The Scorned Heiress: No More Mercy novel Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Alec stares directly at Tara as he suggests the game, fully expecting her to have no idea what it even is.

A dark glint flashes in Tara’s eyes as her lips curve upward. “Sure. Texas Hold’em it is.”

Her quick agreement makes Alec hesitate for a second, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind. But he quickly reassures himself. There is no way she understands the intricacies of a professional game like this. Poker is all about psychological warfare.

The others agree eagerly, practically vibrating with excitement. They play this all the time and are brimming with confidence.

Danny watches in mild surprise. He didn’t expect Tara to know Texas Hold’em. But judging from her serene expression, he is absolutely certain these guys are no match for her.

Alec, irritated by her calm demeanor, decides to push harder. “Tara, if you don’t know the rules, we can play something simpler. Don’t force it. The minimum bet here is ten thousand dollars.”

“This is exactly what I want to play,” Tara says, her tone unwavering.

“Fine. Let’s deal,” Alec replies.

Tara sits at the table radiating the effortless authority of a boss, making the men around her look like mere side characters.

A glamorous female dealer approaches the table. She shuffles and deals the cards with practiced, professional grace.

The rules of Texas Hold’em are straightforward. It uses a standard 52-card deck. Each player is dealt two private “hole cards,” followed by five community cards dealt face-up in stages. With every new card, there is a round of betting, where players can raise or fold based on their hand and their nerve. It seems simple on the surface, but mastering the psychological warfare and luck required to win is entirely different.

The first round begins.

The dealer slides two cards to each player. Luke peaks at his hand and immediately relaxes. He is holding a pair of tens-a solid starting hand. He tosses a chip into the center. “One hundred thousand to start.”

Samuel glances at his cards and immediately folds.

Alec checks his hand, frowns, and tosses his cards away too.

Tara acts like she is just following the crowd and immediately folds.

Luke nearly chokes. He was banking on making a killing off this hand! He demands to see

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what the others folded. Samuel and Alec truly had garbage, so their folds made sense. But Tara’s hole cards were a pair of nines. And she didn’t call?

Luke practically jumps out of his seat. “Tara! Your cards weren’t even bad! Why did you fold?”

Tara looks up at him with wide, innocent eyes. “They were too low. If I called, I would have lost money.”

As if worried they wouldn’t believe her, she flips her two hole cards face up for the entire table to see.

The other players stare at her, their lips twitching in disbelief.

Does she not know that showing your hole cards is the ultimate rookie mistake? Now everyone knows exactly how she plays! She is clearly a total amateur. A real player never reveals their hand, maintaining absolute mystery to keep their opponents guessing.

Even Danny pauses. Does she really not know how to play? She certainly doesn’t seem like the type to act this naive. But he stays quiet. As long as she is having fun, he doesn’t care. It’s just money.

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