GAMBLE: Rule of Cards

THE SECRET STRATEGY

The dealer immediately shuffled Denton’s card which were quickly given to her by Denton himself. He carefully looked at his cards being shuffled, and examined whether there is an additional card placed or not. The dealer stopped shuffling the card from that one point and showed Denton the card. “Is this shuffle okay already?” Denton shook his head and asked for a repetition of shuffling the cards. The dealer immediately played and shuffled Denton’s card again before showing the shuffled card to Denton who was being meticulous on the shuffling. “Player M-22, do you mind if you answer me whether this is already good or not?”

Denton was brought back to reality. “I totally forgot that I was in a match right now. Yes, that is fine for me already.” His response lead to the dealer putting the first card on the table. The dealer asked ‘open, pass’ to which Denton replied with... “Pass.” The card was disgarded upon Denton’s response. The dealer again placed the second, third and fourth cards on the table, which Denton said, “pass,” he muttered. The dealer looked at Denton with suspicious look before putting the fifth card on the table. Denton looked at the card in a nearer perspective. The dealer was about to remove the card but one guard told her it was fine. “Now, it’s an open.”

The dealer opened the card and a big number ten showed up as Denton’s starting card. The other players inside their cottages were amazed at how Denton managed to get the number ten easily. “Open, pass?” the dealer asked Denton after she placed the next card on the table.

Denton nodded and said. “Open,” it was a really straight and bold statement Denton could say at the moment. The dealer opened the card and a multiplication card showed up right in the moment. It was a good starter for Denton who was aiming for a spot in the final match. Even the other players were amazed at how good Denton could play in this game where they believed was only a play for people with good probabilities and luck.

The dealer showed up and placed the next card in which Denton replied, “pass.” The cards were disgarded, as to Denton’s bold response. The next card was placed on the table and the dealer asked, “open, pass?” Denton smiled and shrugged his shoulders before he replied to the dealer’s question. “It is an open for me.”

Denton and the dealer both looked at each other’s eyes. Denton nodded, which signals the dealer to open the card already. When the card was opened, the card was shown and it is also a ten. The players inside the cottage believed that it was not just a mere luck that causes Denton to get straight good numbers. “Open, pass,” the dealer asked as she placed the next card on the table. Denton said ‘pass’ for four times after he said ‘open’ the last time. The next card was placed on the table and Denton showed a smile after. “Open.”

The dealer opened the card and it showed a multiplication card. The next card was placed on the table and Denton replied with ‘open’, and it showed an addition card, to which he planned on putting it in the middle of his own equation. The dealer continued on putting cards on the table, while Denton continued on passing on the cards. “Open, pass,” the dealer said when she only has six cards left on her hand.

Denton looked at the card on the table before he replied with a nod. “Open,” he retorted, which signifies the dealer’s move to open the card. The card was shown to everybody and everybody knows how good Denton can be in this game after seeing the number nine on the sixth slot on the table. Denton continued his play with a smile. “Open,” he said as the dealer offered a card on the table. When the card was shown to the audience, their mouth gaped open. It was a multiplication card on the seventh slot of the table. The last card was placed on the table, which, Denton has no choice but to say, “open.” The last card Denton has gotten is a nine.

To complete the equation, Denton got the following number; ‘10x10x(+)9x9’. In simpler form, Denton got ‘10x10x9x9’ as the outcome of his individual play. Denton’s result was 8,100, which made him to the top result and there was a visible difference between his score and the score of the other two first players. Denton smiled as he sealed the first spot of the individual play.

While he was heading back, his gaze turned to both Paul and Sandra who were smiling at him. He felt that his teammates were proud of what he has done. Now, it’s his time to show his support to his teammates who were going to the individual play last. “You can do this too, Sandra and Paul,” he said. Although he knows that if there are two of them, one of them will be able to share the final spot with him, while the other one will become a final escaping match contestant. He knows that his score is not the highest yet, but his hope went higher after doing a great job on the individual play. He suddenly thought of winning the game and paying all the credits and debts he has in the outside world.

The next players were freed from the closed and locked cottage and were invited to play. A lot of them tried to do their best and defeat Denton’s final output but no one made it, and that no one succeeded on defeating his record. Whilst some of them are trying to defeat Denton’s record but was unable to do so, someone in the fifth cottage is really trying his best to strategize and be with Denton on the final round. “I will be sure to be there at the final round with you, Denton. I will be sure to be the one to kill you on the final round.”

“The fifth player to do the individual play,” the speaker muttered as he announced the arrival of the fifth player. The fifth player walked towards the table in the middle of the battlefield with big strides and big physique. Everyone knows who that one player who has the biggest stride among all. He was the one who makes people scared with only his physique, and when he talk and move, these people eventually loses their own strength. It was Hector, and Denton hates to see how Hector is surviving despite all the things that he has done inside the game. “You can now give the dealer your cards.”

The dealer shuffled the card, and as the dealer was busy on shuffling the card, he looked at Denton who was just plain looking at him inside the cottage. He gave Denton a death glare and a smirk, while he just gave him a poker face. Actually, Denton did not know why Hector would give him such a gaze but he just went with him. Hector would not move if there are no instruction that they would kill for the game. He is safe, especially, when he is inside the cottage.

Hector’s individual play has already started. So far, so good; his cards are definitely good, compared to the others who definitely started off good but ended up in vain. The cards were all positive up until now. Hector only has two cards and he ended up with positive card and a big-numbered card as his final cards. Hector smiled as he saw his own combination. His final combination was ‘6+(-)5x8x9’, which was quite good for someone who wants to aim higher. His final value was 366, making him on the top two, together with Denton. Hector went back to his cottage with a big smile on his face.

It was a lot far from Denton’s result but, was far from the other’s results as well. He was placed on the second, amidst the sixth player who played after him who placed fourth on the tally. Hector caught all his good cards from all his disciples who died and promised to give their cards to Hector who promised to keep them safe and protected. He did the talk, otherwise did not do the walk. He only told them that to keep their trust to himself. He wanted to save himself and not anyone else aside from him.

Now, the people who trusted him failed to survive due to his own greed. He only wanted their cards and not the liability of protecting these players whom he promised to protect with. Hector failed to be honest and to do good, and that is why Denton has been eyeing on him. He was thankful that he knows Hector even before he entered the game. For if he did not know Hector before, he would have been dragged along the devil’s team and be one of those players who were lured for the promised safety.

Denton looked at Hector who was eyeing on him. “That’s nice of you,” he mumbled in a low tone and voice. “At least, we will get to see each other in the final round, if ever. Let me defeat you with my own hands.”