“Youreallythink any of us would collude with you guys?” Pippa says dryly.
“I think Cat and Nate would absolutely collude with each other. They’re practically sitting in each other’s lap right now.”
Blushing, Cat takes her legs down from where she has them draped across Nate’s lap.
James deals for the first round, and we all sit down to play.
An hour later,we’re down to four.
Even with our help, Cat and Brinley got knocked out of the tournament pretty quickly. Cat was more focused on joking around with Nate than actually playing. Brinley fared better. She clearly knows the game, but she went all in on a bad beat, losing on a full house when Nate lucked out with a straight flush on the river. Unlike I would have, the girls didn’t waste the night sulking. They’ve been hanging out by the Christmas tree, chatting and chowing down on the pizza we ordered. Beau and Luke weren’t that far behind them. I’m pretty sure Luke lost a hand on purpose. He’s been trying to connect with his sister recently, and he’s taking any chance he can get to talk to her. Beau, on the other hand, got knocked out in a savage blindside by Pippa.
Because Pippa can fucking play.
I should have known something was up right for the beginning. Cat and Brinley got advice from the other guys on practically every hand they played, but Pippa turned them down every time. I thought it was just her pride. Nope—it was because she knew exactly what she was doing. Right now, her chipstack is the second largest, second only to mine.
I take a long drink of water. I’ve won enough hands by now that I’ve taken plenty of shots. I’m a little tipsy, and I’ve got to keep my wits about me.
Across the table from me, Pippa daintily sips her own water. She’s under the gun, and her eyes are unreadable when she checks her cards. After a moment, she tosses in double the big blind.
Next to her, Nate calls, and so do I. My cards aren’t great, but it’s worth it to have another chance to observe Pippa while I play against her. I need to figure her out.
Her play style is eclectic. She’ll be conservative for a few hands, then play like a maniac for the next three. She’s bluffedher way to victory at least once, and I didn’t spot it until she turned over her cards. I never know what to expect from her.
It’s driving me fucking insane, but there’s a part of me that loves the challenge. Playing Pippa reminds me of playing my mortal nemesis in online poker, the dreaded PixiPirate09. Pixi only joins lower buy-in games, but they give me something the higher stakes players I usually face can’t: a real challenge.
As the dealer, Nate turns over the first three cards. It’s a rainbow with no face cards, and we all check. Not much to play on there. The next card is a queen. The second I reach for my chips, Pippa sighs and tosses her cards in. “Don’t do it, Nate. Ryan’s got two ladies.”
It takes all my training to keep from reacting. How the fuck does Pippa always know what’s in my hand? IknowI don’t have any tells. I drilled them out of myself over years of training. Yet all night, she’s been calling my hands like she can see through the goddamn cards on the table.
Nate examines my face, then nods. “I’m out.”
I grit my teeth. I think my stepsister is enjoying fucking up my game a little too much. I pour myself a shot for winning the hand.
“You’re playing pretty well for someone who’s not that into poker,” I tell Pippa through gritted teeth.
“Beginner’s luck.” She fiddles with her necklace, deliberately drawing my eyes to her breasts.
She plays too goddamn dirty.
Pippa’s the dealer for the next hand. Nate and I throw in the little and big blind, and everyone’s in by the time Pippa deals the flop—all diamonds, a nine, a seven, and an ace. Nothing works with my hand, so when Nate raises, I fold. James and Pippa call.
The fourth card is the ace of spades, and I hum the Motörhead song to myself. This makes things interesting. Atable pair sets up a possible full house, which challenges Nate’s flush. Nate would only raise if he knew he had it.
James raises this time, because he has the full house. Nate calls, because he thinks James is bluffing. Pippa calls too, and I have no idea why. Maybe she’s bluffing, maybe she thinks she can win with a two-pair, maybe she has a full house, too.
The final card is a four of hearts. I can’t see that helping anyone, but Pippa shoves her chips toward the center of the table. “All-in,” she says.
Nate pushes his chips in, too. “I’ll call.”
James does the same. “Let’s see them.”
Everyone turns over their cards, and it plays out just like I thought. A diamond flush for Nate, a full house with sevens for James. Great hands all around, but not enough to beat Pippa’s full house with nines.
James and Nate jump to their feet, shocked. Nate rakes back his hair with his hand while James shakes his head in disbelief. “Holy shit,” he says.
“Un-freaking-believable,” Nate says.
“What happened?” Luke calls.
