The hand had ended. Jed laid down his hand. “Straight, king high.” He smiled triumphantly, showing crooked, black teeth.
“Beats me.”
The stranger also smiled. “Good hand, but it falls short to my full house.” He reached his left hand for the pot. Jed’s hand was on his in an instant.
“Stranger, I think you been cheating.”
“Obliged to have you remove your hand. If you remember, your friend dealt. I didn’t so much as touch the deck to cut.” The stranger made an almost imperceptible shrug of the shoulders. If anyone noticed, that person may have thought it a part of the stranger’s remark. However, it had the effect of clearing the stranger’s coat from his firearm.
Just in case…
Jed wouldn’t let it go. “Yeah, and I don’t quite know how you’re cheating. But I’m a good poker player, and you’ve been entire too lucky.”
The stranger snorted. “You’re a good player? Let me tell you, you’re a poor excuse for a poker player, and a liar besides. I beat you whilst I’m dead drunk, and you would have been out o’ this game an hour ago if I was sober. So, friend Jed, like I said, remove your hand from that pot, if you value havin’ that hand attached to your goddamned arm.” And he downed another shot, just for good measure.
The piano player, having seen similar situations, stopped playing, got up and moved around behind the corner of the piano, where he hunkered down and watched.
“Beats me.”
The stranger also smiled. “Good hand, but it falls short to my full house.” He reached his left hand for the pot. Jed’s hand was on his in an instant.
“Stranger, I think you been cheating.”
“Obliged to have you remove your hand. If you remember, your friend dealt. I didn’t so much as touch the deck to cut.” The stranger made an almost imperceptible shrug of the shoulders. If anyone noticed, that person may have thought it a part of the stranger’s remark. However, it had the effect of clearing the stranger’s coat from his firearm.
Just in case…
Jed wouldn’t let it go. “Yeah, and I don’t quite know how you’re cheating. But I’m a good poker player, and you’ve been entire too lucky.”
The stranger snorted. “You’re a good player? Let me tell you, you’re a poor excuse for a poker player, and a liar besides. I beat you whilst I’m dead drunk, and you would have been out o’ this game an hour ago if I was sober. So, friend Jed, like I said, remove your hand from that pot, if you value havin’ that hand attached to your goddamned arm.” And he downed another shot, just for good measure.
The piano player, having seen similar situations, stopped playing, got up and moved around behind the corner of the piano, where he hunkered down and watched.