a lady doesn't wander all over the room [POKER GAME]

[12second_orz]

Who: Tonegawa and anyone who wants to come play poker or just mingle!
When: Evening of June 5th, from around 6-9pm (travel home included, etc)
Where: Ukyou's teahouse
Summary: Tonegawa's hosting a poker evening (see here); hope you've got a good hand, because not everyone is going to play fairly. It should make for an interesting game.
Warnings: Probably language.


[Rather than nominating his own apartment as the spot for their game, Tonegawa has chosen to opt for more of an open house- in more ways than one, now that he’s allowing most people in provided they don’t make any trouble for him. The late Ukyou’s teahouse, while not quite in line with his usual sleek, modern affairs, seems a fair compromise, and better than renting something so serious as a conference room in a hotel- this is, after all, to be a casual game.

That said, he’s still had Western tables and chairs moved into the room- not perfectly in keeping with the décor, but to hell with having to sit on the floor for the entire evening- and made sure it opens onto a small private courtyard for the smokers. Drinks are served by a couple of the house’s geisha. Casual doesn’t have to mean sloppy, after all. He takes care of his guests.

They’re due to start at around seven, but there’s plenty of time to take in the spring rains with a cold drink and a little pre-competition conversation. Chat. Doubtless, the company will be varied- not too varied, if Laforet-kun is doing her job properly, but certainly worth a word or two.]

Comments

[vinovidivici]

I'm still following you. [ Not the best joke he's ever heard but it gets a grin anyway, Claire taking the deck without bothering to break eye contact. In his peripheral vision he could see that Tonegawa made the effort to integrate his hand into the rest of the deck instead of just holding it to the bottom or top. It means Claire won't get to look at his cards, but it also all but confirms that whatever trick Tonegawa's pulling is something to do with them; that casual gesture was him covering his tracks. Well, two can play at that game.

The man to Claire's left had Two of a Kind - both fours, spades and hearts as he remembers. When he hands them over to be shuffled Clare folds them right into the center along with his seven and nine, then cuts the deck along that line so they're back at the top. Hopefully that would have thrown any casual observers looking for a false shuffle, kept them from noticing that those four cards are now pinched static at the top of the deck as he shuffles overhand. It's a natural process that he doesn't seem to be paying attention to any more than the other rounds he's dealt for; growing up with casino-operating mafia family had its upsides. As he takes care of that he cheerfully catches the eyes of a couple of the other players. ]

So, everyone else is in for this round? No one needs a rest stop again?

[12second_orz]

[The sleight of hand goes unnoticed; Tonegawa's eyes are on the rest of the table in that moment, carefully gauging expressions and the risk levels they convey and passing it off as him checking for interest in the next game. It would be foolish to suppose that he could tell from one glance if they'd caught his scent, of course, but it's worth the time it takes. A twitch of the mouth, a pair of eyes focused on him and on his hands, a certain level of discomfort: he needs to look for the tripwire before he sounds the alarm proper.

But it's difficult not to enjoy himself all the same. He feels full, swollen to contentment with his success like a gorged lion after a hunt, all but licking the victory-blood from his lips. The alcohol soothes his nerves. It's just a little friendly competition, after all. No reason to worry. He can run rings around them all without breaking a sweat.]

Speak now or forever hold your peace. I'd hate to throw off the rhythm of the game.

[vinovidivici]

You don't want to lose the winning streak, you mean. [ Claire glances at him, amused, before dealing to everyone in turn from underneath the top cards. Everyone except Tonegawa; when he comes around Claire takes from the top cards: a four and the seven of hearts, if he's kept track of them like he thinks he has. He keeps his hands moving around the table and makes the deceit as deft as possible, making small talk with the man on his right as he does.

That done he looks at his own hand - he left that purely to chance. It's not worth completely rigging the game, that would take the fun out of it. And as usual, his world has dealt him a good hand in a pinch. Literally. He has two nines, and another turns up in the flop. Not a bad set-up.

He absently spins one of his counters on the tabletop, smirking in a way that heavily suggests that he's going to be in and raising this round. But then that's pretty much been his default poker face anyway. ]

[12second_orz]

There's nothing wrong with that, is there?

[The smile stays curled at the corners of his lips as Claire deals: again, he's too busy reading the faces of his other opponents as they receive their cards. Good, bad, they've been playing for long enough that there isn't much they aren't purposefully giving away left to read in their faces, but, as always, better to check now.

Deftly, he whips his own cards off of the table and puts on a look of concentration as he studies them- it doesn't matter what they are, particularly, but the show of it is vital. A four and a seven. Hearts. The flop manages a nine, another seven and the Suicide King himself- though he's not planning on following that particular part of the suit. Pun very much intended.

The grazing rattle of Claire's counter on the table distracts him briefly, but Tonegawa's focused on his own strategy. He's running a little low on energy now, but he should have enough for one last push. He could easily aim low, hope for an eight or gently nudge the other players towards supposing his four is just that, but three-of-a-kind lacks a certain drama. There's no point in using his power if the hand he fakes is cheap. No, he wants a straight flush on the King: there's something beautiful about it, something befitting of him.

For now, he plays it cool. When it's his turn, he stays smiling but calls. No raises. That can wait for the next betting round.]

[vinovidivici]

[ After ignoring Tonegawa's retort in order to exchange snide remarks with a player who folded on the first round for the fourth game in a row, Claire calls himself (being too bolshy and cowing Tonegawa would scupper this one chance to see what he's up to) and flips the turn. Jack of spades. Not something he could fit into his hand unless another showed up to make a pair. And similarly it ought to be irrelevant to Tonegawa as well. Ought to be. Whatever literal or metaphorical cards he has up his sleeve might say otherwise.

Claire keeps the man's reaction in the corner of his eye while looking dispassionately at that one fella next to him with the amazing poker face but the sweat glands that keep betraying him. No surprise when that guy wipes his forehead on his suit sleeve and raises again. ]

[12second_orz]

[The Knave of Spades appears in the turn, and for a moment Tonegawa can't help but feel a little curl of satisfaction. He's always felt that games such as these reflect something of a microcosm of society. The card is rather more befitting of a Claire or a Kaiji than himself- a 'jack' of all trades, just above the common run but still years behind the world's kings and queens. Perhaps in a couple of years they might pose more of a threat, but for now they're up against a system naturally given to cheat and lie to keep its status quo.

Appropriately enough, the card is utterly useless to him as it is but can nonetheless be twisted to his advantage.

The way seems to be clear as he glances from player to player, and Tonegawa gathers his energy together for a final push before smiling and speaking. A raise- just a small one, lacking any obvious bravado, but a raise nonetheless. Just to whet their appetites.]

[vinovidivici]

[ One by one the players that are left each call Tonegawa's bet and put their chips forward, Claire among them. He's oblivious to any symbolism in the cards, and has largely lost interest in his own hand. Betting this much on a three of a kind wasn't something he'd normally risk given the air of confidence some of the others were giving off, Tonegawa among them. The hand doesn't matter. He feels he's on the right trail with Tonegawa - some instinct saying that he's going to pull something, and bowing out now and watching from the sidelines doesn't feel right. If there's going to be a real showdown in the showdown then he wants to be in the running 'til the last round.

He makes a show of keeping up with his duties as dealer, flipping the final card over with a little flick into the air. ] Two of clubs. [ The sweating man finally rolls his eyes and folds. Claire grins at the next man along - Tonegawa. ] What about you, Tony?