August 26th, 1893 — Irvingly Casino

The fifth card was flipped - a Four. Kayin was smiling broadly, with a Jack and a Ten, he had a three pair and he was confident that he would win the pot. So much so, that he’d went all in, his only opponent someone who had had a streak of bad beats and had the smallest number of chips by now.

He was so confident in his victory, that he didn’t initially realise what went on. All the chips on the table, all the chips that were previously his, worth seven galleons, were swiped to the side of his opponent, who had just won roughly fifteen galleons.

His cards were revealed - a Jack and a Seven. Full house beats three of a kind.

Kayin bleached.

The dealer asked him if he wanted to buy into the table again, but Kayin shook his head no, too shocked by what had happened.

Minutes later, he found himself sat on the bar, someone leaving a glass of scotch next to him.

“Thank you, my friend,” Kayin told the other man, his eyes still staring blankly at the room before him.

His father was returning from Lagos the next day and he’d just lost a Ministry man’s salary for the week at a Poker table.

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For anyone curious:
Board was like this:

Jack - Jack - King - Seven - Four

  

Longwei sat across from the poker table, his gaze following the unfolding drama between Kayin and his opponent. The atmosphere in the room was tense, and as the final card was revealed, he was watching the remaining players with keen interest. Kayin's confident smile made it seem like he had the trump.

As the cards were revealed, Longwei's eyes widened slightly in surprise. A full house against three of a kind, it was a twist he hadn't expected. He watched as the chips shifted to the side of Kayin's opponent, who had just claimed a substantial victory. The room seemed to hold its breath as Kayin's expression shifted from confidence to disbelief. Longwei winced. Poker could be unforgiving, and it seemed luck had not been on Kayin's side that evening. This was hardly the first time had seen it happen, where fortunes could change in an instant, much like the cards on the table.

Although he was intrigued by the psychology of risk and reward, Longwei wasn't much of a gambler himself. He was known for his pragmatism and risk-averse nature in both his legal practice and business dealings. He believed in carefully calculated moves and mitigating risks to ensure a stable and prosperous future.

Moments later, he slid next to Kayin at the bar, sliding a scotch towards him. "Rough hand, my friend," Longwei said as he took a seat beside Kayin, acknowledging the difficult situation. "Luck can be a fickle thing." he raised his glass slightly in a toast, offering a small, understanding smile. "To better luck in the future, and learning from our losses." he tipped his glass to the other to clink.

  

Kayin smiled at his friend and drank from his glass. Longwei Chang was a good friend, even though their families were, technically, business rivals. In any case, the Changs and the Adebayos had so far dabbled in different shipments and routes, so there was no need to think of Chang as a rival. If anything, Kayin hoped that they would remain friends even when they inherited. Kayin could use with Longwei's more sensible nature, whereas Kayin could influence Longwei to take more risks.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he had taken Felix Felicis before!" This could be disproved, given the series of bad beats his opponent had had before his big win. Plus, the Casino had measures in place to prevent people from cheating.

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