The column in the December edition of the Las Vegas Review-Journal read; ‘Don’t ‘Miss‘ Cyber Monday who is now appearing as a Guest Dealer in the Casino at ‘The Devil’s Playground’. The hotel now owned by The Demonia Tenentes Group, have acquired the services of Miss Cyber Monday as a guest dealer at their Poker Tables for the coming month. The lady, an internationally known Poker Dealer is a veritable demon with the playing cards, the shuffling is at light speed, and when she deals there is a definite electric buzz as the cards hit the green baize. If you don’t play at least visit the Casino in the ‘The Devil’s Playground’ and watch this ‘Demon with the cards’.’
The beautiful Miss Cyber Monday had an unworldly gift with playing cards, shuffling, cutting, and dealing seemed to occur at light speed, always known to be as honest as the day was long, she was now regarded as the best Poker Dealer in the known Universe.
Every time she dealt a card at the Poker table an electric buzz went through the players as well as all those watching, and she had dealt her cards at all the finest Casino Tables in the World, from London to Monte Carlo, from Macao to Baden-Baden and from Atlantic City to Las Vegas.
The great pokers players of the world travelled from far and wide to play at her table, not just for the thrill, but always sure that the deal was fair, honest, and true. Their winnings allowed them to tip her generously, which allowed Miss Cyber Monday to enjoy a lavish lifestyle, dressing in the most exclusive designer clothes and travelling from Casino to Casino by Private Jet.
And so for three consecutive weeks Miss Cyber Monday dealt her cards in the Casino in The Devil’s Playground Hotel. Four hours in the afternoon and four in the evening as the greats played at her table; fortunes were won, fortunes were lost, but the players accepted this in good grace, I mean who doubted the cards when Miss Cyber Monday dealt them?
For the last week of her guest appearance, the CEO of the The Devil’s Playground had announced a unique Poker tournament, with the eventual finalists to play at Miss Cyber Monday’s table for the gift of Immortality to be granted by their host Lucifer the Chief Demon. The players at this particular game would all be granted safe passage and any necessary Immunity for the duration of the Tournament, and a Twenty Five Million Dollar fee was an entry requirement.
The forty-eight entrants which included amongst them, two Heads Of State from so-called Rogue Nations, four leaders of notorious South American Narco-Trafficante Cartels, a number of Organised Crime Bosses, as well as Minor Royal Dignitaries, and Wealth Fund Managers, but interestingly no serious professional Poker Players.
The participants would play at tables of eight and the six winning players would contest the final game which would include Lucifer himself, with Miss Cyber Monday dealing the cards.
Lucifer had certainly dressed for the part with white frilled shirt, black shoelace tie; a red and black striped waistcoat topped off by dark glasses and a bowler hat what he called ‘Riverboat Gambler Chic’.
As the six winners of the earlier rounds took their places around the green baize table, they now included the two heads of state from the Rogue Nations and the four notoriously violent Cartel Bosses; Lucifer seated himself opposite Miss Cyber Monday.
Producing four sealed packs of cards she invited one of the players to choose a pack, another to cut the pack, she shuffled the cards with lightning speed and finally asked two more of the players to again cut the cards and gave them a final shuffle.
In her soft sensual voice Miss Cyber Monday announced, ‘the Game is ‘Texas hold ’em’, Aces high, I will deal, you will all play. The winner gets Immortality, the losers will give their souls to Lucifer for all eternity, are we all agreed.’
The six players silently nodded their heads.
‘Very simply, I’ll deal two cards to each of you, as well as Lucifer, and the communal cards which I’ll call the flop, will be dealt in two stages, a first round of three cards, and at that point anyone can fold and quit, and walk away. I’ll then deal two more, so there are five communal cards, and with your own two cards make your best five-card hand, and as I said before, best hand wins immortality, losers still in the game give their souls to Lucifer. Are we all clear?’
Again the six nodded their silent agreement.
Miss Cyber Monday dealt two cards face down to each of the six plus Lucifer, then in the centre of the table she fanned out the three communal cards face up. The room was silent, the remaining Great and the Good, the Bad, The Rich, the Royals as well as the Professionals silently watched.
‘Gentlemen, at this point you can fold and walk away, but when I deal the next two cards there’s no quitting,’ said Miss Cyber Monday looking at the six now smiling players, Lucifer’s expression behind his dark glasses was unreadable.
Miss Cyber Monday dealt the final two cards into the flop; the six players smiles turned into huge grins, as they individually prepared for Immortality and untold riches, Lucifer remained inscrutable.
Miss Cyber Monday addressed the six and asked, ‘are we ready gentlemen, and are you all happy with the ultimate reward, and the consequences if you loose? If so, it’s now show and tell.’
The outcome was inevitable, Lucifer won the hand as he always would, and the six let out unearthly screams as they saw their infinite futures, and finally, finally, Lucifer smiled.
Miss Cyber Monday was indeed a Demon, whose loyalty to her boss was unequivocal. She had an unworldly gift with the cards, the shuffling, cutting, and dealing occurring at lightning speed, and could anyone really tell if the cards were stacked or dealt from the bottom of the pack.
Was it possible that Miss Cyber Monday or Lucifer had made the six players believe their cards were better than they really were, or were Lucifer’s cards really as good as everyone thought. It really didn’t matter, the six souls were now forfeit, there was no immortality and Miss Cyber Monday silently left the Casino.
She returns to the The Devil’s Playground once a year on the first Monday in December, always following Black Friday, to host Lucifer’s Festive Poker Game, and Players Worldwide are now told ‘Don’t Miss Cyber Monday Deals.’
About the author
Henry is a retired surgeon and member of the Canvey Writers Group. He has published a number of stories on the CafeLit site.
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