closed » Or will we start this game over again

[likearhino]

"Naw, yo, I bet I've got a better poker face than you."

[It had been a few days since Beat had blurted that out while conversing with his younger sister. She had laughed after he said it teasing him by saying that he wore his heart on his sleeve. While Beat wasn't sure what it had meant, he felt the sudden need to prove his claim. The only problem was that she didn't actually know how to play said card game.

Even if he didn't really think much of it when he'd first said it, he suddenly took it upon himself to teach her the ropes. Beat had even made sure that neither of their parents were around, not in any mood to get into another shouting match with either of them for teaching Rhyme the skill—or so he'd like to think— before getting down to business.

He looked up from the deck of cards in his hands, skillfully shuffling them as he spoke to Rhyme.]

Heh, you totally gonna get owned, yo!

[A cocky grin pulled at his lips as he was unable to curb his now competitive nature around his sibling.]

Comments

[adageprincess]

[A better poker face, he'd said. Rhyme had laughed back then, and she laughed again now at Beat's excitement. Her brother really did wear his emotions on his sleeve. That he'd actually ever won a game was something she found hard to believe in, and, of course, she wouldn't lose to him now.]

Don't count your chickens before they're hatched, Beat.

[She warned, and then leaned forward to watch him shuffle the cards on top of the table. No, their parents probably wouldn't be happy about this, but Rhyme didn't see anything wrong with it. So long as they didn't bet anything, then it was just a game, right? And poker did seem like an interesting game of both skill and luck.]

[likearhino]

[Beat shrugs at the comment, sounding ever so cocky as he looked back down at the cards.]

I don't gotta worry 'bout something like that. I ain't got no chickens to count, anyway.

[After stacking the cards together, he deals the cards, two for reach of them. He puts the deck aside and taps his finger his own cards.]

Aight, so both a' these are your pocket cards. You can look at 'em but don't show 'em to me, got it?

[adageprincess]

[It doesn't bother Rhyme that the expression just flies over Beat's head. Most do, and most of the time she'll explain them to him, but this one might be better learned through experience. She smiles at him and pulls the two cards towards her end of the table, not peeking at them just yet.]

Got it. But what am I looking for?

[In retrospect, she could have probably learned the game over the internet or even through a book. But it's not often that there's something Beat knows that she doesn't already, and Rhyme knows that teaching her, as rare as it is, is something her older brother enjoys.]

[likearhino]

[Beat leans back on his chair, giving it a little thought, trying to figure out the best way to explain the rules of the game.]

Aight, there's a lot you gotta be lookin' for. You know the suits right? Hearts, clubs, clovers an' diamonds. And there's also the numbers. Two's the lowest, an' an ace is the highest. [A pause.] 'Cept for when you got a straight.

[He goes about explaining the different hands needed to win a round in the game, trying not to confuse her too much as he went along. When he comes to a stopping point, he looks sheepish as he rubs the back of his neck.]

Hey, if it's not makin' any sense, jus' tell me, aight?

[adageprincess]

[Rhyme smiles at her brother reassuringly, shaking her head.]

It does, don't worry!

[Her ability to learn new things has always been good, but he's not a bad teacher either. Rhyme is also impressed by how complicated the rules of the game are...but then, she has always known that Beat isn't slow, just unmotivated. And ever since they got out of Game...]

So when do we get new cards?

[likearhino]

[A smile tugs at the side of his lips, just glad that Rhyme was understanding what he was saying. It took him a little while to get it the first time he tried himself that he didn't blame her if she asked him to repeat a couple of things.]

Nah, you don't. You gotta use those cards— [Pointing to the cards in her hands.] —with the cards the dealer lays down.

[He takes a quick peek at his own cards, just lifting them high enough to see what they were before laying them flat once more. He purses his lips for a second but tries to keep his face straight as to not reveal if his hand was good or not.]

How's 'bout we make bets for this? It don't gotta be real. It's just kinda hard to put it all on the line if you ain't really tryin' to win, you know?

[adageprincess]

[Rhyme watches Beat peek at his cards, and is surprised despite herself that she's unable to read his expression as to whether he got good ones or not. At least, not completely. She peeks at her own cards, taking two tries to lift their corners from the table, keeping her own expression carefully neutral. But she frowns at his suggestion.]

Do you always make bets when you play poker, Beat?

[Because it looks and sounds as if he's played more than a few casual games, this is definitely alarming. And he didn't really give her a straight answer when she asked him where he learned how to play poker before.]

Do you gamble?

[likearhino]

[With a slight shrug, Beat waves a hand at the question. There have been a few times when money were involved in their games but he never bet more than what he had. He may be slow at times, but he wasn't stupid.]

Bets? Yeah, sure, yo. It don't gotta be money all the time. Sometimes it's just a dare or somethin' like that.

[adageprincess]

[It wasn't money all the time, which meant it was money sometimes. That didn't sit well with Rhyme, but the situation didn't seem bad enough that she would need to intervene. She should probably keep a closer eye on her brother's spending habits though. If Beat ran out of money a lot, then he might actually have a gambling problem.]

Alright. What should we bet then?

[likearhino]

[He answers almost instantly.]

If I win, next plate a' curry's on you. [Yep.]

[adageprincess]

[Rhyme laughs. She should have known.]

And if I win, you're doing the dishes for the rest of the week.

[Her exams are coming up and she can use the extra time to study. Rhyme smiles as she waits for Beat's reply, drumming her fingers atop her cards.]

[likearhino]

[Beat cringes a little and makes a face at the thought of doing the dishes, a little frustrated that he hadn't thought of something similar earlier. Though he couldn't complain either if a win got him a free meal.]

Aight, dishes for a week if I lose. Which I ain't gonna.

[He extends a closed fist across the table to his sister for a fistbump, their own form of a handshake.]

Bring it, yo.

[adageprincess]

Bring it.

[Rhyme echoes, reaching forward and lightly bumping her smaller fist against Beat's. Of course, she's not completely sure that she'll win given that this is her first game of poker. But she doesn't think Beat is as good at is as he thinks either. If anything, his excitement might cause him to lose.

She pulls her cards closer.]

Some of the hands consist of five cards. When do we get new ones?

[likearhino]

You don't. The rest a' the cards come from the one's the dealer puts down.

[With that, Beat takes the first card from the deck and puts it aside before laying three cards face up between them; a queen of hearts, a 5 of spades, and a 10 of hearts.]

Wanna keep goin' or you gonna fold?

[adageprincess]

[Rhyme peers at the value of the cards on the table. She got six and 10 spades, so together with these three...that's just one pair. That doesn't seem like good odds. But are these the only cards they're getting?]

What happens if I choose either one?