.

Round Two

Round two was about to start. All four girls, now fully dressed, tossed their hats onto the table to purchase their first stack of chips. Although Nagatoro, Sakurua, and Yoshi's bums ached from their recent spankings, Gamo had unknowingly struck the perfect note for what was to come.

As the first-round, first-loser Yoshi shuffled the deck, Nagatoro continued to suppress a smile. Thanks to Gamo's overreach, Sakura and Yoshi now eagerly looked forward to the payback they'd get if they properly followed the plan.

Nagatoro replayed their recent training session on the viewscreen of her mind:

"Here's what I need you to do to make it all work." Nagatoro handed each of them a deck of cards. "Whatever you do, don't shuffle these decks."

Sakura flipped over the top card. "Why not?"

"In standard five card poker, you have the option to replace the cards you want. If you don't like three cards, you can ask for three others. The cool thing about Texas Holdem poker is you deal the exact same number of cards every time."

"I get it," Yoshi said. "If you know the order and timing of who gets their cards, you can specify exactly which cards each player gets."

Sakura squinted, "What was that, Yosh?"

"Since Hyachhi knows exactly what the three of us will do, and she controls the fourth person's cards, she has complete control of the outcome."

Nagatoro nodded. "That's exactly right, Miss Got-A-Hundred-Percent-On-Her-Algebra-Test. But tonight, I need you to act stupid. Like you did during our warm-up game with Senpai."

Yoshi offered a shy smile. "Okay."

"I want you two to deal your decks when I need you to."

"In the second round," Yoshi said.

"That's right. I also want you to reveal the cards you're holding, now and then, like a total dweeb."

"Like, 'do three kings beat a straight?'"

"That sounds too smart. More like, 'Do my three kings beat your five in a row?' Something like that."

Yoshi nodded. "Gotcha."

"Should I act dumb, too?" Sakura asked.

"No. Just be yourself, and deal your stacked deck when you're supposed to."

"What if she sees me switch?"

"Don't worry. Since she's teaching us, it'll be easy to distract her. Do it while I'm asking questions. The execution doesn't need to be perfect so don't panic if you flub. I'm going to deal the final hand that counts."

Yoshi asked, "What if she doesn't take the bait?"

"If you follow the plan I'm giving you, there's a zero chance she won't go for it."

Yoshi grinned when Nagatoro divulged her part of the plan.

"Once the final hand is dealt, and the trap is set, I'll need you both to support me." Nagatoro pointed at Sakura. "And you need to write a contract."

Sakura nodded her understanding as well.

"Oh my god," Yoshi squealed. "This is going to be so much fun. Remind me to never get on your bad side."

###

Gamo's prediction came true. Round two was different. After their butt whippings, each losing player took the game much more seriously and with greater focus.

"Don't take it hard that you lost your first time," Gamo told her pupils. "I admit, I'm pretty good at this game, but you can't discount the luck factor. No matter how good a player you are, if you get crap cards, you're going to lose your shirt."

"You're just trying to make us feel good after whipping our asses," Sakura said.

"Literally," Yoshi added.

"So what you're saying," Nagatoro said, "is that even the Queen of Poker can lose if Lady Luck doesn't smile at her."

"That is true," Gamo replied. "But I wouldn't count on it."

###

For the first thirty minutes, Lady Luck seemed absent. Nagatoro, Sakura, and Yoshi struggled to hold their ground while Gamo, using bluffs and finesse, slowly ate into their chip count, forcing them to turn in their shoes while she remained fully dressed.

When it was Sakura's turn to deal, Nagatoro turned to Gamo. "Hey Poker Sensei, I want to know something. How do you know when it's time to bluff? And how do you get away with it so often?"

"How do you know I get away with it?" Gamo replied. "When you guys fold, you don't get to see my cards."

Sakura said, "The problem is you bet so much and we don't want to risk it."

"Sometimes calling out your opponent takes balls, and you've got to decide to risk it."

"I suppose that's true." Nagatoro glanced at Sakura who returned a small imperceptible smile.

"Anyone wanna make a bet?" Sakura asked after dealing.

Nagatoro removed her socks, skirt, and blouse. "I'm putting in fifty chips."

"That's too rich for me." Sakura tossed in her cards.

"Me too." Yoshi followed.

Gamo locked her gaze onto Nagatoro's eyes. "I have a feeling you're testing me." But her opponent didn't blink.

"There's only one way to find out."

"Okay, I call."

Following the script, Sakura dealt the rest of the community cards.

"Woo hoo!" Nagatoro shouted before raking in the chips.

Gamo smiled. "Nice. You're catching on."

"Oh wow." Yoshi's eyes bulged. "Hyacchi's got more chips than Gamo now."

Nagatoro's lead didn't last. After another hour of play, all the girls were down to their bras and panties and Gamo had regained the lead. It was Yoshi's turn to deal.

"You've got a tell," Nagatoro told Gamo. "When you've got a good hand, you touch your lips."

"No, I don't."

"Why would you even tell her that?" Sakura asked.

"Hyacchi's just trying to psyche her out." Yoshi picked up her cards. "I have a question. Is it better to have five in a row or all the same kind?"

"A flush beats a straight every time." Gamo studied the community cards. "And the odds aren't good for you to get either."

"In that case, I'm out." Yoshi tossed in her cards.

"Me too." Sakura followed.

According to script, Gamo and Nagatoro bid up the pot, and Gamo lost by a hair, leaving Nagatoro with 170 chips, Gamo 130, Sakura 75, and Yoshi 25.

As Nagatoro took her turn as dealer, Yoshi removed her bra to purchase the chips necessary to cover the minimum bet before turning toward Sakura. "No doorbelling me, got it?"

"But your boobs are so inviting." Sakura extended her thumb.

Yoshi slapped it away. "Stop it."

"Didn't I tell you it's important to be serious?" Gamo grumbled.

"Cranky much?" Sakura countered.

Yoshi pointed at the chip stacks. "I can't believe she's behind."

"Go Hyacchi!" Sakura clapped gaily, knowing she and Yoshi had just nailed the perfect distraction.

It was finally time to play the final hand.

Author's Notes: I know not everyone is familiar with Texas Holdem poker so I'm trying to keep the explanations brief and somewhat interesting at least. I hope everyone is able to follow along. - S.K.