Chapter 121: The Gambling God, Lame Ding

“Remember, go in at seven o’clock and you must come out before eight! If you don’t come out, you’ll never get out!”

Ding the Crippled man felt as if he were in the presence of a grand master—no, that word wasn’t enough. If everything this man said was true, he might as well be a living god!

“Also, you must strictly follow the amount you bet, including the gambling money. Betting too much won’t do; betting too little neither. Above all, don’t be greedy!”

…

When Ding entered the casino, he was still half in disbelief, feeling as if he had become the protagonist of a story—a chance encounter in the mahjong club had introduced him to a divine being, and now this deity was guiding him to wealth…

Oh, and this god had even given him a thousand yuan…

The old crooked gambling den had several rooms. This one wasn’t the largest but still spanned three to four hundred square meters. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary farmhouse; such three-story rural buildings were not uncommon. But once inside, it was a whole different world.

Ding hadn’t been here many times. It was a mahjong friend who brought him. At the entrance, they thoroughly searched him from head to toe, then he exchanged a thousand yuan for chips at the counter. Checking his watch, it was just past seven o’clock.

There were tables for Pai Gow, dice games, Golden Flower, and baccarat. Because this place was so remote, the gambling was brazen and blatant. Open twenty-four hours a day, never closing, and never once raided. Ding wandered around, lingering especially at the Golden Flower table. Last time here, he had lost a fortune—he had hit a rare “leopard” hand but was beaten by an even rarer mixed 2-3-5! (In Golden Flower, three of a kind is called a leopard and is the highest hand, but it loses to the mixed 2-3-5, much like the elephant losing to the mouse in the game of Jungle.)

The room was thick with smoke and heat. Ding took out a cigarette and lit it, dragging his leg as he approached the baccarat table that Xiao Cheng had told him about. Glancing at his watch again, it was 7:09.

Four or five people were playing at the table. A round was underway. The “player” side had already revealed two cards: a 2 and a Jack, totaling 2 points. Baccarat rules compare two cards, and the side with points closest to 9 wins. Tens, Jacks, Queens, and Kings count as zero points, so 2 is a very low hand with little chance of winning. The dealer had opened a diamond 7. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the last card, waiting for the final reveal.

Next to Ding sat a bald man, eyes bloodshot, clearly exhausted from a long stint. Seeing the player’s 2 points, he muttered, “Good.” Dealer had 7 points, player 2. As long as the dealer didn’t pull a 3, 4, or 5, all of which would lose to the dealer’s 7, those betting on the dealer would win. With 52 cards, thirteen ranks from Ace to King, the other ten ranks would result in a dealer win—a fairly high probability.

The dealer, calm and collected, used two fingers to gently lift the corner of the last card, then flipped it over sharply: the club 4.

“Player 2 points, dealer 1 point, player wins!” the dealer announced.

The bald man slammed the table in frustration, helplessly watching as the dealer swept away four or five thousand yuan in chips. Ding sympathized, feeling like he was reliving his own losses at the Golden Flower table.

He checked his watch; it wasn’t time yet.

The bald man left, and a few more people came over. The previously quiet table soon buzzed with activity. Ding looked around; the time hadn’t come, so he decided not to act yet.

Two more rounds passed, both won by the player side. The watch’s minute hand reached fifteen—time was up.

Ding hesitated. The player side had won three rounds in a row. Experienced baccarat players had a saying: “When you see banker, bet banker; when you see player, bet player; three or four rounds, lose five, win six.” This meant if the banker wins three rounds in a row, the banker is likely to win the fourth as well, and the same logic applied to the player side. So far, the first three parts had come true; logically, he should bet on the player. But the half-mystic had said, “At 7:15, the first round starts—bet on the banker!”

Damn it! It’s only two hundred yuan. Bet on the banker!

He placed his chips on the banker position. Today was strange—normally, after three player wins, professional gamblers never fail to follow the player side. But today, more than half the players chose to jump to the banker side, especially the newcomers.

At this moment, Ding no longer cared what others bet. Two hundred yuan felt like twenty thousand, his eyes fixed on the four cards on the table, waiting for the answer.

The player’s first card was the nine of hearts! Those who had bet on player breathed a sigh of relief. One card alone didn’t tell the whole story, but among thirteen possible ranks, 10, J, Q, and K are all zero points. This meant the player had four chances out of thirteen to hit a guaranteed nine—a strong chance to win.

The banker’s first card was the four of spades. Then the player’s second card was flipped—another nine. Two nines total, counting only the units digit, totaled eight points, a very good score with a high chance of victory.

Ding felt his heart about to fail him. Now, for the banker to win, the last card had to be a five. Was Xiao Cheng playing a cruel joke on him?

The dealer didn’t make them wait long or distract with advertisements. The last card was revealed: diamond five!

“Player eight points, banker nine points, banker wins!”

Ding was stunned. They really did jump to the banker! In truth, he only won two hundred yuan, but the psychological impact was like winning a five-million jackpot.

Xiao Cheng was a living god!

Even the greatest gambling legends had to be at the table, analyzing and judging cards to create their myths. Yet Xiao Cheng could calculate so accurately from a thousand miles away? This was too fantastical! Could it be just a coincidence?

As he pondered, the dealer collected the chips as usual, and the second round began.

Ding gathered his chips. The god had said: “Second round, bet on player. Bet three hundred!” He placed three blue chips on the player’s betting area.

There were a dozen or so players at the table, some betting banker, some player, and even one who tossed a chip on the tie. Bets placed, the dealer urged, and with no more wagers, the cards were dealt.

The dealer’s hands were steady. Cards were placed facedown in their positions, but everyone’s eyes were glued to the table, as if staring hard could reveal the cards early—though of course, the outcome was already set. The allure of gambling lay precisely in this illusion.

Jack of clubs, five of hearts—player zero points, banker five points. Banker had the edge for now, but the casino’s fortunes shifted in an instant; this supposed advantage was mere comfort for the gamblers.

The player’s next card was the two of spades, giving the player two points. Ding’s heart leapt to his throat. The only way for banker to lose was if their total was zero or one point. Banker had already opened a five. If banker’s second card was also a five—making a pair—that would be a total win for the banker. So for player to win, the last card had to be a six!

The players betting on player all shouted toward the last card: “Six! Six! Six…”

——

You all understand what that last phrase means, right? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments below!