The dealer, a leopard beastkin with dexterous hands, started dealing the cards. His eyes remained neutral, the professional demeanor never wavering. "Starting with Commander Yi-Fei," he announced in a gruff voice, dealing two cards to me first, then to Asus.
The crowd fell silent, all eyes focused on the table as the game commenced.
Peeking at my hand, I found a pair of sevens. Not an extraordinary hand, but not bad for the first round. I glanced over to Asus, who was looking at his own cards with a composed expression.
"I raise one chip," I announced, pushing a single chip to the center of the table. My voice echoed through the room, breaking the silence.
The room held its collective breath as the game commenced, the tension palpable. The dealer then placed three cards face up on the table, the 'flop' as it's called in poker: a King, a seven, and a two, different suits. I suppressed a smirk - I now had three of a kind.
After the flop: the King, seven, and two were revealed, I fought back a smile. With three of a kind in my hand, I could play this round more confidently. But I chose not to raise the bet just yet, opting to keep the game tension high. "Check," I declared, choosing not to place any additional chips in the pot.
Asus studied his own cards for a moment longer, then glanced at me, his expression unreadable. "Check," he echoed, also deciding not to raise the bet. The room seemed to collectively hold its breath as the dealer moved to the next stage of the game.
The dealer flipped the turn card, revealing the Queen of diamonds. No real threat to my three of a kind. I decided to hold my position, "Check," I reiterated, again choosing not to raise the bet.
Asus mirrored my move, replying, "Check," his tone matching the tension in the room.
The river card, the last one to be revealed, was an Ace of hearts. My heart raced as I looked at my chips, still deciding not to raise. "Check," I announced for the last time.
Asus looked at me, the corners of his mouth curling up into a slight smile. "Check," he answered, not raising his bet either. The room was filled with anticipation as the first round came to a close. The time for revealing the cards was near.
There was a moment of charged silence in the room, every eye watching as the first round ended, and the time to show the hands had arrived. My heartbeat quickened as the tension thickened.
"Alright, then... Showdown," the dealer announced in a commanding voice, his golden eyes flickering between Asus and me.
Casually, I laid out my hand on the table, the three-of-a-kind staring back at the crowd. A collective gasp escaped from the audience. Asus, however, simply chuckled, flipping over his hand to reveal a pair of tens. "Well played, Yi-Fei chan," he drawled, the tip of his tail flicking in amusement.
"I just got lucky," I responded modestly, attempting to hide the triumphant grin that threatened to spread across my face.
The dealer pushed the small pile of chips towards me, signifying my win. As I stacked the chips, the crowd's murmurings grew louder. My victory in the first round had only amplified their excitement. Asus, on the other hand, remained composed, his serpentine smile unwavering.
"So, it seems the game is on, Asus," I said, matching his gaze with a smirk of my own.
"Indeed," he replied, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Let's see if Lady Luck continues to favor you, Yi-Fei chan."