Part 2Husband Loses the Dowry, I Turn the Tables in a Gamble

As soon as the cards were dealt, I glanced at mine and slammed ten grand – fresh from the bank – onto the table.

"First day of marriage, let's start with ten grand to feel it out."

My husband immediately grabbed my arm.

"Honey, don't! Those are high stakes! We lose that, and we're done for."

I ignored him, grinning and holding up my cards so Dave could see the King.

He hesitated, surprised by my boldness. Seeing his reaction, I kept pushing.

"Hey, Dave, you won, like, fifty grand from my husband! You gonna chicken out over a grand?"

"Mark said that no matter how high the stakes are, you’re a guy that would come in for more, but when it gets to me, you're a chicken?"

"Or you think you're not as skilled, so you want to give up this hand?"

I raised my voice, practically screaming: "I'm gonna win!"

"Alright, alright, I give! A pair of Kings? I don't think you'd get so lucky every time!” Dave then threw his cards down onto the table.

It was a pair of Queens and an Ace.

That’s a pretty good hand in this game. Pairs are hard to get.

Everyone thought I had a pair of Kings, so they all gave up. But I deliberately exposed my three cards.

"Oh, whoops, sorry! I read it wrong. It wasn't a pair of Kings after all!"

When I showed my cards, Dave slammed a hand on the table.

"Holy crap! Just a straight flush! What were you yelling for?"

I pretended to be nervous, scratching my head. "Sorry, sorry! First time playing for so much! Got a little carried away."

I gathered the cash. Even though no one called me, the rules let me get a few grand for compensation.

Dave got it then. I was using a classic psychological tactic.

Be bold enough, and even a stronger player will chicken out. This failure made him see me as more than a novice.

But the same trick only works once. This was a showdown of true skill.

Even though he only lost a grand, he was seething. "So, you wanna play mind games? Let's go!"

He rolled up his sleeves, all fired up. "C'mon, let's see if you can back up your big talk.”

Seeing him losing it, I calmly raised an eyebrow. "Don't get all worked up, Dave. Maybe you'll get lucky next time."

My taunt made him even angrier. He practically jumped to his feet.

"Enough talk! Deal the cards!" The gambler's high was in full swing.

He'd made a killing with his big bankroll, and now he was losing to me, a woman borrowing money. He had to be pissed.

I was secretly laughing.

When the second hand was dealt, I didn't even bother looking at my cards. I just pulled out my phone to kill time.

Dave, still smarting from the last round, peeked at his cards first.

I watched him from my screen, waiting for him to say something. I moved quickly, “Congrats, Dave. This game is mine, you can go right ahead.”