The Poker Game

Posted on Sat Sep 24th, 2011 @ 10:29pm by Melody Johnson

1,401 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Mission 77 - No Time for the Dishonored
Location: SB400 Skyline Lounge
Timeline: Current

"Alright, Ms. Johnson," Lt. Peterson started to say.

"That's Captain Johnson," Melody corrected.

"Sorry. Capt. Johnson," the lieutenant said with a bit of a smile, "As I started to say, your story and paperwork check out so you're free to go."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Melody said and stood up from the table she had been sitting at during the 2 hours of interrogation she had just undergone. She turned and walked to the door of the interrogation room.

"And please," the lieutenant said as the door of the interrogation room opened with a whispering hiss.

Melody turned back around and looked at the lieutenant, quirking an eyebrow questioningly.

"Try to stay out of trouble, Captain," the lieutenant said.

"I always do, Lieutenant," Melody said, touching her forehead with her fingertips in a mock salute. With a bit of a smarmy smirk she turned and walked out of the room and the starbase's Security Department. Five minutes later she was on the Promenade and walking up to the entrance of the Skyline Lounge. She went inside and headed for the gaming tables.

The gaming tables were cordoned off and a hostess, a Boslic female, dressed a little provocatively, stood at a podium at the entrance. Melody walked up to the hostess and looked around at the tables.

"May I help you?" the hostess asked. "We have an open seat at the Tongo table," she said looking at her seating chart. "Two at the Dabo table, one at the Blackjack table and one at the Poker table."

"What kind of poker?" Melody asked.

"They call it 5 Card Draw," the hostess answered politely. "The buy in for that table is 1000 Skychips which the cashier," she pointed to a cashier's booth a few feet away, "will exchange for you. We accept Lita, Lek, Isik, Darsek, Latinum and Federation Credits."

"I'll be right back. Hold the seat at the Poker table," Melody said as she unhooked her pouch from her belt and walked over to the cashier's booth. She exchanged enough strips of Latinum to get 5000 Skychips and returned to the hostess. She gave the hostess 1000 Skychips and was escorted to the Poker table. As she sat down at the table she glanced at the other players. She recognized one as the owner and bartender of the O'Dell Tavern where she had played pool the night before. She nodded at him as she placed her tray of chips on the small table between her and the player next to her.

"May I get you something to drink?" The hostess asked.

"Draylaxian whiskey, please," Melody replied as she set a couple stacks of her chips on the table in front of her. The hostess left and Melody got comfortable as the hand already in play was played out. When the hostess returned with her drink, Melody tipped her and took a sip of the whiskey then set it back down.

A few hours later Melody, a Catullan male and the owner of the O'Dell Tavern were the only players left at the table. Melody looked at the cards in her hand, chose two and laid them on the table when it was her turn. The dealer dealt her two more and she put them in her hand. The Catullan shook his head and folded and the dealer looked at O'Dell, awaiting his decision.

O'Dell looked at his cards then tossed three Skychips into the center of the table and as an after thought tossed two more into the pot. He looked confidently at Melody.

"The bet has been raised. 5000 to stay," the dealer announced and the Catullan whistled.

Melody studied the cards in her hand then looked over at O'Dell, trying to read the look in his eyes. She looked down at the two stacks of chips (which was all she had left) on the table in front of her. They totaled well over the amount she needed to stay in the game. She looked at the cards in her hand again then glanced over at O'Dell. She counted out the 5000 needed to call O'Dell's bet and added 4000 more then tossed them into the center of the table.

"I'll see your 5000 and raise you 4000," Melody said confidently and sat back in her seat, taking a sip of her drink.

"4000 Skychips to you, Mr. O'Dell," the dealer announced.

O'Dell looked at his cards again then studied Melody's face. Finally he tossed 4000 Skychips into the pot.

"I'll see that bet, Miss Johnson," O'Dell said.

"That's Captain Johnson," Melody corrected.

"But...," O'Dell held up his hand, ignoring Melody's correction. "...it'll cost you...," he counted out almost half of the chips he had left and added them to the pot, "....3000 to see what I have."

"Pretty sure of yourself....aren't you?" Melody said tauntingly.

"That's....." the dealer began to say.

"I know what it is," Melody interrupted the dealer. She looked at her cards then over at O'Dell. "I wonder....," she said quirking her eyebrow questioningly, "...just how sure you really are." She looked back down at the cards in her hand, thoughtfully...then back over at her opponent "I think you're bluffing," she said, studying O'Dell carefully.

"You do, do you?" O'Dell said and sat back in his seat with a smug look of confidence. "Well....it'll cost you to find out now won't it?"

After several seconds Melody laid her cards, face down, on the table in front of her and used both hands to slide her remaining chips into the center of the table.

"All in," Melody said with conviction.

The dealer quickly calculated the amount in the two stacks of Melody's chips and looked over at O'Dell. "The bet is 20,000 to you, Mr. O'Dell," he announced.

O'Dell looked at his cards...looked over at Melody...then looked at his remaining chips. "While you may THINK I'm bluffing," he said looking at Melody, dubiously, "I KNOW you are."

"Yeah? Well....looks like you don't have enough money to find out," Melody taunted and started to reach for the pot.

"Hold on there, lassie," O'Dell said and reached into his shirt pocket. He pulled out a folded up piece of paper, unfolded it and laid it on the table. "I need a pen," he said to the dealer who gave him one. He signed his name to the bottom of the paper and slid it and his remaining chips into the center of the table. "That's the deed to my tavern. It's worth twice your bet."

The dealer picked up the paper and looked it over then laid it back down on top of the pot. He looked at Melody and asked, "do you accept the bet?"

"I don't know," Melody said thoughtfully. "I'm really not in the market for a tavern."

"Ah ha!" O'Dell said. "I knew you were bluffing."

"Are you sure you want to lose your bar, Mr. O'Dell?" Melody asked.

"I don't think I will," O'Dell answered confidently. "You've been lucky so far, lassie, but I think your luck has just run out."

The challenge was too much for Melody and she narrowed her eyes, looked at the dealer and said, "I accept."

"The bet has been accepted," the dealer announced and there were whispers and whistles from the crowd of onlookers that had formed behind them.

"Let's see whatcha got, lassie," O'Dell said daringly.

Melody laid her cards on the table, one at a time, face up. "Ok, Mr. O'Dell. Can you beat a king high straight....," and as she showed her last card, "...flush?" She looked directly into O'Dell's eyes, challengingly.

O'Dell's face reddened. "Not possible," he muttered, staring at his cards.

"Mr. O'Dell?" The dealer said expectantly.

After a few seconds O'Dell threw his cards into the center of the table and stood up, knocking his chair over. "Damn!" He exclaimed angrily.

"You're the winner," the dealer announced, looking at Melody and pushed the pile of chips and the deed to the O'Dell Tavern towards her.

Melody got to her feet and held out her hand to O'Dell. "Good game, Mr. O'Dell," she said politely.

"I was positive you were bluffing," O'Dell said and, after looking at all of the onlookers, reluctantly took Melody's hand and shook it. "Congratulations, Miss Johnson," he mumbled.

"That's Captain Johnson, Mr. O'Dell," Melody said shaking her opponent's hand. "And I never bluff," she added, letting go of O'Dell's hand and she proceeded to gather up her winnings.

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