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"Why do we still play this game?" Sundancer asked.
"For fun," Ballistic answered.
"Then why do we still put money on it?" Sundancer slammed her hands on the table.
Regent, his feet up on the table, shrugged. "Quit. Nobody's making you play. More wins for me."
"Says the guy who just lost four grand," Imp jeered.
He waved her off. "I'll win it back."
"I'll rephrase," Sundancer said. "Why do we still let her play?!" She flung her hand out to indicate the player across the table from her.
Tattletale raised a hand to her mouth in mock surprise. "Me? No idea what you're talking about."
" You have three times as many chips as you started with . "
"Some people get lucky."
" Some people are cheating."
"Mmmm, I'm technically not cheating."
"Sorry, but Tattletale, you're definitely cheating," Grue broke in. "Somehow I don't think that you're making the perfect move every round of every hand independent of your power."
"Not cheating. Rulebook's clear." She smirked.
"How is that not cheating? " Ballistic asked.
"World Series of Poker 2011 official rules, Section IV, subsection 40.c states 'No participant may make use of a parahuman ability that allows for any form of knowledge or manipulation of probability, the future, or the deck; that allows for any direct or indirect control of other participants or their decisions, outcomes, or minds; or that grants any degree of direct knowledge of another participant's hand or the rationale behind that participant's decisions.' The knowledge my power gives me isn't direct."
"She's got you there." Trickster grinned.
"I should have gone with Bitch," Grue grumbled. "Easier to have a conversation with her than try to play a fair game with you."
"It's still bullshit, and they would have definitely barred you from entering if they knew about you," Sundancer said.
"But they didn't so they didn't," said Regent. "You're stalling. Call, raise, or fold."
Sundancer let out a long sigh and threw three more chips into the center of the table. "Call."
Before the chips had even settled, Tattletale was pushing her cards away. "Fold."
Regent called, while Ballistic and Grue both folded. That left Sundancer, Regent, Trickster, and Imp in for the showdown. They counted to three, then all flipped over their cards.
Sundancer had a king and a queen. Regent had pocket aces. Imp had an ace and a king, while Trickster had the ten and ace of spades.
The river had the king of diamonds, the king, queen, and jack of spades, and... the ace of hearts.
"What was that about nobody cheating, Tattletale?" Skitter said, with a hint of exasperation in her voice.
"I said I wasn't cheating, not that nobody was."
"Ok, I'm with you, Sundancer." Genesis said. "We should never play this game again."
"So who's the cheater?" asked Ballistic.
"Cheaters plural. Four players." Tattletale answered.
"You have got to be kidding me. Okay, where did the extra ace come from?" asked Sundancer.
"Regent," said Skitter. "He's got four more cards up his left sleeve and three up his right."
Regent shot her a glare. "Spoilsport."
"And how did you know that, Skitter?" Tattletale asked innocently.
"Fine, yes, I've been spying on everybody's hands with my bugs." Skitter shook her head. "I'd hardly call it cheating, though. I've only done it after I folded. Wanted to get some practice with using them to scout out fine details."
"Still counts," said Trickster. "It could give you a hint as to our playstyle."
"Oh, that's rich, coming from the guy who hasn't played a single hand straight since the game started," she shot back.
Trickster laughed. "Can you blame me?" He winked, and suddenly his hand was the ten and the jack - and there were two aces in the river.
"That's three," said Grue. "Who's the fourth?"
"Imp," answered Tattletale. "She's been using her power to make us forget she's in this game every time she has a bad hand, or every time it's her turn to pay one of the blinds. I'm surprised nobody else put it together."
"And I'm surprised you didn't tell them," said Imp. "Guess your cape name isn't too accurate, huh?"
"Okay, that's enough," said Genesis. "We're playing Yahtzee instead."