As Yutaro expected, his table began to fill up quickly. As much fun as it would be to have a one-on-one game with Ryoki, it was better for the house to have more people at a table; more chances for a player to bust before the dealer. "Welcome, have a seat," he said in his typical friendly tone, wasting no time in dealing the eager newcomer his hand. And with that, the game was on.

The first round of hands was definitely in the players' favor. Shou wisely split his aces, getting a blackjack on one, and a solid twenty on the other. Ryoki ended with nineteen, and Oliver with seventeen. Yutaro flipped his own cards over. 11... 14... bust. Yutaro graciously handed the players their winnings, but such openings weren't bad for the house in the long run. Players who lost their money too quickly were more likely to leave the table, but those given a taste of victory would tenaciously dig themselves into ever deeper holes in a quest to break even. It wouldn't be long before statistics kicked in; in the meantime, it was his job to make the game as enjoyable for the players as possible.

"Couple of old pals meeting up after several years, eh?" Yutaro said, noticing how Shou and Oliver greeted one another. "Luck must be on your side today." As if he were delivering a prophecy, he dealt Oliver a blackjack. Good luck indeed. Unfortunately, Shou ended up paying back a bit of his winnings to the house with a bust. "Miss Mochizukki, if you like our outfits here you should talk to the boss about some work. We're always in need of a few extra hands." He gave her a lupine grin as he dealt her another hand; a woman with her figure would no doubt make a killing in tips waiting the table games. It would take a hawk's eye, but one who was paying attention to the rhythmic flipping of the cards would notice a slight waver as Yutaro briefly imagined Ryoki serving him a drink. 

And so, Yutaro chatted with his amiable players through several hands, wondering if Shou was keeping track of how much he had managed to lose with the double distractions of an old friend and a gorgeous babe. After that first hand, things had not been looking so good for him. But maybe his old friend would make it up to him and buy him a drink. After all, it seemed like all the good cards were just landing in front of Oliver. Ryoki had a strong start, but one bad streak put her a couple bets in the hole. However, as she tried to dig herself out, it seemed that all she would get in return was Yutaro's pleasantly apologetic smile. 

Thus it stood after a dozen hands. Would the players want to try for better luck, or call it quits for the night?

[@Bozo][@Delta44][@MyCatGinger]