Chapter 38 - Five Card Stud
“Let's see what I've got,” Ye Hao remarked, revealing his three cards.
Ye Zhiguo and Guo Xiu, who were standing behind Ye Hao, could immediately see that he had a pair of fives.
“A pair of fives,” Guo Xiu declared, surprised.
Qu Wen's face darkened at the sight.
With a grin, Ye Hao laid his cards out on the table. “I've won.”
“You've only won one hand. Don't get cocky,” Qu Wen retorted with a cold huff.
Ye Hao stood up and raked the chips toward himself. He had just made nearly seven thousand yuan.
“Deal the cards,” Qu Wen demanded, clearly displeased.
In the next hand, Ye Hao noticed that a gambler had a straight, so after raising the bet twice, he decided to fold.
Ye Hao could now use his X-ray Vision for a full sixty seconds.
It took him just half a second to check a set of cards, meaning he could play up to 120 hands. Ye Hao wasn't aiming to win a fortune here; his sights were set on the VIP lounge, but he first needed to build up enough funds.
Over time, the pile of chips Ye Hao had won grew steadily. By the sixtieth hand, he had accumulated 60,000 yuan.
Standing up, Ye Hao prepared to leave.
“Where do you think you're going?” Qu Wen asked, rising quickly.
Ye Hao gestured towards the second floor. “I'm heading to the VIP lounge for a couple of games.” 𝗳r𝚎𝐞w𝐞𝚋𝗻𝗼vel.𝗰o𝐦
“You've only got 60,000 yuan. That won't get you far in the VIP room,” Qu Wen said.
“The stakes are higher in the VIP room, and that's more exciting,” Ye Hao replied, still smiling.
“You're not going anywhere,” Qu Wen insisted, hoping to recoup his losses.
“Are you really going to try and stop me here?” Ye Hao asked calmly, locking eyes with Qu Wen.
It was then that Qu Wen noticed two towering security guards nearby. The security personnel in Anesas were not to be underestimated.
Qu Wen was nothing more than a local tough guy; he didn't have the nerve to stir up trouble in a casino.
“We'll see about that,” Qu Wen said before turning on his heel and walking away.
With a look of concern, Ye Zhiguo inquired, “Hao, do you think he'll seek revenge?”
“Don't worry. Security in Anesas is top-notch,” Ye Hao reassured.
“Alright, but are you seriously considering the VIP room?” Ye Zhiguo was still skeptical of Ye Hao's gambling abilities.
“I'm just going to take a look around,” Ye Hao said with a smile.
As Ye Hao and his parents approached the stairs, a server inquired softly, “Are you heading to the VIP room?”
Ye Hao nodded in confirmation.
“Please follow me.”
As Ye Hao ascended the stairs with the server, he noticed a sign in the corridor stating, “The minimum bet in the VIP room is 10,000 yuan.”
The server didn't judge them for their modest attire. She quietly walked them through the VIP lounge's rules.
“You can call me Ye,” the server whispered. “I'll be assisting you throughout your visit.”
The bulk of the casino's revenue came from the VIP lounge patrons, which is why the staff treated VIPs with the utmost respect.
“You can play dice or other games.”
Ye Hao's interest was piqued when he heard this. “I'll play dice,” he declared.
Ye Hao and Ye Hua quickly made their way to a room.
Around twenty people were gathered inside, all eyes fixed on the croupier.
After shaking the cup in his hand, the croupier set it down on the table and announced, “You may now place your bets.”
“What are the rules?” Ye Hao inquired.
“There are six dice in the cup. You guess their total sum. If you're correct, you'll receive a tenfold payout,” Ye Hua explained softly.
Ye Hao was convinced that most croupiers could roll the six dice to the same number.
The highest possible sum on the dice was thirty-six.
Thus, the odds of correctly guessing the total were one in thirty-six.
But the casino was only offering a tenfold payout, clearly not in the gamblers' favor.
In just 0.3 seconds, Ye Hao discerned that the dice total inside the cup was twenty-one!
Observing others placing their bets, Ye Hao then positioned three green chips on the number “21.”
He was the only one in the room to place his chips on that number.
“Open the shaker.”
“Do it quickly.”
“I refuse to believe I'll lose again this time.”
“I've placed bets on five numbers this time. There's no way I can still lose.”
With the entire room waiting in eager anticipation, the croupier lifted the cover off the shaker.
The dice showed the numbers 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 3.
Guo Xiu did a quick calculation in her head, then her eyes widened in disbelief.
Twenty-four!
At ten times the odds, Ye Hao had just won three hundred thousand!
Ye Hua, with a pleased expression, handed thirty-three green chips to Ye Hao.
“You're really lucky.”
“Thanks.” Ye Hao grinned and gave Ye Hua a green chip, “Here's your tip.”
Ye Hua quickly expressed his gratitude.
Ye Zhiguo and Guo Xiu were momentarily dumbfounded.
They hadn't expected Ye Hao to casually hand over a ten thousand tip to Ye Hua.
After all, ten thousand is a significant amount!
But since Ye Hao had already given the tip to Ye Hua, they couldn't intervene.
The croupier maintained a calm demeanor.
Ye Hao had a one in thirty-six chance of correctly guessing the dice numbers. His success wasn't all that surprising.
As the croupier set the shaker down again, the bettors started to place their wagers.
Ye Hao thought for a moment, then placed ten green chips on the spot marked “23”.
Several other gamblers followed suit, placing their bets on “23” as well.
When the croupier revealed the dice, Guo Xiu's face fell.
The dice were all low numbers; there was no way their total could be twenty-three.
Ye Hao had just lost a hundred thousand!
Guo Xiu felt a pang of sympathy at the thought.
“Hao, maybe we should call it a day,” Guo Xiu suggested quietly, tugging at Ye Hao's sleeve.
“I'll play one more hand,” Ye Hao replied with a smile.
“Just don't bet too much this time,” Guo Xiu urged.
After all, if they walked away from the casino now, they'd still be up over two hundred thousand!
But to Guo Xiu's astonishment, Ye Hao placed all twenty-five of his green chips on the number “36.”
“I'll treat it like a round of five card stud,” Ye Hao declared, still smiling.
“You're not just playing five card stud. You're practically handing your money over to the casino owner,” a gambler remarked.
“The chances of hitting a number like 36 in a single day are slim to none.”
“I suggest you retract your chips before the croupier lifts the cover.”
Despite the advice from several gamblers, Ye Hao remained unmoved. “According to the odds, any number could come up,” he stated.
The gamblers trying to convince Ye Hao were at a loss for words.
Theoretically, Ye Hao was correct, but that's not how things work in practice!
Guo Xiu grew worried, “Hao, don't act on impulse.”
“This money was won from the casino in the first place. The worst that can happen is I lose it,” Ye Hao reassured Guo Xiu with a smile.
Ye Zhiguo also thought Ye Hao was taking too big a gamble. With the two hundred and fifty thousand, their family's finances could see a significant improvement.
“Open the cup,” Ye Hao commanded the croupier with a firm tone.
“Are you certain?” the croupier inquired.
“I'm certain,” Ye Hao confirmed with a nod.
“Very well.” With the crowd watching in anticipation, the croupier slowly revealed the contents of the cup.