Free The Big Blind (Nadia Wolf) by Nicolette Pierce Page B

There was no arguing with Frankie. I didn’t have the energy to try.
    “Make sure to grab your outfit for the performance tomorrow,” he said, pointing to a garment bag hanging on the door.
    “I’m afraid to look.”
    “It will be perfect. We can use it again for future gigs.”
    “Can you at least let me choose the gigs? I don’t want to look like a fool. It’s hard to play poker against people when they’re laughing at you.”
    “No need to worry. We are going to transcend poker. We are going to bring it to a whole new level of entertainment.”
    “You’re scaring me.”
    “Trust me. I made this chapel a success, and I can make you a success. Stick with me kid. By the way, where’s my Rocky outfit?”
    I groaned. “I’ll call Steffi and see if she can locate it.”
    I grabbed the garment bag and trudged up to my apartment. I set the bag on the kitchen table. I didn’t have the courage to open it.
     
    I took a taxi to the casino to meet Caleb in the high stakes room. This was a room I rarely had the chance to see the inside. While Caleb spent most of his time here, I was at the low stakes tables barely scraping by. It would cost me a one hundred thousand dollar buy in to sit at the table in this room.
    Caleb was at the table with two cards placed upside down in front of him. His fingers shuffled his chips. He was in a hand with two other players waiting for one of them to make a call. His eyes flicked to me when I entered but didn’t acknowledge me since he was still in a hand. I plopped down in an overstuffed chair in the corner and waited.
    The rules in high stakes Texas Hold’em are the same as the ones on the casino floor. The difference is dealers here are allowed to modify rules requested by players as long as the table is in agreement. The players here are in their own type of club. They know each other and have fun, but they can be cut-throat serious too. They also come up with amusing side bets to liven the game.
    I once witnessed them bet on whether or not Jerry Reiger’s mom had made him a pastrami sandwich or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They were allowed to sniff his backpack and then had to make the bet. What I want to know is why a thirty-eight year old man needs his mom to make him a sandwich?
    I gazed up to find Caleb standing next to me. “Ready?”
    “What are we playing?”
    “High card.”
    “Really? That’s it?”
    “Are you disappointed?”
    “Well, it’s not terribly original.”
    “Alright, should we take a vote from the guys?”
    “We might as well. I’m assuming they’re making a side bet on us anyways.”
    Caleb grinned. “They’ve been talking about it for hours now.”
    I groaned.
    “Are you guys going to get on with it or what?” Jerry asked.
    “We’re trying to determine what game we should play,” Caleb said.
    Quiet Mike stood up and placed two empty glasses on the table and handed each of us a stack of chips.
    “Whoever can bounce the most chips into their glass wins,” Jerry said.
    Caleb turned to me. “Well?”
    I hesitated.
    “Don’t think you can do it?” He asked.
    “Alright, let’s play.” I can’t seem to beat him at poker, so maybe I could win this.
    The guys at the table threw in their chips for the bet and settled back to watch.
    Caleb picked up a chip and bounced it, landing it perfectly in the glass.
    I slid a sideward glance at him. “Have I just been hustled?”
    “No,” he smiled, “I’m just lucky.”
    I bounced a chip which sailed over Jerry’s head.
    Clink. Caleb made another shot.
    I carefully aimed the shot and bounced the chip so it wouldn’t fly off the table. This time it landed in Quiet Mike’s glass with a splash.
    “Does that count?” I asked.
    Everyone shook their head no.
    Clink. Caleb made another shot.
    A woman sauntered into the room. I knew of her but never met her in person. Catarina Carvona was one of the few women to play high stakes in the boy’s club. She didn’t take any crap from them.