Hit Me

"Hit me." Bill McGwire said to the dealer as he looked at is two of hearts and three of spades lying on the table before him. He glanced up at the dealer and across at the dealer's eight of diamonds knowing he was already beat no matter what the hidden card showed. His eyes lifted to the name tag indicating Duncan was the dealer's name at this table.
"Hold up there, Duncan. He's staying." A voice from across the table rose above the sunglasses the man nearest the dealer. He didn't appear to be looking at his cards much less Bill's, but seemed to think he was in charge of the table. The sound of his voice resounded at the table and surprised everyone. His tone contained enough authority that no one at the table looked at him. Everyone instead watched Bill and Duncan.

A chuckle rose from Bill's throat at the nerve of this guy telling him what to do with his cards. That chuckled was quickly choked off with annoyance as Bill realized the dealer had not given him another card. "Are you have trouble discerning sounds and pinpointing the origin? I said hit me. He obviously was the one that said to hold. He's not a ventriloquist. Now listen again. Hit me."

Duncan's eyes shot to his left at the man at the end of the table. The man stared off into the distance and slowly shook his head "no". Bill stared as the dealer turned back to him and waited to see if Bill would surrender to the advice to stay on 5. He was not giving in and Duncan now had a bead of sweat running down his forehead.

"You need to listen up and listen closely to my words and my tone. I am a diamond card holder with this casino. I spend three months every year hear and I live on the east coast. This isn't a casual jaunt to the casino for me. I came out to gamble and to make my own calls and I feel I run enough money through this place to entitle me to be listened to. Lay another card down on this miserable hand." Bill was leaning in close to stare in Duncan's eyes and keep him focused. Proximity and intensity was the way to deal with people. That's what Bill had always learned in business. He was about to learn a new technique.

"That's a $100 bet you have right now. You don't have black jack, so that best you could do winning and doubling down on that miserable 5 is $400." The man reach into his coat pocket and tosses a chip onto the table. It bounces over the hands of the current players and lands on Bill's cards. The red $500 chip wobbles for a second and settles to a stop. "Take that chip and you've taken $100 over your best option and tell the dealer you would like to stay. I feel this is a fair offer."

The other two players at the table began to smirk at the gall of the man at the end of the table. The next two players held 19s and 20s respectively and were unlikely to make a move and didn't mind watching the scene play out.

"I give no power to you at the end of the table. However, I am a business man and a $400 gain is acceptable. Let's see how you play the rest of the table's hands." Bill placed the $500 chip in his pocket as if to keep it separate for story telling later.

Each of the two players in the middle passed on card with a wave of their hands as Duncan turned to the man at the end of the table. He held a 10 of diamonds and a jack of diamonds. Duncan glanced quickly at his hand and turned his eyes expectantly to his hand when he heard the voice. "Double down."

Bill could not believe this guy. With 20 and the dealer, at best, holding 19, he should be staying. Especially with $5000 in front of him. Was he trying to lose everything? This was $10,000 with only two Aces unaccounted for with the middle two players holding the aces of clubs and hearts.

"What?" Bill and the dealer's voice combined into one as the both questioned the move. Only Duncan received a cold stare from the stranger at having his decision questioned. In response, the stranger reached into his pocket and put down another $5000 in chips and waited.

A waitress stepped to the table next to Bill her tray inches from Bill's shoulder. "Drink from the bar? Anyone?" The three players turned to her and quickly ordered whiskeys, scotches and bourbons. When she had finished jotting down orders, the waitress looked to the stranger expectantly. He, in turn, continued to stare at Duncan while answering.

"Nothing from the bar, but could you please ask Mr. Taffin to stop by this table. Tell him Mr. Montgomery is having a problem with one of his dealers and requests a change over."

Duncan quickly stiffened in his seat at the mention of the casino owners name and dispensed the top card from the deck. He turned it quickly in the air as everyone watched the ace of spades tumble to his stack and set him to 21.

The waitress walked away unaware of what had been transpiring at the table and without intention of finding anyone named Taffin as she was hired through a local vendor and had no direct ties to the casino. All eyes lay on the ace at the end of the table as 'Mr. Montgomery' leaned back in his chair. "Stay."

It took a few seconds for Duncan to return to his senses and reach for his face down card. He turned the card face up to reveal a two of clubs. The table turned to stare at the stranger again as everyone realized he had saved them from a loss to the dealer turning up an ace and coming up 21 over all of their hands. Bill was the first to come to his senses and shake off the amazement.

"Wake up, people. I could have had that ace and been at 16 and the dealer would not have gotten the 21 either." Bill leaned back arms folded in defiance as the two middle players still sat somewhat stunned awaiting the next card.

"Interesting theory." The voice returned at the end of the table. "Would you have stayed on a soft 16 with the dealer already showing an eight?"

Bill looked back at the dealer's hand and looked to the stranger a bit baffled. "No. I would have asked for at least one more card." At this, all eyes returned to Duncan. On cue, the dealer takes the top card from the deck and reveals a five of hearts. Bill lets out a grunt. "Fantastic intuition there. I would have had 21."

"Continue, Duncan." The man was unfazed by Bill's tone and turned to stare out across the casino floor again. Duncan's hand moved to the pile again and turned up the fourth ace. Bill's jaw dropped. He could have cost the table their money. Sure, he would have pushed, but that seems a selfish man's game.

Duncan's hand now stood at 16 with one more card coming. With a reach to the stack, he turned up the king of spades. A few moments passed as the table stared at the dealer's busted hand. "Pay out, my friend." For the first time, the man at the end of the table smiled. With an additional $10,000 in his pocket, he packed up his things and walked away.