Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1471: Luck and Combinations

The dealer distributed two cards to every player, signaling the start of the Pre-Flop phase. This opening stage allowed each participant to evaluate their hand's potential and decide whether to proceed or withdraw.

Silvana had actually been defeated before the game even truly began, though she remained unaware of her predicament. Her loss wasn't due to the dealer handing her poor cards on purpose; rather, Silvana simply lacked the necessary funds to compete.

Louis had strategically used his chips to escalate the opening bet to 100K through Silvana, who occupied the Small Blind position. Consequently, when the action reached her, she was forced to abandon her hand.

"Fold." Silvana let out a sigh, sliding her cards away.

Adam shifted his gaze toward Silvana, curious about the hand she had held. With a simple shake of her head and a defeated look, she signaled that she had no path to victory.

'Perhaps I gave up too quickly, but... an eight of hearts and a three of diamonds? What could I possibly do with those? Though, maybe this was Louis’s plan all along. He handed me 50K when I didn't even have enough to call!'

Even though Silvana possessed a basic understanding of poker, Louis viewed her as being no more skilled than Silvana or Alexia.

While having an ally at the table was beneficial, he preferred she stay on the sidelines for the opening round, even if it cost him 50K to set it up.

He had no intention of losing, which was why he utilized Silvana to push the stakes up to 100K credits.

To many, that sum was enough to purchase a residence in the Third Ring. However, for the wealthy elite residing in the heart of the First Ring, it was a negligible amount—at least for those who frequented casinos and placed such bets without a second thought.

"Khm..." The man seated to Silvana’s left let out a grunt as he inspected his hand.

He then tapped the table in silence, indicating a check. As the final person to act with no prior raises to match, he chose not to gamble any further capital.

Thus, two of the six participants had already bowed out before the dealer could even reveal the flop.

The remaining players were Louis, the woman to his right, the muscular man on Silvana's left, and a pale-faced man with sunken eyes sitting in the middle. Each of them committed to the Big Blind, effectively wagering 100K apiece.

The dealer gave a nod and finally placed three community cards in the center of the felt.

Louis nodded with a look of satisfaction as the next betting round commenced.

The pale man acted first. He checked his cards several times and looked at the board before silently tossing his hand away. He clearly wasn't the type to engage in table talk or attempt a bluff.

The woman to Louis’s right reached up to touch her lips thoughtfully.

"Well, well, we are down to just three so quickly. What’s your take, handsome? Do I have a shot at winning?" She directed her question toward Louis.

In response, Louis offered a small smile and a shrug.

"Who can say? Luck plays its part. Besides, don’t forget that there aren't actually just three of us here."

"Hmm?" She gave him a puzzled stare.

He gestured silently toward the dealer. With only three cards revealed on the table, the odds of someone having already secured an unbeatable hand were incredibly low.

"Huh, I see. It sounds like someone isn't confident in their hand if they're choosing to rely on the dealer's next move."

"Hey." The burly man scowled. "Just make your move."

The woman rolled her eyes at him and lowered her hand. A black chip suddenly appeared between her fingers, accompanied by a smirk.

"Fine. I heard you weren't happy about the 100K starting bet. I think we should raise the stakes a bit."

She slid the black chip forward.

"Raise to two hundred."

The muscular man muttered something under his breath, clearly annoyed by the woman's aggressive play.

However, the focus remained on Louis. Despite the woman's casual demeanor, it was plain to see she was prepared to keep raising. She had the bankroll to back it up and seemed ready to push the pot to half a million if necessary.

"And you?"

The woman looked at Louis, who didn't hesitate to push his own black chip into the pot. He called her bet, matching it exactly.

The burly man was the last active player, but his grim expression told everyone he had no intention of continuing at this price point.

"Tsk, Fold." He threw his cards toward the dealer in surrender.

The dealer nodded and flipped over the fourth card.

"Check."

"Check."

Neither player was in a rush to act, and the interaction between Louis and the woman made it impossible to determine who held the advantage.

This stalemate couldn't last forever, though. Once the River arrived and the fifth card was revealed, the bet was escalated to 300K.

Finally, the moment came to show their hands.

The woman went first, sliding her two cards forward for everyone to see.

She held a respectable hand—a Full House, consisting of three cards of one rank and a pair of another.

She watched Louis intently, her fate resting on how he would respond to her cards.

To her dismay, he let out a heavy sigh as he revealed his own hand.

On his side of the table sat four kings, a Four of a Kind that outranked the woman’s Full House.

Adam and Alexia traded looks. They suspected this meant Louis had taken the pot, though they weren't entirely certain.

"Well, it looks like nearly a million credits are coming my way this time, right?" Louis smirked, glancing at the other players.

The dealer nodded and began preparing for the following round.