[Mission] Page in: The Precious and Perilous Poker

Mission Details:

Page cracked back his shoulder blades, getting a nice stretch in as he walked to the inn, Sheffield close by. The former farmer strutted up to the front counter, greeted the inkeep and asked, "So how exactly is this poker game going to work?"

"Well," She replied, "The buy in is just 100 ryo, and the reward is a majority of the others buy in. There is no prize for second place, the winner takes it all, other than the house cut of course. You play till you're out. We'll start with probably two tables, and the winners from both tables will face off at a third, final table one on one for the big money."

"Sounds good," Page said, "any idea how many people are going to be around?"

"Well, last week we had eleven or twelve I think, but before it used to be a lot higher, we just kept losing attendants after Two-Card Jack stepped in. Man keeps winning and sending away from the game empty handed. People seem to think they've lost your chance. Haven't scared you off now have I?"

"No, all the more intrigued now," Page answered, "And if you don't mind, I'd like to buy in now."

"Sure thing, and if you don't mind, I ask that if you are going to have your dog with you at the table, that he stay planted directly next to you, we have no tolerance for cheating, and had a tricky mother fucker come in one time and use his dog to spy on the other's hands. You should understand this establishment can't be having none of that right," the innkeeper said, slowly pushing chips in exchange for the ryo

"Fair deal, I would hate to cheat and would hate to have a cheater at the table, with all that out the way think I'm going to stake out a nice place to sit, just call me out when I should go to my table." And with that, Page sat, waited, and eventually was called to go to the second table. He sat down to see two people already at the table, one was dressed fancily with a face Page had seen working at the inn, the dealer, the other was just some townie. Eventually three other people came to the table, cards were dealt, hands were played, bluffs were called, pots were won and lost and after a few hours it was down to the last two men at the table, Page and the weapon seller he had met before. At this point, Page was up 350 to the shopkeeper's 150 when he looked at his cards and made his bid, all in. This was obviously a power move on Page's part as afterall the Shopkeep could only afford to go in 150, but the point was made and the shopkeep, knowing they would either lose now or later, bet it all. Pocket kings mixed well with the river and after the five cards were flopped they had a table champion.

Page celebrated for a second before looking over to the opposite table to see a man that had seemingly cleared out the competition long before him, Two Card Jack. They both walked to the final table, the former farmer in his common, dirty clothes and the professional gambler in sweet digs with think shades that blocked out any vision of his eyes. "I'm afraid your fate is already sealed my friend, you've already lost, just destiny at work, I can't be beat," Jack said.

"Well Jackie boy," Page retorted, "Many people have said that, a few times its been true, but I find a hell of a lot more of the time those words precede certain defeat," before letting out a big smirk, putting his end of the blinds up and being dealt in.

The game had a rocky start to say the least. Page couldn't find his way to a big hand, it was like every time he had some good hand his opponent knew and quit early, everytime he was bluffing Jack knew that he was full of it. Things were rough and tumble, and it got to the point where Page was down to just 50 of his chips, the blind, figuring screw it, he didn't even look at his cards and miraculously, he doubled his money. All the sudden the calm collected and cool demeanor of Jack started to fade as Page kept betting on his own luck and winning. Page glanced down at Sheffield, "You smell that?" he asked, "Smells like the fear of someone who is down on their luck now that their prime tactic is thrown out the window to me too."

After several hands, all with Page going all in, it reached what would prove the final hand. They both went all in and the river gave Jack two aces that added onto his pocket with a nice quad aces, which he flopped out confidently scoffing, "Beat that, ha," only for Page to flip his two cards, King and Queen of the Spades suit, which got along quite famously with the river's Ace, Jack, and ten of similar emblem, a royal flush. "Now correct me if I'm wrong lil jackie," the former farmer, now fortune blessed gambler, "but I believe I just did."

This incensed his opponent, causing him to start throwing a fit, somehow leading to his eyes being revealed and his secret to victory being shown to all. The man's eyes were pale, symbolic of the Hyuga clan and as soon as it became obvious he was using his extrasensory abilities to syphon money from the townsfolk, and upon realizing that the crowd went silent for one second. Pure silence that proceeded a great hubbub as the losing gamblers all chased the cheater out of town. With them out of the way, and the inn now cleared, Page collected the scattered chips, helped clean everything up, then went to cash in his chips for the prize of the tourney.

WC: 1,005
Mission Complete
+5 Stats to both Sheffield and Page
+1 Ap
+600 Ryo
Continuing from Here 
Body Part Replication Jutsu (1.5k/1.5k)
Chakra Anesthetic (454/600)

Good work, approved.