RANCHO REYES Chapter 14 Learning as You Go

Poker courtesy photobucket.com

John had been in Florida for a year and had become friendly with Macon who was a card shark. 
Long ago Macon had been banned from playing because he couldn’t keep from cheating.  

He could deal himself four aces after he had John remove them from the deck and put them in his pocket.

John enjoyed spending his evenings with him.  He taught John how to spot a cheater and how to beat them at their own game.  

The most fun was in learning how to stack a deck while he was being scrutinized.  

 

John always took Macon the card shark with him when he played on the weekends.  

If he missed something a player was doing, Macon would point it out to him during a break.  

John was winning a lot of money which he split with Macon although Macon would object saying it wasn’t necessary for he was well fixed.

This went on for quite a while when they heard there was going to be a big game on Saturday.  The game was by invitation only but John decided to invite himself.  

 

When the house man started to object, John pulled out one of his six guns which he wore this night and spun the cylinder under his nose.

After that there were no more objections.  From the beginning John saw the game was fixed and the person who was losing was a distinguished looking older gentleman.

 

John took a few pots which irritated the main player but it didn’t deter him from fleecing the mark.  

After a break Macon talked to the older man and asked him if he knew he was being cheated.

The man said, “Yes I know but they have my daughter in the back room and have threatened her if I don’t lose all I have.  They could just take my money but they want wittiness’s that I lost it playing cards.”

Macon relayed that information to John and said, “Be careful. The dealer shark has position two thugs behind the game against the wall,” and the game continued.  

The game everybody was waiting for began.  The man had lost all his cash some to the shark and some to John.  The betting went higher and higher with each one raising the bet. 

The old man finally put the deed to his plantation on one of the islands in the pot.  And everyone called.  John had to get some money from Macon to cover his bet for it took all the money he had.

The old man had four cards and he drew his final card.  John also got his last card and the shark drew his.  John looked at Macon who nodded his head to confirm what John knew.  The old man had a pair of queens and John put down three sevens.  

The shark had a hand that could be a possible straight but needed a queen. He drew his last card and before he turned it over John said, “That better not be the queen of hearts for it was the second card from the bottom and that would mean you were cheating.”

The men stiffen up while the thug behind John started to reach for his gun.  Before he could pull it John had his forty five pointed at the thug’s heart while the other man was caught mid draw with John’s other gun pointed at him.

John said to the card shark, “You can either throw in or show that card and if it’s a queen you will pay for your cheating.”

The shark tried to release his spring loaded derringer up his sleeve, and John shot the two thugs who were trying to pull their guns and had crashed one of his six shooters on the player’s head.  His head was split open and the game was over for him.  

Macon had ran to the back room and got the old man’s daughter while John collected the money on the table.  Macon said, “You had better get away as far as you can for they will be looking for you.”

John said, “What about you?”

Macon said everyone knows I’m harmless and couldn’t be involved in a killing.”

The old man said, “We must leave; my boat is ready to leave for what used to be my home.”  

 

John said, “That sounds good to me, which way do we go.”  

A half hour later they were on the sea heading for the old man’s plantation or what in fact was now John’s plantation.   

 

To be Continued