldn't dare to do so.
This was because in such a highly scrutinized final round, the dealer represented the casino's image, absolute fairness, justice, and transparency.
Moreover, this was a situation where one feared the unlikely, so the dealer likely wouldn't dare to act rashly and would simply deal cards honestly.
To win, I had to find a way through the dealer.
After a moment of thought, a bold idea suddenly formed in my mind.
...
In the new round, as the dealer began to unpack and shuffle the new cards as usual, I seized the opportunity to request a cut of the deck.
This was not an unreasonable request; the dealer had to agree.
Hearing that I wanted to cut the deck, Isabella's expression immediately changed.
Undeniably, Isabella's fundamental skills and strength in Texas Hold'em were considerable, but a professional poker player and a professional cheat were two entirely different concepts.
Previously, to gain my trust, she had not hesitated to reveal her identity and even mentioned her proficiency in formulas and algorithms.
I, on the other hand, adhered to my usual style, holding back and concealing my true abilities to the end.
Therefore, I had an advantage in this regard.
As I reached out to cut the deck, I clearly felt Isabella cast a highly vigilant glance at me.
Besides her, the other members of the mole team also focused their attention on my hands.
I knew that some of them were professional cheats, and their lack of action earlier was to cooperate with Isabella in concealing their identities.
Seeing everyone, including the dealer, fixated on me...
Mimicking Isabella's provocative smile, I quickly brushed across the deck.
The dealer, who hadn't noticed anything, gave me a look of disbelief before reaching out to deal the cards.
When the dealer dealt the hole cards to everyone, perhaps it was due to the intimidating, unreadable cut of the deck, but this round, the big and small blinds had, unusually, placed only the minimum bet limit.
Seeing this, when it was my turn to bet, I immediately pushed all my chips forward without a second thought...
All-in!
Isabella was stunned by this move!
Before the community cards were dealt, if one had good hole cards but was all-in from the start, it was a very unpleasant feeling.
After considering for a long while, Isabella, gritting her teeth, finally chose to call.
As for the players behind her, they also obediently chose to call, unlike before when they had been aggressively raising before the formal start of the game.
Due to our chip shortage, Xu Shiyu and I were currently at the bottom.
Therefore, even though I went all-in, others still had sufficient chips to call.
To avoid anyone being unclear and being self-righteous, a simple explanation.
In Texas Hold'em, if you only have 1,000 yuan left in chips, and everyone else has 5,000 or more, then you are considered to be short-stacked.
If you go all-in and others call, even if you win... you can only get back your initial bet plus an equal amount in chips.
In other words, regardless of how many people call, besides your initial 1,000 yuan stake, you can only take 1,000 from each player's chips as profit.
The rest of the chips will be returned.
The fairest aspect of Texas Hold'em is this: you can only win as many chips as you have in your hand.
Xu Shiyu did not call because she was on my side.
After everyone else had called, and after discarding the next card, the dealer began to deal the three community cards.
The moment the three community cards were dealt and revealed one by one, gasps of surprise erupted from both inside and outside the venue!
"Holy crap! Trips!!!"
"This hand is going to be a disaster! A major disaster!"
"Tsk tsk tsk... this is going to be good!"
After I cut the deck, the dealer surprisingly dealt trips of 10s!
This kind of hand was much more reliable than the flush hands from the beginning.
As long as one had a pair in their hole cards, they started with a full house, two pairs.
According to the rules, in hands where players go all-in early, all participating players must reveal their cards.
With a look of disbelief and uncertainty, the dealer glanced at me again and then signaled for everyone to reveal their cards in turn.
At this moment, Isabella had no interest in looking at the community cards; her gaze was fixed on my two hole cards.
One was a single 8, and the other... a single 10!
This meant I had four 10s!
To beat a four-of-a-kind bomb, the only possibility was a straight flush.
Next, as long as the suits of the remaining two community cards were different, even if someone had a flush from the start and could pair with any of the three 10s, it would be futile!