Casino Wizard

‘Beautiful.’

Dragon Ear loved the unique scenery and noise of the gambling den.

He enjoyed slow-paced gambling with cheap beer, and while he knew it was wrong to rank gambling experiences,

if he had to choose, he preferred the more intense gambling tables.

It was the second day of the poker game.

The voices of gamblers filled with resentment could be heard.

“That bastard is taking all my money with a pair of deuces?”

“Dear, watch your language.”

“That jerk started mocking me first!”

The atmosphere of the humble poker game, which Baron Bove had been coaxed into organizing, was gradually turning hostile.

All the original members had left, except for the “charity” Baron Bove and Dragon Ear himself.

Their places were filled by wealthier individuals with a unique passion for poker. Even now, players were being replaced one by one.

Thanks to this, Dragon Ear was able to manipulate the game without drawing attention.

“Huh? That dragonian… I saw him at the casino.”

“Shh. Don’t talk to him. That guy’s been on a crazy losing streak.”

He was recognized as someone who had lost over 300 gold due to bad luck.

However, he didn’t forget to occasionally show off a big win.

It would be strange if a blackjack master was too bad at poker, after all.

Did his efforts pay off?

The atmosphere grew more intense, and by the next day, even the game had changed.

From Texas Hold’em to Mini Poker.

Despite its name, Mini Poker was anything but cute in terms of speed and destructiveness.

Players would ante up, receive one card each, bet, receive another card, bet again, and then reveal their hands to determine the winner.

Unlike the slower-paced Texas Hold’em, this was a fast-paced game where money changed hands rapidly.

This was also a result of Dragon Ear’s subtle guidance.

He needed to draw in as many people as possible. He needed to build the pot to a level where people couldn’t look away.

The result was a success.

Now, even without Dragon Ear’s direct involvement, the pot was growing on its own.

“Call.”

“Raise to 40.”

“Fold. I’m out.”

“I’m out too.”

After losing another round, Dragon Ear decided to step away from the table as a test.

“Let’s go!!”

Even in his absence, the game continued smoothly.

The person who brought Dragon Ear the most satisfaction was undoubtedly Baron Bove.

Once known as a fish.

Now, he had won so much money that he had become the target of envy.

Since the players were all wealthy nobles, it hadn’t come to blows, but if Baron Bove tried to leave now, he would be labeled as a cheat and his reputation would plummet.

Even now, the looks directed at Baron Bove were far from friendly.

“Fold.”

“Baron Bove. You’ve had enough, haven’t you? You’re being quite humble about it.”

“Uh, well.”

Despite the insults, Baron Bove just rolled his eyes with a blank expression. His nervousness was evident.

“Baron, you’ve won over 700 gold, right?”

“That much… I don’t think so.”

“I saw you pocketing some when we switched to Mini Poker. Is that good manners?”

“There was just too much money.”

“Wow. Bragging now.”

Baron Bove had won nearly 650 gold so far.

This was, of course, the result of Dragon Ear generously feeding him, even using his own money.

Baron Bove probably wanted to bow out at this point…

‘But that’s impossible.’

Leaving with his winnings intact.

This was also part of the thrill of gambling.

Unless it was a system as structured as the Hyden Casino, it was rare for losers to simply give up.

Begging or threatening to force a settlement was standard, and there were even those who would extort not just the lost money but everything else.

Dragon Ear, being stronger than necessary, had rarely experienced such situations.

But Baron Bove was no dragonian. He was just a fragile human, carrying the luck Dragon Ear had bestowed upon him, nervously watching his surroundings.

Dragon Ear watched Baron Bove for a moment before suddenly stepping forward.

“Let’s call it a day here.”

“Who says… oh, Dragon Ear.”

“As you know, I lost a lot today. I paid a hefty tuition fee to adapt to Texas Hold’em… and Mini Poker, a somewhat unfamiliar game.”

The looks directed at Dragon Ear, who had only one hand and had lost a fortune, were filled with pity or concern.

They were worried about the potential outburst of an angry dragonian. After all, dragonians were naturally formidable.

Of course, Dragon Ear had no intention of using force.

But he did plan to use their concern to his advantage.

“Let’s meet here again tomorrow.”

“Again?”

“Yes. Let’s raise the stakes and play properly.”

Raise the stakes and play properly.

Even though Dragon Ear made the proposal, the attention naturally shifted to Baron Bove.

The biggest winner of today’s game.

Baron Bove was already the target of resentment.

“Everyone. I have some business…”

“Baron Bove. Let’s raise the stakes and meet again. I’ll come properly prepared too. I trust you won’t think of backing out.”

Dragon Ear urged with a stern expression.

Others were also glaring at Baron Bove, applying silent pressure.

Can you really handle all that money? If you want to keep your connections, you better show up for the second round. I’ll bring money too and fight aggressively… Such were the looks.

Eventually, Baron Bove nodded nervously.

“Alright.”

With that, the second round was confirmed.

Cutting off at the right moment was the best way to build the pot.

They thought if they brought more money, they could really win. That shabby guy won, so why can’t I?

“Good. See you soon.”

Dragon Ear silently glared at Baron Bove before leaving first.

He didn’t feel sorry.

Baron Bove would soon fade from people’s attention.

…

Second round.

The atmosphere grew even more intense, and a few high rollers who hadn’t participated the previous day joined.

“Shall we start with Mini Poker right away?”

The game began with Mini Poker from the start.

Dragon Ear started pushing a new person instead of Baron Bove.

The target was Countess Fadeli, who had served as the 1st Prince’s maid for a long time before her marriage.

Like Baron Bove, who had borrowed money from the 1st Prince, she had connections with the 1st Prince. This was information Dragon Ear had gathered during yesterday’s poker game.

Her poker skills were just average.

“Oh my, oh my! I have a straight…! Spade 2 and Heart A!”

“Ah!”

“Can I take the money? My luck is so good today!”

But today, she was winning.

Of course, it wasn’t her skill; Dragon Ear had been subtly feeding her using marked cards and sleight of hand.

Having only one hand actually made it easier to cheat. Even when he shuffled with a Charlie cut and dealt the cards, everyone just went along with it.

Now, Dragon Ear didn’t even need to push his own money.

The participants had brought plenty of money to throw into the pot.

“Alright! I won again!”

“Hey… can’t you just shut up and play? Countess?”

“Huh?”

“I mean, it’s not something to brag about, gambling with your husband’s money. Am I wrong?”

The pot on the table was already over a thousand gold. The atmosphere grew even more heated.

Dragon Ear didn’t even need to request a third round.

“If you run away, don’t even think about showing your face to me again. Got it?”

“I’ll bring 200 gold tomorrow. I lost because I didn’t have enough money, that’s all.”

“I may not have a title, but do I look like I don’t have money?”

The excited nobles were already moving on their own.

…

The third round followed just a few hours later.

The pot grew even larger, the immersion even stickier.

Even those who had skipped work at the casino to come here were present.

Today was Dragon Ear’s solo performance.

He used the techniques he had been using to feed the fish for his own benefit.

Finally adapting to poker, he played the role of the blackjack master.

“Do you know the probability of a pair on the flop beating two overcards?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Just saying. Anyway, I won. Now I get it.”

He won at Texas Hold’em.

“Straight flush! This round is mine…!”

“Wait. I have a black knight.”

“Ah…!”

And of course, he won at Mini Poker too.

Money began piling up in front of Dragon Ear.

200, 300… Two players went all-in, and in one move, he jumped to +800.

The gambling genius who had cleaned out the casino at blackjack was finally dominating the poker table.

But today, after doing well, Dragon Ear deliberately slipped up at the end.

“Double raise.”

“If I fold, would you show me your hand?”

“What if I really fold?”

“Sigh. Never mind. I’ll fold.”

“I just had a pair. Haha!”

Dragon Ear pretended to fall for the bluff and lost 600 gold at the last moment.

The hero who defeated Dragon Ear was a young noble without a title, Mario Carnesechi.

An ordinary noble, but his brother was the 1st Prince’s bodyguard.

Like Baron Bove, who had borrowed money from the 1st Prince, and Countess Fadeli, who had been the 1st Prince’s maid, he was, broadly speaking, a person of the 1st Prince.

But no one found this particularly unusual.

“Let’s meet again this afternoon!”

The pot had grown too large for anyone to care about the insignificant 1st Prince.

…

The fourth round was about to begin.

Dragon Ear caught a brief nap and then left his lodgings at Valadin’s Pub.

But outside the pub, there were people waiting for him.

First, the large-breasted Baroness Bonucci.

And beside her stood a man.

The mage Hyden, Dragon Ear’s true target. A very welcome face.

“Customer. Mage Hilde will arrive by tomorrow at the earliest, or the day after at the latest. The Dragon Kingdom’s ambassador just sent someone to inform us.”

So it was the mage who had brought in his sister… Hilde.

Dragon Ear wasn’t angry. The mage had simply used the methods available to him.

If he had said something like, “Now you can just hold Hilde’s hand and leave quietly,” it would have been a bit disappointing.

Fortunately, the mage didn’t disappoint Dragon Ear.

“Customer. Why are you trying to drag the 1st Prince into this?”

The mage seemed to have figured out Dragon Ear’s entire plan after hearing a few words from Bonucci, a poker celebrity.

Dragon Ear barely suppressed a twitch at the corner of his mouth.

“Mage. Did you just say the 1st Prince?”

“Yes. You’ve been funneling money to people connected to His Highness the 1st Prince. You’re planning to use them as material, aren’t you? If you play your cards right, you can frame the 1st Prince for hiring a cheating gambler to fund his inner circle.”

“That’s a stretch. How would I know about the kingdom’s political situation?”

At Dragon Ear’s deliberate evasion, the mage chuckled wryly.

“You heard it in the VIP room, at the pub, and at the poker table you set up. …You probably already know that I’m cooperating with Princess Beatrice but dislike getting involved in politics.”

Fortunately, everything had been exposed. Dragon Ear nodded contentedly.

“Correct. I didn’t have enough time to clean out all your potential customers. You probably would have ignored me to the end. But I figured you’d hate to see the royal family embroiled in another gambling scandal. It’s bad for your business.”

Dragon Ear admitted honestly.

Now, it was up to the mage to decide.

Would he sit at the gambling table to prevent chaos, or would he ignore it and avoid it again?

“You’ll need to lose your right hand to come to your senses.”

Fortunately, the mage’s response was very positive.