The smell of sweat and alcohol breath from too much beer seemed to get stronger with each minute that Amelia played. Between her turns, she would always glance over at her two worried, yet hopeful sisters who were watching the game from a distance. Amelia knew that she could do this. She had to. She looked at her two cards; an ace and a jack. From the cards that had been laid out, she had a pair of jacks. Her money was deteriorating fast. She needed a better hand. But there were still more cards to go, so Amelia was hopeful. She looked back at her sisters. Katherine’s sky-blue eyes were glassy. Don’t worry, honey, Amelia thought, I was the one who got us arrested back in Charleston. I’ll win this game, and then we can buy a house of our own.
“Miss Riley, call?” asked the regulator.
Amelia jolted back toward the table and looked at her cards. She hadn’t been aware that it was her turn. The other players were glaring at her angrily.
“How much?”
The other players laughed. “She’s not even paying attention,” one yelled, “I say the woman leaves! She can’t even focus!”
They all chorused another laugh, and this time the spectators joined in; all except Katherine and Beatrice, as Amelia was happy to find out. Their faces were both cold with fear.
“Fold,” said Amelia bluntly. Her hand sucked anyway, and she didn’t want to take any chances.
The hand continued on, and Amelia was barely paying attention. She was tired, thinking that maybe she needed a drink herself. The thought passed quickly. Amelia didn’t need anyone else laughing at her for “trying to be tough”, “thinking she was a man” or whatever other reasons had been thrown at her when she’d cashed in to the table.
The man who had teased her earlier won the hand with a full house of jacks and kings. He thrust his arms greedily over the huge pile of silver that he had just won.
Amelia sighed and handed her two cards back in so that she could be re-dealt. She glanced back at her sisters, hiding her money from Katherine—she was down to forty silver—but Katherine saw it anyway and whispered something in Beatrice’s ear.
I’m trying, she mouthed.
The cards were dealt and the blinds were dispersed. Amelia eyed her cards; she had pocket queens. Not bad, she thought. Maybe this will be a good hand for me.
The players called, and soon it was Amelia’s turn. She took out two silver and placed it in the middle pile. The three flop cards were laid out; a queen, an ace, and a six. That was a three of a kind that Amelia already had. She could win this hand.
As the round continued, Amelia decided that she really wanted a drink and didn’t care what the others thought. She snapped her fingers and soon Beatrice came forward.
“Use the five silver that Katherine has left over,” Amelia commanded, “and get me a mug of beer, please.” Beatrice nodded her head, and was back with the beer right as it was Amelia’s turn. She called and another queen was laid out. Four of a kind! The others had bet but hadn’t called, and since she had three of a kind, she figured that she would make things interesting.
“Raise,” she said, “twelve silver.” She smiled shoved the money into the middle pile.
The man sitting next to her hadn’t been expecting the raise, as Amelia could tell from his wide eyes and raised eyebrows. Amelia took a swig of beer while she waited, and was surprised that no one was taking note of it. Maybe they just hadn’t seen her—she began to chug it more quickly, hoping she could finish before someone noticed.
“Call,” said the man, adding his money to the pile.
Of the eight people who were left, six folded. One raised by twelve—that was the man who had been teasing her earlier. It was Amelia’s turn now. She was red faced and hot, unsure of what to do. She chugged the remainder of her beer. There were still two cards left to be revealed. Two more opportunities to get a better hand, to win the money she so needed. In Amelia’s
“Call,” said Amelia. She only had sixteen silver left. She hoped that the next card would be good so she could go all in.
The next person to go surprised her. “All in,” said the man, “one hundred and forty silver.”
The man afterward folded. “All in,” said the teasing man, “two hundred silver.”
Amelia’s heart began to race. Her hand was good, but what if others had a straight or royal flush? If she lost this money, there would be nothing left for herself and her sisters. It was either win this hand or lose everything.
“Aren’t you going to call?” the man yelled. “Or are you too afraid? It just isn’t right for women to play poker. They don’t know the—”
“All in,” Amelia said with a scowl.
“Show your cards,” said the regulator. “Mr. Hone?”
The man next to Amelia showed his hand.
“Three of a kind,” he said, “Aces.”
“Mr. Smith?
The man showed his hand.
“Full house,” said the regulator, “sixes and aces.”
Amelia’s heart began to race. There was over four hundred silver in that pot, and it was all hers!
“Miss Riley?”
Amelia showed her cards, glowing.
Mr. Smith’s eyes looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets.
“Four of a kind,” said the regulator, “Queens.”
“I don’t believe this,” said Mr. Smith, “I just don’t believe I’ve been beaten by a woman.”
Amelia simply smiled and glanced back at Katherine and Beatrice, who were smiling more
brightly then they ever had been in a long, long time.
“Cashing out,” said Amelia. She turned back to her two sisters and mouthed the words, “there should be just enough.”
LOVE --ULTRAVIOLET
Best of luck! PM me for anything!
thanks for the advice