OFR – Chapter 288 What is cold, what is king! (Part 5)

At this moment, the atmosphere in the entire venue was somewhat delicate.

The most intriguing aspect of Texas Hold’em lies in the psychological battles between players at the table.
Moreover, it requires a solid understanding of probability calculations.
After all, in any form of gambling, aside from luck being the primary factor, probability is the next most crucial element.

As for Texas Hold’em, the role of probability is pushed to its absolute extreme.
This is not a one-time bet, but a continuous battle of patience and intelligence.

In such a game, luck alone means little when it comes to winning.
Rather, it’s probability and mental resilience that are brought to full display in this game.
If all you rely on is luck, you may win a few rounds—but never big.

However, if you master both probability and psychology, you can dominate the Texas Hold’em table.

And precisely because of that, the experienced female dealer who had dealt cards for years was greatly surprised to see that none of the players looked at their hole cards.

Could it be that these super-elite power players of Nanjing, in such a high-stakes game, were planning to rely purely on luck to determine the outcome?
If that were truly the case, why play Texas Hold’em at all?
Why not just play a game like Zha Jin Hua that relies purely on chance—it’d be more straightforward.

Yes, the female dealer didn’t understand this scene. She couldn’t comprehend it.

But she believed, no matter what, that these top-tier elites of Nanjing—names known far and wide—would never do something so foolish.

So, without saying anything, she continued dealing the cards strictly by the book.

The hand today was very ordinary.
Unlike the movies, there were no Royal Flushes or spectacular Four-of-a-Kinds amid the tension of this highly scrutinized game.

No—there was nothing of that sort.
Only plain, simple cards.

The first three community cards were: 6♣, 9♥, and K♠.
No potential straight, no flush draw, let alone any powerhouse hand.

The cards were so average that even the dealer lost interest in watching closely.

However, she knew that behind this unassuming set of cards might lie a gambling match so explosive it could shake all of Nanjing to its core!

So she didn’t dare to be careless, only smiled as she gestured for the small blind, Mr. Rong Qingwen, to act.

When she spoke, Rong Qingwen finally broke eye contact with Nalan Yunshao and shifted his gaze.

He smiled faintly and said nothing.
Unlike Nalan Yunshao and Chen Yunzhi, he did look at his hole cards.

After all, going one versus five, if it came down purely to luck, he couldn’t possibly beat them.

Being cautious wasn’t wrong.

Momentum, in his view, was only useful at the start to steady one’s allies’ morale.
After that, only the victor had the right to speak of “momentum.”

Indeed—what right does a loser have to speak of momentum?
There are not that many “glorious in defeat” heroes like the Overlord of Western Chu.
And simply pressuring opponents with money without looking at your cards—is that really called momentum?
Probably no one truly thinks so.

In such a gambling match—especially one this intense—Rong Qingwen felt caution was still best.

He checked his hole cards.

Not great, but not bad either:
♥6 and ♣9.
This gave him two pairs with the community cards.

Two pairs aren’t considered a guaranteed win in Texas Hold’em,
But given how weak the community cards were, getting two pairs already beat the odds.

Statistically, the chances that any of the five opponents had a stronger hand were less than 10%.
Even with five players, the chance of someone beating him didn’t go over 30%.

With a 70% win probability—even an average gambler would know what to do next.
Naturally, Rong Qingwen was no exception.

But despite that win rate, the heir of the Rong family showed no visible reaction—not even a flicker.

Calm—completely calm.

Maintaining that calm, he quietly touched his stack of chips, paused for a few seconds,
Then pushed out fifty Bitcoin chips.

Fifty chips amounted to just over 3 million RMB.

In a regular game, this would be staggering.
But here, it was hardly anything.

Rong Qingwen did this intentionally.
In Texas Hold’em, feigned weakness is common.
How could he—holding such a strong hand—allow Nalan Yunshao and the others to fold this early?

“Mr. Rong raises by 3 million. Mr. Nalan Yunshao, your move.”

After the quiet raise, the dealer once again gestured politely to Nalan Yunshao and the others.

She noticed that not only had Rong Qingwen looked at his hole cards,
But now Nalan Yunshao and Chen Yunzhi were also flipping theirs over.

This made her feel that the match, which had been confusing and unpredictable, was finally returning to familiar logic.

Not only that—she also noticed a subtle shift in the atmosphere.

After Nalan Yunshao and the others began calling the bet,
The air around the table no longer felt so heavy or tense.

It had eased—much more relaxed now.

Yes, Texas Hold’em was originally designed to pass time and foster social interaction.

Even though the players still didn’t speak much,
The change in their interactions had already softened the mood.

This relaxing shift also helped the dealer herself breathe easier,
Finally loosening the tension that had gripped her all this time.

Smiling, she said softly,
“Queen Dongfang calls 3 million. Mr. Leng, your move.”

She didn’t know why,
But every time she looked at this delicate, handsome boy in front of her, she felt a strange sense of disorientation.

Because he was too young—about the same age as her younger brother, who was still in high school.

And yet, this boy, at such a young age, sat here openly,
Shoulder to shoulder with Nanjing’s highest elites,
At this prestigious, glittering banquet of power.

For a moment, she had no idea what word could accurately describe him.

“Outstanding”?

If you’re talking about a boy who built his fortune from nothing into millions—yes, that’s outstanding.
If you’re talking about a student who consistently tops the school rankings—also outstanding.

But to use the word “outstanding” to describe a boy not yet twenty,
Who stood at the pinnacle of power in a city like Nanjing—
That word simply wasn’t enough.

Leng Shao.

This youth who once stirred up great waves in Nanjing—
What brilliance would he bring today?

When it was his turn to act,
Not only the dealer,
But everyone seated at this prestigious Purple Gold banquet table,
Turned to look at him.