“I like to read,” Hannah said, feeling as if she was being sold the entire store.
“I’ve got just the thing for you,” he said. “I’ve got the complete series of David Sklansky books on poker, as well as Mason Malmuth’s Essays on Gambling. And I guess I should throw in Doyle Brunson’s Super System 2 as well.”
“I like to read novels,” she said.
“I have The Cincinnati Kid,” he said.
“Saw the movie,” she said, wondering if Horace had any leisure activities in his store that did not involve poker or gambling.
“And I have another one here, Wildcard.”
“Let me guess,” she said. “Another poker novel?”
“Nope,” he said, smiling proudly. “It’s an international conspiracy thriller, but people see the title and I can’t keep it in stock.”
“I’ll take it,” Hannah said. “Anything’s better than nothing.”
“Hey,” he said, looking wounded. “A lot of folks said this was a damn good book.”
“I’m sure it will be,” she replied.
“Okay, so that totals four hundred fifty three dollars,” he said.
“What?” Hannah shouted, blanching.
“I’ll round it down to four-fifty, since you’re with Buck.”
“I am not with Buck!”
“You will be when this hurricane hits,” Horace said. “Cash or charge? I take all of the major cards.”
“Mr. Hanratty—Horace—I don’t want this stuff and I’m not going to pay for it!”
His watery blue eyes lit up. “Great. But it’s already on the pallet. So you pay me or we play for it.”
“What?” She was floored.
“Yeah. I’m always up for a good game. Best two hands out of three.”
“You’re joking.”
He scowled at her. “I don’t joke about poker. Nobody on this island jokes about it. If you’re smart, you’ll take a tip and remember that.”
“But…I don’t want this stuff!”
“It’s a package. All or nothing. Stud. Best two out of three.”
Hannah felt the competitive urge overtaking her. “Who will deal? I want an impartial dealer.”
“Hah! I knew you were the right type of gal!” He cackled gleefully and pulled a brand new set of cards from behind the counter and began to peel the wrapper off. “Just step outside and grab the first person you see.”
“While you’re opening the deck? What kind of fool do you think I am? Dealer opens the deck.”
He laughed again, apparently delighted. “Fair enough, Sticks.”
“Sticks? Who told you that?”
“No secrets around here. Okay, fresh unopened deck. Now go get your dealer.”
It didn’t help her confidence any that he was rubbing his hands together.
It was easy to find a dealer. The first woman she ran into on the street was more than ready. She introduced herself as Gerda Miller, and confided she was a part-time dealer at Bill Anstin’s casino. A woman of about forty with an impressive bust, she was already rolling up her sleeves as they walked into the grocery.
Horace Hanratty had set up a card table and two chairs near a front window where the light was best. An unopened pack of cards waited, as did some chips.
“Wait a minute,” Hannah said. “I agreed to the best two out of three.”
The old shopkeeper grinned at her. “What fun is it if you can’t bet and bluff?”
Hannah hesitated, then decided he was right. “But only three hands. I don’t have all day.”
“Three hands. I hope you know how to bluff, Sticks.”
“Oh!” said Gerda Miller, “this is the Sticks who caused Buck’s full house to blow away last night?”
Hanratty looked at her. “Who did you think she was?”
“Just some tourist.”
“Well, she’s not. And after what she did to Buck last night, I think this game might help square things.”
Hannah wanted to roll her eyes but refrained.
But Gerda took issue with that remark herself. “I’m glad Buck’s cards got blown away. If we don’t get that casino, I may be out of a job.”
“Don’t be foolish, woman. You already have a job at the casino.”
“But how long do you think that tiki hut charm is going to keep drawing boats?”
“As long as there are cheap people who want to take the cheapest cruises in the world.”
“I’d get paid more if we had a better casino.”
Hanratty snorted. “You’d get paid more if someone besides Bill Anstin was running the operation. Now deal, dammit.”
Gerda snorted but opened the pack, pulled out the jokers and instruction cards and began to shuffle with all the aplomb of a professional. “Ante up,” she said.
Hannah looked at Horace. “We didn’t agree how much the antes would be.”
Horace picked up a red chip, casino quality clay. “Ten. We’ve each got fifty of these things. Short game.”
“That’s what I wanted.” Somehow she suspected she’d just been told they weren’t going to play only three hands. But she loved poker, any kind, and found it both relaxing and challenging. A slightly longer game would only keep her away from Buck Shanahan that much longer, and she couldn’t find anything in that to be upset about.
She riffled her chips, waiting as Gerda dealt the first three cards, two face-down, one face-up.
She was looking at a seven of clubs face up. Somehow, since Buck had started everyone calling her Sticks because of his sevens, she thought that was a sign of good luck.
She wasn’t superstitious. Of course not. No way.
When she peeked at her hole cards, the two that were face down, her heart began to hammer. Two more sevens. She had trips. An excellent hand, and right off the top with four more cards to come.
Horace shoved in a stack of chips. “Two hundred.”
Hannah, able to see only the four of diamonds he had face up tried to imagine what hand he could be betting so much on. A flush draw? A straight draw? She pursed her lips, then called him.
Another card, this time a Queen of Hearts, more betting, and again, until all the cards were on the table and the last two hole cards were dealt. Hannah looked at the two diamonds on the table, one of them part of Hanratty’s hand, and one of them part of the board cards, then considered that in her hand she already held two diamonds. The likelihood that he had a flush was…small, she decided, and called his final bet. They were both all in.
She lost. Hanratty held a flush after all. He spread out his five winning cards and smiled beatifically. Then he looked at her trip sevens and said, “Oh, bad beat, Sticks.”
“Yeah, right. Well, I guess I have to pay you, because I don’t have any more chips.”
“Oh, I can take care of that. I did say two best out of three.”
“You