lower decks - Poker Night 2

Posted on Tue Nov 3rd, 2020 @ 12:51pm by Ensign Wulfgar Duergar & Ensign Paul Sleeford

Mission: Survival of the fittest
Location: Cargo bay 3

Wulfgar waited until everyone had sat down before he started. "For those that don't know, I'll start with an easy game. Five card draw. You'll be dealt five cards and you are to try and get the best hand you can. You will get a chance to be dealt more cards if you choose to discard some of the first five cards." He explained as he dealt out five cards to each player, one card at a time. "Feel free to ask questions if you need to. Either Jane or I will answer the question if we are able to do so." He smiled up at them the glanced down at his cards and, bending the cards upwards to see what he had. A pair of 2s, a 6, an 8 and a jack. He tosses three cards face down and waited.

Vereelix held the cards awkwardly, he held a Jack, Ace, and 3, 4, and 7. "Do I want the cards with numbers or letters?" He asked innocently.

Jane watched their other guest leave with a small frown. She was disappointed but cards was not for everyone she supposed. She instead turned her attention to Vereelix. "Well it depends on what you need." She said scooting over to look at what he had to see how she might help. She wasn't very good herself but saw some potential in the hand. "I think maybe discard the jack and the seven, try for a straight." She whispered softly in conspirital tones in his ear.

Vereelix followed Jane's instructions and laid down the Jack and the 7. "I'd like a straight please," he said allowed hoping to get the straight Jane had mentioned. He remembered to use please, a human word of courtesy that wasn't used in Talaxian.

Wulfgar dealt Vereelix two cards with a chuckle then looked to Jane. "And how many for the young lady?" He said sending Jane a wink.

Jane looked at her own hand consisting of a 3,5,9,A,K. "Hmmm." She said trying not to chuckle at her new friends innocent mistake. It was his first time after all. "Three cards please." She said setting the number cards down in the discard pile hoping their new friend might observe her example for the next hand.

Wulfgar nodded and dealt 3 cards to Jane then slid the top three cards from his face down hand. "And dealer takes three as well." He dealt there to himself. He set the rest of the deck to the side and looked. A pair of deuces, a three, a queen and a ten. The best he had was a pair queen high.

Vereelix discarded his Jack and 7 and asked for 2 cards. Glancing at what he had been given he wondered if an Ace, 3, 4, 8, and 10 would win anything. He laid his cards down face up, "Is this a straight?"

"Unfortunately no. A straight is 5 numbers in sequence. The A's are called aces and count as a 1 while the J, Q and K are Jack, Queens and Kings. They also count as 11, 12 and 13 respectively." Wulfgar explained. He looked at Jane. "What do you have?"

Jane raised a brow. "Are you calling? Because frankly sir I think I want to put a bet down first that says my hand is better then yours." Jane said with confidence.

"And what would this bet be my dear Jane?" Wulfgar asked a mischievous grin on his face. He wanted to know to see if he could get at the 2 hidden aces in the long sleeve of his shirt.

Sitting there with his cards Paul lifted them slightly and looked at them, a pair of fours, a seven, nine and a queen. Gently rubbing his chin, he looked around the table, not a lot of tells going on as far as he could see, taking the queen and the nine he discarded and waited for the others, listening to the banter of the others around the table, taking a sip of his scotch he slid three chips across the gap into the middle of the table.

"Ah, mister Sleeford I see you're three and raise you by two more." Jane said putting her chips in the middle as well.

Picking up the two replacement he found a seven and a three, not much of an improvement, it gave him two pairs, low cards at that, glancing around the table at the others hi took a sip of the drink next to his right hand, keeping a straight face he looked at Jane, "Okay I'll see your two and raise four"

Vereelix watched closely and looked over Jane's shoulder, he thought he was beginning to understand and believed a little misdirection would help turn the tables in Jane's favor. "Jane," he whispered loudly, "All of those cards with Letters mean something good right?"

Jane smiled over at the Talaxian as she picked up on his game. He was a fast learner. "Oh yeah." She whispered back with a wink. "They dont stand a chance." She titled her cards enough to let him see her hand better as if they were conspiring. Wul

Wulfgar smirked at what he thought was just Vereelix's innocence of poker. "Too rich for my blood." He said as he played his cards face down on the table. He took a sip of the coffee that sat by him.

Looking between Jane and Vereelix, Paul smiled, not sure if it was a ploy or an innocent mistake, "Okay I'll play. Raise you ten", throwing ten chips into the center of the table and took a sip of his drink.

"Hmmm. Okay then I see your four and call." Jane said as she laid down her pair of sevens, with ace high the rest of the hand consisted of a 2 of diamonds and her King of hearts. She was hoping he was bluffing because it was not much of a hand to bet on. But this was for educational purposes.

Vereelix watched the exchange between the two sensing a bit more than a regular friendship,"Are games and banter like this part of the human mating rituals? Neelix spread interesting stories of the many varied rituals."

Jane startled at the unexpected question. "Oh no no.." She looked at Paul her head still shaking. "No just friendly banter to make the game more fun is all." Jane corrected quickly.

"Ok" Vereelix said skeptically. Wondering why Jane had responded so quickly and defensively. Maybe Wulfgar wasn't suitable for her or was repulsive. Human women in general weren't that pretty anyway, they didn't have enough hair or color like the Talaxian women. He kept his thoughts to himself and continued to observe the poker exchange.

Wulfgar let out a loud laugh. "Cards are never a good way to woo a human female. It's the flowers and candy that get them. He said with a grin to Vereelix. He glanced over at Paul. "What's your take on it?" He asked.

Paul clenched his lips together tight to stop spitting good scotch over the table at Vereelix's comments, seeing Janes cards on the table, he turned over his two pair, 7's and 4's. "well there's an old Earth saying, unlucky at cards, lucky in love, not too sure if it works the other way round."

Jane merely blushed and shook her head with a soft chuckle. It was in that moment her comm let out a subdued chirp. It's gone told her it was being subverted from her office. Jane excused herself from the table. "sorry gentlemen. I have to go and check on this. If you'll excuse me." She got up and with an apologetic smile before leaving the holodeck to respond to the summons.

Wulfgar raised an eyebrow at Jane's quick departure. "If you'll excuse me." He said as he stood up. "Sleeford, if you could help our new Telaxian friend learn the hands a bit better, that would be great." He said over his shoulder as he crossed the cargo bay to the doors and disappeared.

Vereelix watched Jane and Wulfgar exit, he decided it was time to get some rest, "Thank you for the riveting evening but I must return to my quarters, I have a lot of work to do tomorrow.

=============

Ensign Vereelix
Science Officer

Ensign Wulfgar Duergar
Engineering Officer

Ensign Jane Doe
Chief Counselor

Ensign Paul Sleeford
Assit Operations Officer