I had always assumed that underground casinos like Huadu would be similar to bathhouses or entertainment clubs, perhaps not towering skyscrapers, but at least opulent and dazzling.
However, upon entering this casino, situated on the outskirts of the city, I discovered... that all the beauty in the world stems from human imagination.
The ground floor lobby of the Huadu Casino was essentially undecorated, with only white walls and a concrete floor visible.
Furthermore, the smoke-filled hall was permeated with a peculiar scent, so unique that it was difficult to describe in words.
In short, judging solely by its appearance, this place seemed utterly rustic, and not just a little bit!
It appeared that gamblers and lustful men were different. It seemed gamblers had no pursuit of external visual effects whatsoever.
With money, why worry about not getting girls?
Impossible! People who came here to gamble were dealing with hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands in mere moments.
...
Skipping past the chaotic lobby, which exuded a sour, musty odor everywhere, I directed my gaze directly upstairs.
Compared to the messy and dilapidated first floor, which was almost indistinguishable from private card rooms outside, the second and third floors appeared much more lavish!
From the moment I stepped onto the first stair of the second floor, the entire staircase, from bottom to top, was enveloped in a fiery red carpet.
The meaning behind the fiery red carpet was, understandably, quite clear.
With independent private rooms as the main feature, the second and third floors were likely catering primarily to major clients.
The surfaces of the doors were decorated with golden paint, symbolizing nobility and grandeur.
Despite its stark contrast in appearance, this emerging casino was doing booming business!
It seemed that what the taxi driver said couldn't be entirely believed.
For gamblers, the appearance of a beautiful young madam owner like Yu Shuang at the Huadu Casino could, for a certain period, significantly stimulate their adrenaline.
This would cause these gamblers to indulge in fantasies, fostering a concept of impulsive consumption, thereby achieving maximum customer flow.
However, for those truly lost in the sea of gambling, only the thought of becoming rich or poor at the gambling table was the true source that continuously drove them to appear here!
However, all of the above had nothing to do with me.
My purpose for coming here was twofold: firstly, to hone and improve my gambling skills, and secondly, to see if there was an opportunity to get a little revenge on that pickpocket Leng Meng.
But in truth, the first reason was primary.
After entering the ground floor lobby, I went directly to the bar to exchange a thousand yuan for chips and set a goal for myself.
To multiply these thousand yuan in chips eighteenfold in the shortest possible time!
I distinctly remembered Uncle Tuo saying that when a cheater enters a casino, they should not act until the moment is right, and when they do act... they must aim for a lucky stake!
Therefore, I set a target of eighteen thousand.
After receiving the chips, I began to search for a suitable gambling table for my skills.
Due to the differences in gambling culture in each region, the most common card games in the open tables at the Huadu Casino were "Zha Jin Hua" (Exploding Golden Flower) and "Niu Niu" (Bull Bull).
Card games like Blackjack, Poker, and Baccarat, which were once featured in Hong Kong films, were also present, but not in large numbers.
At least, their popularity and influence were definitely not comparable to Zha Jin Hua and Niu Niu.
Of course, this did not mean that all underground casinos in Anhai had this same structure.
It could only be said that in Huadu, the locals preferred the Zha Jin Hua and Niu Niu games they were most familiar with.
Having confirmed my target, I stopped wandering aimlessly and headed straight for the open tables of Niu Niu.
Compared to Zha Jin Hua, the doubling feature of Niu Niu was the point I valued most.
Niu Niu, also known as Dou Niu (Fighting Bull).
The rule is to deal five cards, and then any three of these cards must sum up to an integer multiple of 10. Then, the remaining two cards are examined.
If the sum of the remaining two cards is also an integer multiple of 10, it is considered a Niu Niu.
Conversely, if a Niu Niu is not achieved, the hands are ranked from 1 to 9 points based on their total.
What makes it more interesting than Zha Jin Hua is that Niu Niu allows for multipliers.
The multiplier rules might differ in different places, but in Anhai, the rules are almost the same as in most places, practically identical.
Niu 7 to Niu 9, double the bet.
Niu Niu, triple the bet.
Silver Bull, also known as Four Flower Bull, quadruples the bet.
Gold Bull, i.e., Five Flower Bull, quintuples the bet.
Bomb, sextuples the bet.
Five Small Bull, tenfold the bet!
If you get a Five Small Bull, you can multiply your bet by up to ten times!
For example, if you bet 1000 yuan and get a Bomb hand, you can directly receive 10000 yuan, including your principal and profit.
If it happens to be your turn to be the dealer in that hand, then congratulations... you sweep the board!
Of course, the probability of getting high-paying hands like Five Small Bull is definitely the smallest.
However, this is not an issue for a cheater.
Because I noticed that at the Niu Niu table I was observing, the dealer was only responsible for taking a commission, not participating in shuffling or dealing.
It seems this situation is what Yu Shuang had mentioned about staff shortages.
It is known that gamblers who frequent casinos, apart from a very small minority who truly rely on luck, most gamblers have become "doctors through long illness," gaining experience and insights, and possessing their own specific methods of cheating.
In a sense, there are only things you can't imagine, and nothing gamblers can't do!
Therefore, for card games with such high payouts, if the establishment does not have skilled dealers with good sleight of hand, they usually only act as a commission-taking table, letting the gamblers play amongst themselves.
While they were playing earlier, I took a glance; the dealer would take a 5% commission from the winner of each round.
Very legitimate, very professional.
If the winner wins 2000 yuan in a hand, the dealer will take 100 yuan of that as commission.
Assuming each table here operates for only 12 hours, with approximately 10 rounds per hour, and an average win or loss of around 2000 yuan per round, the commission alone would be 1000 yuan per hour!
Over 12 hours, that would be a full 12000 yuan!
With about 30 tables in the ground floor lobby, the daily commission alone would conservatively estimate at 360,000!
And that's me estimating on the low side.
However, after watching for a while longer, I immediately overturned my previous conservative estimation!
Because I realized I was still too young and too naive.
How could a legitimate casino, due to staff shortages, do nothing and simply let a table operate to collect commission?
Even with a shortage of staff, they would still find ways to make those gamblers lose money!
In essence, it all boils down to the saying: nine out of ten gambles involve deception.