It's time to ante up

Valerie leaned slightly forward, lifting her feet and taking off her heels. She placed them on the table in front of her. The dealer nodded, and the round began.

She glanced nervously at her cards - she had a three of a kind. Not the best, but there was a chance for her. The other three players seemed a lot more focused. After some raises, the dealer revealed the final community card.

To her dismay, one of the other players had a straight. She watched him collect his winnings, the dealer's voice almost making her jump in shock.

"It's time for the next round. Your ante, ma'am."

Valerie felt her heart skip a beat. She didn't have much left to wager - and yet, it was the only way she could continue playing. She stood up from her seat and brought both her hands under her dress. Wiggling her hips, she grabbed the waistband of the flimsy thong Daisy had given her. She brought it down, acutely aware of everyone looking at her as she did so.

Once the garment was past her hips, she let it fall to the floor. She stepped out of it and carefully bent over to pick it up. She could see that the crowd directly behind her appreciated the view, causing her to hurriedly adjust her dress as she sat back in her spot.

After what seemed like an eternity, she placed her panties on the table. Was it just her, or had the size of the crowd watching the game increased? She shook her head. This was not the time to lose focus.

The next round began, and it was remarkably more intense. She looked at her hand - a two pair. Not exactly great, but she could maybe hope to earn some chips back. There was little hope, however, as both the unknown players seemed very confident of their hands. While Hawk folded fairly early into the round, they kept on escalating their bids until one of them was all in. She gulped - that was not a good sign.

The dealer revealed the last community card. She went first, and he shouted "Two Pair!".

The next player - the one who was all in - revealed his hand, causing a rush of alarm inside Valerie. The dealer shouted "Full House!" He smiled, confident in his victory.

The last player - a man matching her target's description - didn't react. He threw his cards on the table, his face expressionless. The audience held their collective breath as the dealer called out the result.

"Four of a kind!"

"Goddammit!", shouted the player who had lost. He picked up his hat, as the winner stood up and offered him his hand. "Tough luck, Rodgers.", he said. After a second, the losing player shook it, departing from the table.

Valerie had heard their exchange. This meant that the losing player wasn't her target. She looked around at the remaining players - herself, Hawk, and this unknown man. She was almost certain she had found her target. She glanced at the time - all she needed to do was to find a way to keep him at the table for slightly under an hour, and she would be free.

"It's time for the ante, ma'am."

The dealer's words shook her out of her train of thought. The color drained from her face as she realized what she had to do next. She looked around at the crowd, their eyes eager.

She looked at the other players. "Please.", she pleaded, her voice shaking. "I-Is there something else I could ante? This dress is all I'm wearing." If I take it off, I'll be naked in front of all these people.

She held her breath as the mysterious player began to speak.