No one was cheating or colluding secretly. But there were a few who didn’t get along, and sometimes they would spend money to cause trouble—harming others without benefiting themselves—so there was always a sense of tension.
Yeah, it was pretty realistic and reflective of real life.
After watching two more hands, Han Lie was getting ready to leave when Fang Tongzhi suddenly spoke up.
"Young Master Lie, you’ve watched enough, haven’t you? Come, play a couple of hands. Let everyone get to know you better."
That statement was particularly interesting. It sounded normal at first, but upon closer reflection, it seemed quite profound. Yet, one couldn’t discern any clear stance from it.
Before Han Lie had figured out how to decline, Liu Yingjun eagerly took charge. "Forget about money! Money is not the issue! Old Wang, prepare 200,000 in chips for Young Master Han!"
He casually tossed a box of Platinum Crystal cigarettes in front of Han Lie. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝕟𝕖𝕥
"If you win, you take the money. If you lose, I’ll cover for you, and you can pay me back whenever you have it. Deal?"
Is he trying to size me up on behalf of Fang Tongzhi?
Han Lie could somewhat understand Fang Tongzhi’s and Liu Yingjun’s actions, but he wasn’t very interested. In his heart, he didn’t want to make money through gambling. It was unnecessary and meaningless.
He had better methods to squeeze these rich kids, winning their money without hurting friendships. There was no need for him to get involved personally.
However, if he didn’t join them and integrate, it would be harder to find an entry point for his plans. So, no matter how much he disliked it, he still had to play along.
"Alright, thank you, Brother Fang, Brother Liu, for wanting to include me."
The thought flashed through his mind, and Han Lie readily agreed.
"But let’s be clear upfront: once it hits 11 o’clock, I’m leaving on time, win or lose. Nobody should complain about it, alright?"
"Sure, sure, sure! Let’s get started!"
Dan Zihao was the first to speak up, incredibly excited.
Zhou Ci, her tongue pushing against the inside of her cheek, flashed Han Lie a cold sneer, not bothering to conceal her malice.
"Eleven o’clock? I’m afraid you won’t last that long..."
The others had no objections. In fact, they felt a renewed sense of novelty and competitiveness. Wealthy second-generation individuals were common enough around here; the entire floor was full of them. But someone like Han Lie, who had actual achievements, was a new face they hadn’t encountered in a long time.
Taking him down at the poker table would be quite satisfying, wouldn’t it?
The seasoned players exchanged glances, various thoughts running through their minds, all smiling like a bunch of sly foxes.
The dealer started dealing the cards.
Eight players, ante 500, pot 4,000. The maximum single bet was 2,500. If someone went in blind for 2,500, players who had looked at their cards had to bet 5,000 to call. If a three-of-a-kind appeared, everyone had to contribute 10,000 to a "celebration pot," regardless of whether anyone called any bets on that hand.
These were the general rules, a very common way to play Golden Flower.
In the first hand, Han Lie only got an Ace-high. After looking at his cards, he folded immediately.
Second hand, a small pair; he folded.
After Han Lie folded ten hands in a row, Dan Zihao couldn’t stand it any longer. He flipped over Han Lie’s mucked cards, his eyes bulging.
"Young Master Han, are you just here to pay for watching the show? You don’t even play blind, and now you’re folding pairs?"
Zhou Ci chimed in, "Do you think the stakes are too high for you? If so, Big Brother Lie, why don’t you sit out? I’ll cover that 5,000 ante for you."
Her supposed kindness was laced with sarcasm.
The rest were enjoying the spectacle, laughing and waiting for Han Lie’s response.
Han Lie remained calm, his expression unchanged.
He responded to Dan Zihao unhurriedly, "I trade stocks. I only enter the market when the estimated probability of success exceeds 90%. That’s why I’m number one among 800,000 traders, while you can only be king in your class."
Dan Zihao was left speechless.
Zhou Ci cackled and slapped Dan Zihao on the back. "Actually, he’s not that great in class either. He ranked first for two days, then plummeted to nothing over the next three."
Dan Zihao flared up, but Zhou Ci pretended not to hear and quickly slipped away, slick as could be.
The chubby Wang Hong ignored the bickering pair and asked Han Lie with great curiosity, "Can you really achieve a 90% success rate? Isn’t that like free money?"
Fang Tongzhi and Liu Yingjun both turned their heads, listening intently.
Han Lie explained simply, "The success rate isn’t the same as the final win rate. A 90% success rate means there’s a very high probability the stock will rise tomorrow. However, how much it rises—whether it’s a false surge or a true breakout—is uncertain. So, true short-term traders often prefer to use a 90% success rate to earn a 0.5% profit, rather than gamble on a 5% gain with a 50% success rate."
Wang Hong had an epiphany.
"Oh! I get it! You mean consistently making small, stable profits and avoiding high-risk operations?"
Han Lie nodded, sensing this chubby young man might be onto something.
Fang Tongzhi suddenly interjected, "Little Brother, I’m not qualified to judge your operational strategy, but you need to understand that poker is different from the stock market. First, with stocks, you can choose to stay out of the market entirely, but our poker game has mandatory antes. Second, the stock market always presents low-risk opportunities that test your foresight. But in poker, there’s no such thing as an absolutely guaranteed winning hand. A small pair might win the entire pot, while a flush could lose badly. How can you guarantee that the big hand you’ve patiently waited for will definitely win?"
His voice wasn’t loud, nor was his pace fast, but his logic was crystal clear and incredibly persuasive. The lackeys behind him were all fired up, slapping their thighs and nodding vigorously in agreement.
Han Lie had to admit this man was indeed insightful.
And it was true. The most frustrating thing at the poker table was to play conservatively for ten or twenty hands, finally get a strong hand, and then only win the antes.
It was so damn frustrating.
But Han Lie was different; he had never planned on winning.