[Jinx finds himself in the same place he's been for the past few hours: that is, in a saloon in Redrock City. The air is thick with smoke (go no anti-smoking laws!) and alcohol (can't imagine why) as cards are handed out and laid on the table.] [It's early evening, but that's no reason to stop now. Sizeable stacks of chips are piled by Jinx's hand. Around the table are four other men: their stacks are considerably smaller.] [The dealer hands out the last of the cards, eyes Jinx, and picks up his own hand.] [Session Start.] * Jinx shoots the dealer a slight grin, then switches to a more stoic face and picks up his cards. [You have a pair, which isn't bad for five card draw. You *might* get a straight flush, but that would take losing the pair (as is the nature of five cards).] [They all look at you expectantly, as you're betting first.] * Jinx eyes his adversaries back and antes in.... * Jinx then goes for the straight flush, without any hestitation. ( You da hand, dude. You da hand. ) ( Heh, probably just should have tried to play off that first one as gambler lingo. ^_~ ) [There's a round of betting. The first guy raises you and switches out two cards, the second folds, and the dealer calls it and switches one card. Your turn: you have the hand. Call, raise, or fold?] (Ha!) ( Snow! ) * Jinx looks at his cards and blinks. "Raise." * Jinx pushes in his chips with a fairly certain hand, though he looks slightly unhappy to see them enter the pot. [The first guy groans and folds. The dealer calls you on it. "Let's see whatcha got."] * Jinx smiles although his eyes never leave the dealer's hand. WIth a flick of his hand, his cards now face forward. * Gambler1 shows his cards. A flush. Looks like you win. * Gambler2 frowns. "Again." Ain't normal for a man to win that much. * Jinx shrugs. "Must be my lucky day. Well, you gentlemen care for another hand to get this back?" He draws the pot in with one hand. * Jinx keeps his other hand near the edge of the table, if it's closer to his gun their, well, that's simply a coincidence. * Gambler4 grabs Jinx's hand. "I think we'll be settlin' this a different way." * Gambler2 slowly rises. "Don't like cheaters much." * Jinx grins wanely. "I don't suppose you mean craps as that different way." He then quickly glares at gambler2. Neither do I, I also don't like losers who throw out accusations they can't back up. [The bartender speaks up, "Now, boys, this ain't the place for fightin'." The gamblers don't seem interested in listening.] * Gambler2 twitches. "Say that again?" I'm calling, if I'm a cheater. Where's your evidence? ::He pulls up his sleaves.:: Don' know how ya done it, but we know ya done it. Well I say luck is just with me tonight. Hell, I'll prove it if you like. Simple game of chance, sleaves up, high card.... Use any deck you like, I lose, you gentlemen split the pot. I win, luck's with me, and I walk out with my winnings. * Jinx pushes the rest of his chips into the pot. None of those nasty bandage or bullet expenses, everybody goes home happy. [They relax a bit. "Fine."] * Jinx sweats a bit and shifts his eyes around the table. "Good. Someone find a deck and shuffle it please." * Gambler1 does just that. * Jinx takes a deck out of one of his pockets and does a few practice cuts, smiling and frowning dpending on the card that comes up. "Player of your choice, draw first if ya like." [They discuss amongst themselves, deciding on Gambler1.] * Gambler1 draws a card. * Jinx waits to see it. * Gambler1 grins wickedly and puts it on the table. The King of Diamonds. "Looks like your luck may've run out, stranger." * Jinx grins. "Fair enough, but I thank you gentlemen for leaving my fate to the luck of the draw." He draws a card and shows it to the gamblers, before looking himself. [Their faces fall. The card is the Ace of Spades.] * Jinx contains his enthusiasm. "Well, imagine that. I believe I'll cash in." [They growl. "You did it again!"] I knew we shouldn't na played with a stinkin' Injun cheater! * Jinx holds up his left arm, the one he drew with. "Like I said, I'm lucky. Or perhaps you'd care to explain how I hid a card in my flesh." * Jinx eyes the room for quick exits. [Jinx is surrounded.] * Jinx puts the cards he'd been playing with away with a bit of a flourish. * Gambler2 smiles. "Yer gonna learn, boy." * Jinx has a sheepish look. "Ah, so you're saying you've been outwitted by an Injun, is that what I'm hearing? Surely you other gentlemen don't believe you're that dumb." [Just as one of the gamblers is about to draw (not cards, though), a gunshot fills the room. All the gamblers turn to see the bartender and an unusually handsome man with brown hair visible from under the cowboy hat and green eyes. He lowers his smoking pistol, and you notice a gold star on his chest. "Is there a problem, gentlemen?" he asks calmly.] * Jinx puts both his hands up. "No problem officer, I was just cashing out. I'm sure these gentlemen were reaching for their wallets and didn't have murder on the mind." * Gambler1 looks between Jinx and the sheriff, then back, then back again. "Uh... no sir," he says glumly. [The sheriff nods and gives Jinx a cursory glance. "Then I suggest you finish your business and leave." The statement was anything but a suggestion.] * Jinx does so. Making no small haste. [They do just that, and throw their money down on the table in front of Jinx as they leave the saloon.] * Jinx heads out, pausing a moment by the Sheriff to thank him increase the distance between him and them. "Thank you kindly Sheriff." [The sheriff nods at Jinx as he leaves. "Just doin' my job."] * Jinx glances around the bar, checking the number of patrons and the average expense of their drinks. [It's nearly empty: everyone bailed once a fight seemed inevitable. The bartender is taking care of the mess caused earlier.] [Jinx realizes, though, that he's four hundred dollars richer than he was this morning, putting him at five hundred dollars. An unusual poster catches his eye.] * Jinx counts out fifteen coins and hands them to the bar keep. "Sorry for the trouble." He then goes to read the poster. ( The poster says "Your country wants you!" You are suddenly compelled to join the army :P ) ( Doh! ) (Make a soul roll to keep from joining the army!) 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6) and gets 9. ( Doh! ) (It's one of those fake ones that has a hidden passage behind it and someone is peaking out through the eye holes at him =P ) ( Welp, off you go. ) ( * Jinx grumbles, "All that work to keep my draft number from coming up for nothing." ) [The poster reads as follows: Capable individuals required for retrieval of a tablet of scientific interest from men of poor scruples. High moral character is of utmost importance.] ( Conveniently, only the PCs have high moral :P ) [Interested parties are to meet Miss Mary Anne Pippins of the Redrock Society of Explorers and Scientists for details.] * Jinx raises his eyebrow and grins. "High moral character? They might as well have put my picture up." [Reward: $5,000] [There's contact information in smaller print at the bottom of the poster.] ( Smaller. Nope, smaller than that... here, use a magnifying glass. ) * Jinx reads the amount twice. Then squints and memorizes the contact information. (No! You're burning a hole in the poster!) (Just as well, less people to split the reward with.) * Jinx walks out smiling at the barkeep as he goes. "There will be more shares coming your way if I don't hear many rumours defaming my charcter." [The barkeep nods and gives Jinx a wink. "Spotless."] * Jinx grins and waves. "Let it never be said that Jinx doesn't spread his luck around." He walks out, quickly mounts his horse, and finds a new place to stay for the night. [Session End.]