About half an hour passed.
During this time, I lost more than I won in the gambling matches, relying entirely on the momentum from the first round to barely break even.
My neither-win-nor-lose outcome meant that Da Fei Ge and his four companions each had their own wins and losses.
Among them, Xiang Tian Hua, whose hand had been re-broken and healed, lost the most, almost a million in chips.
Luo Qi Wen and the man in the suit also lost around a million combined.
As for Da Fei Ge and Xiao Mian Hu, they were the biggest winners so far.
Judging by the situation, the expert skilled in psychology must be hidden among these two.
They set up this game to target me because I had demonstrated an almost overwhelming skill in Sic Bo, far surpassing A Yuan.
A Yuan might not have been able to gauge my true strength, but that didn't mean Da Fei Ge and the others couldn't.
Therefore, the best approach was: one unwavering resolve, two hands prepared.
Both a cheat and a psychologist were deployed simultaneously.
The first half hour seemed calm, but it was merely the brief tranquility before the storm.
If nothing unexpected happened, in the next hour and a half, Da Fei Ge and his group... would likely make their move!
This was the difference in how top-tier cheats and ordinary cheats approached their opponents.
Ordinary cheats, regardless of the situation, would immediately unleash their usual tricks against an opponent.
But top-tier cheats were different.
Before they could ascertain the opponent's strength, they would patiently lie low and wait for the opportune moment to strike.
When they moved, it would be a decisive blow!
I knew that the subsequent gambling matches would be fraught with peril and hidden dangers.
If I couldn't quickly devise a strategy to break through this situation, not only would my five million chips be devoured, but I might also be held captive!
This "Immortal Gathering" challenge was one I had to overcome.
It was my only hope of regaining clues about the Thousand King's Token. If I failed, I might not even get to see Yu Shuang!
Therefore, I had to go all out...
...
In the latest round, the first four community cards on the table were: 4, 4, 2, K.
Although only one of my two hidden cards was a useful 2, together they formed two pairs.
If the last community card dealt was another 2 or a 4, I would get a Full House (three of a kind and a pair), which was two levels higher than the Straight I had in the first round.
Apart from Four of a Kind, Straight Flush, and Royal Flush, a Full House was truly a top-tier hand.
Honestly, before the identity of the psychology expert was revealed, I wanted to play along a little longer.
After all, as long as I maintained my composure and didn't cheat, they couldn't find any fault with me.
In the end, whether I won or lost, I could calmly leave the casino.
But the reality was that with the reveal of these four community cards, I wasn't the only one benefiting.
For instance, Da Fei Ge had been consistently raising the bet.
Although Da Fei Ge didn't get the small or big blind in this hand, he would raise the bet every time it was his turn to speak.
Before the fifth community card was dealt, Da Fei Ge had already raised the stakes to one hundred thousand.
What was even more critical was... that the entire group chose to call!
Fortunately, I had entered the table last, following Da Fei Ge, and was seated to his immediate left.
The bet reached me at the end.
My act of following suit like the others didn't draw their suspicion.
However, I knew very well that if the fifth community card dealt was the crucial one I wanted, I would definitely have to call this round! At that point, regardless of whether anyone else raised the bet, I would be trapped in a pincer movement!
After everyone had called, the female dealer drew the fifth card from the deck and slowly revealed it...
The Two of Hearts!
4, 4, 2, K, 2. All five community cards were now fixed.
The community cards were favorable; even with a hidden K, it started with two pairs.
Although I had successfully obtained a Full House, I had to be wary of those with a hidden K who could simply be ignored, as there were still two 4s and one 2 out in the open that needed to be accounted for.
As I focused my gaze and remained vigilant, Xiao Mian Hu, who was to Da Fei Ge's left, spoke.
Since Xiao Mian Hu was the first player, the initiative was in his hands.
He didn't raise the bet, keeping it at one hundred thousand.
To my surprise, everyone else chose to call, not a single person folded!
This scene left me bewildered.
There was no reason! Absolutely no reason!
With two pairs and a single card, and the single card of one pair being with me, even if all the cards that matched the community cards were in others' hands, there were only a handful of five cards.
It was highly unlikely that each person would coincidentally receive one card each!
Just as I called and began to secretly suspect that this group was preparing to make their first move, forcing me to react passively...
Da Fei Ge raised the bet again!
Five hundred thousand! A full five hundred thousand!
And he was raising the bet on top of Xiao Mian Hu!
Unexpectedly, Xiao Mian Hu not only said nothing but also decisively chose to call!
Once he called, the remaining four of us had to make our final decision.
Would we call, or would we fold?
Betting on Texas Hold'em wasn't like betting on Baccarat, where you could guess and deduce based on the opponent's visible cards or directly engage in a showdown.
It wasn't like betting on Bullfight, where you could double your chips to compare hands when unsure if the opponent's cards were better than yours.
The two hidden cards in front of each person were enough to influence and change the outcome of the game!
So, taking advantage of my position to the left of Da Fei Ge, before it was my turn to declare...
I began to secretly observe the expressions of Xiang Tian Hua, Luo Qi, and the young man in the suit, hoping to subtly gauge the strength of their hands and prepare to adjust accordingly.
Perhaps it was due to her lack of proficiency in Texas Hold'em, but Luo Qi, who had been so sharp and prominent when selecting the venue earlier, had now become a supporting character.
After a brief deliberation, she chose to fold.
Once Luo Qi Wen folded, I knew that the other single 2 and the pair of 4s were not in her hand.
Subsequently, Xiang Tian Hua also chose to fold.
If Luo Qi Wen was a supporting character in this "Immortal Gathering," then Xiang Tian Hua was undoubtedly an extra!
After his hand was re-broken, he had become indistinguishable from the crowd, completely marginalized.
As for the handsome young man in the suit, he calmly chose to call.
However, when he threw his chips onto the table, the young man in the suit made a move that caught me completely off guard.
He brought the chips to his mouth and blew on them.
This action by the young man in the suit immediately put me on alert.