La Arquitecta

Chapter 24

"Look what I forgot I packed," Joe said as he got onto the tour bus. He was holding up a poker set in a metal box.

"Yes!" Bobby said, lounging back in what had become his chair. "I thought about suggesting poker a couple of times, but I kept forgetting."

With the luggage hold secured, Elena came up the steps. "Ready to go?" she asked the group.

"Yep," Seth nodded before turning to Zelina, who was settled in next to him on their usual couch. "How about it, muñeca? You up for some poker?"

Zelina looked at him with a sly grin. "I'm actually quite a good player. My brother taught me to play, and he used to host a poker night at our house."

Joe plonked the poker set down on the table that was fixed to the floor in the middle of the seating area. "If you were a good player, you wouldn't have told us you were a good player."

"That's a very good point," Zelina admitted with a chuckle as Elena got the bus moving.

"What about you, Bay? You in?" Seth asked.

"I don't have a clue how to play," Bayley admitted sadly. "How about I watch you guys and you try and help me learn?"

"If you're happy with that," Bobby said.

"Yeah," she confirmed pleasantly. She moved over so that Joe could sit next to her on the couch that she usually had to herself.

"I'll show you my cards and try and teach you as we go along," he offered.

Bayley smiled sweetly. "Thanks, Joe."

"So what are we saying, fifty bucks gets you in?" Bobby asked. "Four of us playing, so two hundred to the winner?"

"I'm up for that," Joe said. "I don't have the cash on me, but we can settle up tomorrow morning.

"Same," Seth said. "Fifty okay with you?" he asked Zelina.

"I'll win anyway, so it won't matter," she replied with another giggle.

Seth smiled as Joe laughed and said, "I'll believe that when I see it."

The chips were soon arranged into four equal stacks on the corners of the table, and Joe thoroughly shuffled the pack of cards. Bobby had fetched a beer for all four players and a juice for Bayley, who rarely touched alcohol.

"I'll deal, since you're teaching Bay," Bobby offered.

Joe handed over the cards. "Thanks, man." He then looked at Bayley. "So, each person is dealt two cards. There's a round of betting, then three community cards are dealt. There's another round of betting, then a fourth card, more betting, a final card, then the last round of betting. The object is to have the best five card hand at the end, combining your cards and the community cards."

"Okay," Bayley said, studiously taking all of that in. "What are the best hands? In order, I mean."

"The lowest ranking hand is just your highest card, if you don't have a pair. Then it's a pair, higher numbers being better, of course."

"Of course," Bayley nodded. "Then two pairs?" she guessed.

"Right. Then three of a kind. Then it's a straight, which is five cards all in number order. Then a flush."

"That's all the same suit," Bayley said, showing at least some basic knowledge.

"Correct. Then it's a full house, which is three of one card and a pair of another, then finally a straight flush, which five cards in order, all the same suit."

"And if you get one of those, we know you're cheating," Seth said, drawing laughter from the group.

"Alright, ready to play?" Bobby asked. Everyone confirmed that they were, so he dealt the first hand.