Page 50 of Ace of Hearts
Levi
July
Las Vegas, USA
This is it: the big day.
Ten players still remain in the game, including Tito, Li Mei, and me.
The WSOP final round should last no longer than six hours, but that’s still a lot, especially with a month and a half of intense poker already behind us.
Yet I’m not stressed. Dressed in black trousers and a beige shirt, I feel nothing but excitement as I join the others in the lobby.
“Is everything ready?” I ask my teammates.
Thomas nods, though he’s clearly feeling tense. They all are, even Rose, who’s at my side. I’m the exception. And yet this is what I’ve been dreaming of for the last ten years. The do-or-die moment when I finally bring Tito down once and for all.
“How are you feeling?” asks Rose.
I look down at her, and she takes my hand discreetly in hers. I’m about to reply when I see something glinting on her finger. It’s the salt-and-pepper ring I gave her ...
She kept it, and she’s decided to start wearing it again. The gesture warms my heart, and I smile reassuringly at her. “Very confident.”
Our plan is risky. The slightest hitch could mean it fails, but I have faith in it.
“Here he is,” Thomas says.
All eyes turn toward Tito as he saunters into the lobby. He smiles at the other competitors, then seems to notice us. His eyes meet mine before settling on his daughter and our joined hands.
Rose stiffens at my side. At first I think he’s going to pass by without saying anything, but he must feel supremely confident, because he stops right in front of us.
“Today’s the day that really matters,” he says, holding out his hand to me. “Let’s make it an honorable game, shall we?”
Li Mei gives him a look of pure disgust. Nobody says anything as I hold his gaze, keeping my hand by my side.
“You should check the definition of honorable in the dictionary, because I don’t think we see it the same way.”
He smiles and withdraws his hand. He looks down at Rose again with an expression of false disappointment.
“When you finally realize he’s using you to get at me, we’ll discuss this again, OK?”
“That’s your specialty, not his,” she retorts coldly.
We’re about to move away when Tito addresses us again.
“It’s a shame Simon fell ill last night. So strange—food poisoning, apparently.”
I stop in my tracks, and so do all the others. Li Mei looks at me, her eyes wide. Lucky and Rose look horrified too.
I turn to Tito, keeping my expression neutral.
I want to ask what he’s done, but I already know the answer from his triumphant smile.
He got wind of our plan and made sure Simon was out of action today.
It doesn’t matter to him which croupier we have, as the cards are already marked with invisible ink.
In Tito’s mind, I’m fucked, since I would have been counting on Simon to distract Tito from my game.
“Buona fortuna!” he says in Italian, pretending to wish us luck. With those sarcastic words, he walks away.
We exchange looks in silence. It’s Thomas who finally speaks.
“Don’t stress. It’ll be fine.”
A member of the staff interrupts to tell us it’s time to take our seats. Rose grabs hold of my tie and pulls me toward her, giving me a threatening look.
“Levi, listen to me. If our plan fails, to hell with honor. You beat him. Have you got that? We can’t let Tito win.”
I smile and promise to do my best; then I kiss her tenderly on the mouth.
I signal to Thomas that he should stay with her, and follow Li Mei toward the tournament room, which is nothing like the crowded spaces we’ve been used to.
It’s a private room with a wide table against a blue background, surrounded by cameras.
There are chairs along the sides, in shadow, and technicians are hurrying about.
The cameras must already be rolling as we come in.
It’s as though someone just shouted, “Action!”: it’s five o’clock, and the final table of the Main Event is starting with a bang.
I’m sitting next to Li Mei and opposite Tito.
The croupier arrives shortly after us, and my pulse quickens when I see that Tito wasn’t lying: it isn’t Simon.
Li Mei conceals her anxiety to perfection, playing her usual role.
Each player is introduced as if we’re on a game show, in true Las Vegas style.
As the croupier shuffles the cards and deals them out, my eyes are fixed on Tito. A triumphant smile spreads across my face at the precise moment when he realizes I’ve tricked him. I relish the moment, watching his eyes widen in astonishment.
Right away, he looks over at me and understands.
“Buona fortuna!” I mouth silently.
The strange thing is, the only person I’m thinking about at that exact moment is my father. For the first time in years, my heart isn’t full of resentment. It’s at peace.
Look at me, Dad. Watch me outdo you.
Rose
I’ve never been so stressed in my whole life. Thomas, Lucky, and I are sitting hunched on the sofa in the suite, watching the game live on ESPN.
Officially, our man, Simon, was supposed to have prevented Tito from seeing the backs of Levi’s cards, dealt from a deck that Tito had arranged to be marked.
But since Tito has made sure Simon isn’t there, my fake fiancé’s cards are going to be easily readable by Tito—at least, that’s what Tito thinks.
I can pinpoint the exact second when he realizes he’s been duped. The truth is, Levi knew all along that Tito was going to get rid of Simon. In fact, he was counting on it. The croupier was just a red herring, a cover. Our real plan was always to switch out the marked deck before play began.
Tito had based his planned victory on knowing he could cheat, but now he’s there with his infrared contact lenses ... and cards that aren’t marked. He’ll have to play it straight, just like everyone else.
“He’s scared stiff,” Lucky observes. “Serves him right ... But I still don’t get how this is supposed to make Levi win.”
“That wasn’t the goal,” I say, shaking my head. “Levi refuses to cheat. He wants to win fair and square. The aim was to make the game squeaky clean, and now it is!”
The first round starts slowly. Li Mei wins it. Tito seems shaken, and I can tell he’s struggling to adjust to the new situation; it’s probably been a long time since he played without cheating. Levi doesn’t pay him any attention; he just plays as he always does, with concentration and rigor.
The hours pass as if in slow motion. My nerves are in tatters.
They’re both playing well, but as the number of players decreases, my anxiety mounts.
It’s not long before only five people are left around the table, and Li Mei has taken a few big hits and lost a lot of money.
I don’t think she’ll last long. Sure enough, she goes out in fourth position.
“She fought well,” Lucky says.
Thomas and I nod. There are three finalists left now. One of them is Wittelsbach, the German with the Jurassic Park T-shirt from a few weeks ago. He’s good, but not experienced enough to beat Levi and Tito.
A new round begins. The end is getting nearer. Levi gets an ace of clubs and a ten of diamonds. Wittelsbach has a king of clubs and a queen of hearts in his hand. He has a far smaller stack of chips than Levi, which puts him at a disadvantage, but he’s very confident, and calls straightaway.
“A snap call,” Lucky murmurs, referring to the kind of calls that players make quickly, and seemingly without thinking them through.
He’s right: Wittelsbach doesn’t appear to think before going “all-in dark preflop,” so called because the player goes all-in even before knowing what the flop is. Tito folds first, with an ace of diamonds and a three of clubs. Levi calls, with a 50 percent chance of winning.
“He’s crazy.”
“He’s got the advantage.”
“Only by a little.” I grimace. My heart’s pounding. I know he wants to get rid of Wittelsbach as fast as possible, but still. The whole room buzzes with excitement, and even the presenters seem intrigued.
Then the flop comes ... an eight of hearts, a seven of clubs, and a king of diamonds.
“Shit.”
Wittelsbach smiles triumphantly. He’s ahead, with an 87 percent chance of taking it all. Levi doesn’t react, just continues to rest his chin in his hand. I can’t believe my eyes. He’s losing, and not even to Tito!
Impossible. What can he be thinking?
The stress is visible on both of their faces when the fourth card is revealed: a jack of diamonds. Levi’s chances rise only a few percent. It’s not enough. I bite my lip, feeling pessimistic.
I can almost hear him saying to me, I thought you believed in miracles? Whether I believe in them or not, the last card is like a bomb going off: a nine of spades.
Levi has won everything with a flush. He closes his eyes, the relief he feels evident on his face. Even he wasn’t certain that it would work out this way. Wittelsbach shakes hands with Levi and leaves the table with dignity as Levi collects his winnings.
“Tito isn’t doing badly, in spite of our plan,” Lucky grumbles, rubbing his hands on his jeans. “It’s close.”
Thomas reassures him, saying that even if Tito wins now, it’s too late. The wheels of Levi’s revenge are already in motion. I ask him what he means.
“Levi always has at least three different plans, just to cover himself. Whatever happens, Tito has no idea what’s coming to him; that’s all.”
I focus on the television again, puzzled, as Tito returns to his seat at the table, his eyes fixed on Levi.
There are only a few minutes left, and two players in the game.
Levi
With over twenty million dollars in my pocket, I have the advantage now in terms of chips, thanks to Wittelsbach. Tito knows it, but he doesn’t seem particularly worried. Not yet. It’s all I can do not to burst out laughing.
He thinks he’s already won, just because he’s more experienced than I am. Just because he got rid of the croupier I’d bribed. He thinks I’m caught in a trap.
He doesn’t know me very well.
I guess he underestimates my desire to win.
I refuse to cheat against him, it’s true, because that kind of victory would taste less sweet.
But outside the tournament, it’s no holds barred.
There’s only one thing I want now—for the tournament to end, and for him to face the consequences of his actions.
The longer we play, the more I win, and his smile begins to evaporate. His game grows clumsy as stress makes him rush his decisions, and he makes juvenile errors. After cheating for so long, he’s lost his touch.
He’s avoiding my gaze now, as though he’s worried I’ll break his concentration. As the minutes pass, I feel more and more energized.
I suppress a smile when I see my next hand: a five of spades and a five of diamonds. It’s a good hand. Luck must be on my side.
As if to contradict that assumption, Tito looks straight at me and makes his move.
“All in.”
Rose
Tito’s gone all-in before the flop.
His hand is an ace and a two of spades. It doesn’t put him at an advantage. Levi’s hand is better for the moment. I just hope it stays that way. It all depends on the flop ...
“It’s now or never,” Li Mei says.
It’s true. This is it, the last round. The last chance for Levi to destroy Tito. Everyone in the room is starting to lose their composure. Levi gets up to stand with Li Mei in the shadows, a hesitant smile playing on his lips. I sense that he’s anxious but excited too.
I smile like an idiot, my hands clammy.
“Christ, I’m sweating like a pig,” Lucky complains. “I’m scared.”
I am, too, but I don’t say so. I clench my fists in silence. On the TV, Tito takes a sip of water, looking wary.
The two players are called back to their seats so the flop can be dealt. With a swift movement of her hands, the croupier reveals the first three cards: a king of hearts, a jack, and a ten of clubs. I breathe a sigh of relief, still sweating. The advantage is still Levi’s.
“He hasn’t won yet,” Thomas reminds me.
“Watch out for a double-up that could lead to a river counterfeit,” I murmur to myself.
A double-up on the ten really would be exciting, but in the end, it’s a three of hearts. Lucky lets out a happy yelp, causing me to dissolve into nervous laughter. Levi now has an 84 percent chance of winning.
It’s almost in the bag. Tito knows it, and his expression is dark and menacing.
“He’s going to do it,” Thomas whispers. “He’s going to win; I’m sure of it.”
I’m about to tell him not to jinx it, but I don’t have time. The croupier turns over another card ...
It’s a ten of spades.