I’ve looked forward to making your acquaintance. There were times when I truly thought we’d never meet.”
“I always assumed that we’d get together sooner or later,” I replied, walking forward and shaking his hand. “So when I got your kind invitation, I decided it might as well be sooner.”
“Your presence honors my poor establishment,” he said. “I trust you will join me in a game or two of chance.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” I said.
“Excellent!”!” he said. “A number of local dignitaries have expressed interest in watching us compete. Would you have any objection to—?”
“Bring ’em in,” I said. “I like crowds.”
“A gentleman as well as a gambler,” enthused High Stakes Eddie. “I really am delighted that you agreed to come.”
He waved his hand over a small cube on the table, the door dilated, and half a dozen men and women entered the room. Eddie handled the introductions: one was a mayor, another a general, a third was the planetary governor, and I remember that one large, fat woman was the system’s greatest opera diva.
They took their seats, and High Stakes Eddie directed them to be silent once play began or run the certain risk of being unceremoniously thrown out.
The woman who was the Queen of Clubs that night brought in a dozen unopened decks of cards, half a dozen pairs of brand new dice, and directed a burly young man to set up a roulette wheel at the far end of the huge table.
“What’s your choice, Bet-a-World O’Grady?” asked High Stakes Eddie.
“I’ve always been partial to poker,” I admitted.
“Then poker it is,” he said. “You mind playing with real cards? I hate computers.”
“Suits me,” I answered.
He tossed a deck to me and waited for me to open it. I inspected the cards, and satisfied myself that it was an honest deck.
“They look good to me,” I announced. “Shall we begin?”
“Name it.”
“Five-card stud.”
“Stakes?” he asked.
“Whatever you want.”
“How’s about a million credits to ante, and you can only bet in multiples of five million,” he said. “Sky’s the limit.”
There was a sharp collective intake of breath among our six spectators.
“I accept,” I said. Then I paused. “I hope my credit’s good here.”
“Up to twenty billion,” he replied. “After that I’ll need collateral.”
“Fair enough,” I said. “Cut?”
He cut the cards, and I started dealing.
I won the first hand with jacks and sixes, he won the next with three kings, and then I won four in a row with a straight, a full house, and a couple of nothings that were higher than his nothings. When the dust settled, I was up almost two hundred million credits.
“You’re as good as they say,” said High Stakes Eddie, taking a sip of his drink. “Shall we try a little draw now?”
“It’s your deal,” I acquiesced.
We split the next six hands, and pretty much split the pots as well. Then I won three in a row, and I was suddenly up half a billion.
“Let’s make it a little more exciting,” he suggested
“I’m open to suggestions,” I replied.
“Let’s cut the cards for a billion.”
I nodded, ignored another audible gasp from the guests, reached out, and cut to a nine. He smiled, flexed his fingers, reached for the remaining cards, and cut to a six.
“How about two billion this time?” he said.
“And then four billion, and then eight billion, and then sixteen billion, until you finally win one?” I said. “That’s not gambling,” I said. “That’s mathematical inevitability.”
“All right,” he said, a little heatedly. “What would you rather do?”
“Do you really want to make it more exciting?” I asked.
He looked around the room and then nodded, as I knew he would. There was no way he was going to lose face in front of his friends.
“How much money have you got on hand here?” I asked.
“In this room?”
“In the whole casino.”
He did a quick calculation in his
“I always assumed that we’d get together sooner or later,” I replied, walking forward and shaking his hand. “So when I got your kind invitation, I decided it might as well be sooner.”
“Your presence honors my poor establishment,” he said. “I trust you will join me in a game or two of chance.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” I said.
“Excellent!”!” he said. “A number of local dignitaries have expressed interest in watching us compete. Would you have any objection to—?”
“Bring ’em in,” I said. “I like crowds.”
“A gentleman as well as a gambler,” enthused High Stakes Eddie. “I really am delighted that you agreed to come.”
He waved his hand over a small cube on the table, the door dilated, and half a dozen men and women entered the room. Eddie handled the introductions: one was a mayor, another a general, a third was the planetary governor, and I remember that one large, fat woman was the system’s greatest opera diva.
They took their seats, and High Stakes Eddie directed them to be silent once play began or run the certain risk of being unceremoniously thrown out.
The woman who was the Queen of Clubs that night brought in a dozen unopened decks of cards, half a dozen pairs of brand new dice, and directed a burly young man to set up a roulette wheel at the far end of the huge table.
“What’s your choice, Bet-a-World O’Grady?” asked High Stakes Eddie.
“I’ve always been partial to poker,” I admitted.
“Then poker it is,” he said. “You mind playing with real cards? I hate computers.”
“Suits me,” I answered.
He tossed a deck to me and waited for me to open it. I inspected the cards, and satisfied myself that it was an honest deck.
“They look good to me,” I announced. “Shall we begin?”
“Name it.”
“Five-card stud.”
“Stakes?” he asked.
“Whatever you want.”
“How’s about a million credits to ante, and you can only bet in multiples of five million,” he said. “Sky’s the limit.”
There was a sharp collective intake of breath among our six spectators.
“I accept,” I said. Then I paused. “I hope my credit’s good here.”
“Up to twenty billion,” he replied. “After that I’ll need collateral.”
“Fair enough,” I said. “Cut?”
He cut the cards, and I started dealing.
I won the first hand with jacks and sixes, he won the next with three kings, and then I won four in a row with a straight, a full house, and a couple of nothings that were higher than his nothings. When the dust settled, I was up almost two hundred million credits.
“You’re as good as they say,” said High Stakes Eddie, taking a sip of his drink. “Shall we try a little draw now?”
“It’s your deal,” I acquiesced.
We split the next six hands, and pretty much split the pots as well. Then I won three in a row, and I was suddenly up half a billion.
“Let’s make it a little more exciting,” he suggested
“I’m open to suggestions,” I replied.
“Let’s cut the cards for a billion.”
I nodded, ignored another audible gasp from the guests, reached out, and cut to a nine. He smiled, flexed his fingers, reached for the remaining cards, and cut to a six.
“How about two billion this time?” he said.
“And then four billion, and then eight billion, and then sixteen billion, until you finally win one?” I said. “That’s not gambling,” I said. “That’s mathematical inevitability.”
“All right,” he said, a little heatedly. “What would you rather do?”
“Do you really want to make it more exciting?” I asked.
He looked around the room and then nodded, as I knew he would. There was no way he was going to lose face in front of his friends.
“How much money have you got on hand here?” I asked.
“In this room?”
“In the whole casino.”
He did a quick calculation in his
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