"After the fifth card is revealed, regardless of whether your face-up cards are higher or lower than mine, as long as it doesn't exceed two hundred thousand, then this two hundred thousand is my final answer before the reveal!"
With that, the busty foreign woman casually flipped over her hidden card.
A completely useless 7.
At this moment, the busty foreign woman's four face-up cards were: 8, Ace, 4, 7, all unmatched.
In a game of Stud, daring to raise or even go all-in before the fifth card is revealed, there are only two types of people.
One, a fool; two, a master.
How could someone who fought their way through a ten-to-one elimination round to reach the main tournament be a complete fool?
Therefore, without a doubt, this busty foreign woman before me was a Stud master.
Her audacious move was backed by meticulous analysis and deduction.
Compared to Texas Hold'em, five-card Stud is much easier to analyze and calculate.
In Hong Kong and Macau, many top professionals in various industries, such as psychologists, big data analysts, and mathematics professors, have transitioned into professional poker players, specializing in Texas Hold'em or Stud.
They then move on to major casinos, making a living by playing cards and winning prize money from various tournaments.
Making millions, or even tens of millions, in a year is not uncommon.
Especially in recent years, with the immense popularity of gambling films, a large number of international friends have followed suit, traveling from afar to Hong Kong and Macau to seek their fortune.
Clearly, the busty foreign woman was one of them, and undoubtedly, she was among the best of her kind!
...
Back to the main topic.
Judging by the cards on the table, the busty foreign woman's hidden card must form a pair with one of her face-up cards, and it must be among the 8, Ace, or 4.
Among these, the 4 and 8 are the two most crucial cards for the bearded man's 5-6-7 straight.
The busty foreign woman was clearly gambling, betting that the bearded man's hidden card was not part of a straight, but some other random cards.
If she won the gamble, even if her hidden card was a low 4, pairing with the 4 on the table to form a small pair, she could easily beat a high card (unmatched cards).
I thought for sure that the busty foreign woman would win this round, but then...
"Since you say two hundred thousand, then two hundred thousand it is to decide the winner!"
At the last moment, the bearded man unhesitatingly threw two hundred thousand chips onto the table.
Then, he didn't immediately reveal his fifth hidden card. Instead, he flipped over his hole card.
As expected, it was a straight, 5-6-7-8.
When the first round reached this point, I realized that both of them were Stud masters skilled in calculating probabilities.
One was calculating against the other, locked in a fierce battle!
There was no fault in how either of them played this hand.
As for who would win or lose, it would depend on which side fate favored, assuming neither of them cheated...
After the bearded man performed his "head-tail swap," the referee Xue Chuang immediately announced that both players could reveal their cards and decide the winner.
Seeing the bearded man hesitate slightly, the busty foreign woman smiled and said, "Since he's unwilling to reveal first, I'll go first!"
With that, the busty foreign woman immediately opened her hidden card.
Just as I had guessed, it was a low 4!
Indeed, she was a master of Stud, daring to bet with a pair of 4s against a straight.
After the busty foreign woman revealed her card, the bearded man no longer hesitated and seized the opportunity to reveal his hidden card.
A striking red 9 of hearts!
"Damn it! You actually gambled correctly!" Seeing this, the busty foreign woman's face turned pale with anger. "Don't get cocky, you won't be this lucky next time!"
Upon hearing this, the bearded man didn't get angry. Instead, he chuckled and replied, "Allow me to correct you, beautiful lady. Luck... has always been a part of skill!"
It was evident that the bearded man, as the winner, was not only very skilled but also quite spirited.
He had likely seen through the busty foreign woman's trick from the beginning and, pretending ignorance, followed her bait all the way to the hook. The angler was caught by the fish!
This bearded man is a formidable opponent. I'll have to find an opportunity later to test just how strong he really is...
After collecting the chips and cards, Xue Chuang began preparing for the next round.
I forgot to mention earlier that starting from the second round of the Stud competition, the Bee playing cards used in each match are replaced after every game.
Although I was quite eager to face the bearded man, unfortunately, the cards weren't coming my way. For three or four hands in a row, let alone a pair, I hadn't even drawn a face card!
If the cards weren't favorable, the only way to go head-to-head with the bearded man would be to cheat.
But I didn't choose to cheat, because it wasn't yet a desperate situation that required it.
As a cheat, the way to win a match cannot rely too heavily on trickery.
If one can make a living through skill, the less one's sleight of hand is revealed, the better.
Because, a cheat must live a low-key life.
After about ten minutes.
After waiting for two or three more hands, my opportunity finally arrived!
In this hand, my first three face-up cards were all part of a straight, and they were all spades, a flush. The only drawback was that the ranks were a bit low: 2-3-4.
So, when I spoke, I didn't bet much, just called five thousand.
Sitting to my left, the busty foreign woman had a pair of Jacks with a single 8 as her face-up cards.
Seeing that I had only bet five thousand, the busty foreign woman immediately sneered, "Handsome, with such good cards, why are you betting so little?"
"Five thousand to you, and I'll raise you another fifteen thousand!"
Another one-trick pony move to drive up the price!
I ignored her and didn't argue.
Because, in this game, she wasn't my target.
The man in the floral shirt had a pair of low 3s with a King as his face-up cards. He didn't call and chose to fold directly.
When it was the glasses man's turn, looking at the 5-7-Jack of spades flush on the table, he hesitated for about two minutes before choosing to call the 200,000 bet.
Next, it was the bearded man's turn, whom I had marked as my target.
The bearded man kept stroking his beard, his eyebrows furrowed, his expression serious.
There was no other reason: his cards were also a flush, and they were all diamonds, 7-8-9.
A pair of nemesis cards, sharing the same suit and a straight with my own card.
The card he was waiting for, I was also waiting for.
After his eyes darted around for a long time, the bearded man finally decided to call.
After the bearded man called, it was the successful businessman's turn.
His cards were the worst in this hand. He didn't have the right to bet on any card, let alone call.
Therefore, he decisively chose to fold.
After the successful businessman folded, this hand turned into a four-way battle.
To win, it meant I had to take on three opponents...