A few hundred dollars

You put down two hundred dollar chips as the starting bet and Collins immediately put down a hundred dollar chip (as he was the small blind and had to put half the blind bet) and you were off. Everyone put down their initial bets and your dad dealt out the first two cards to everyone. You look at your cards and with a smirk the game has begun.

(POV Change)

Aelita, Ahsoka, Shampoo and Marinette were having a lazy evening of playing competitive online gaming. Marinette and Ahsoka were carrying their team to victory, easily taking out any who dared to cross their path. Aelita was trying to teach Shampoo how to play the game though the purple haired girl-turned-catgirl was a bit too stubborn to listen.

“Total Victory!” The sexy voiced announcer girl cheered as Marinette finished off the last competitor. The french-chinese girl did a little victory handshake with Ahsoka while Aelita tried to cheer up Shampoo.

“Another!” Shampoo demanded as she got ready to try again. Her character had gotten ambushed early on when she followed an enemy that the others warned her about.

“Maybe we should try something else, maybe one of the VR or fully immersive ones?” Aelita suggested.

“No! I will not let MikeMikeBB69 beat me again!” Shampoo said as she queued up for another match. Ahsoka and Marinette shrugged and queued up as well. Aelita was about to join them when the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get that,” Valkyrie said from her drinking spot in the game room of James’ house.

“Start without me,” Aelita said as she got off the couch carefully and followed Valkyrie to the front door. Valkyrie carefully looks through the security camera while readying her weapon just in case. Aelita looked as well and found a somewhat confusing sight. On the porch was a familiar looking maid with pigtails.

“It’s Kate, one of the maids of the main house,” Valkyrie noted.

“I think I know why she’s here,” Aelita said as she opened the front door.

“Hello Aelita,” Kate greeted with a nervous smile. She had a single luggage bag by her side and a pokéball clipped to the belt of her maid uniform.

“Hey Kate, come on in,” Aelita gave a warm smile and let Kate inside. Once they were settled in the living room (not the game room where the others were playing), Aelita was the first to speak up.

“I’m guessing Charles or Daisy sent you to stay with us?” Aelita asked as she looked at the luggage Kate brought.

“It was Delia actually,” Kate corrected. “She convinced Master Charles to send me here to be the head maid once James gets around to getting actual maids.” Aelita thought about it and agreed that an experienced maid loyal to James would make a good head maid. Especially with a definite influx of girls when James gets back. But there is still one thing that bothered Aelita.

“Are you sure that being around James would not be a problem?” Aelita asked, knowing what happened a few days ago.

“I was disappointed that I wasn’t carrying our child but I still love James.” Kate blushed a bit. “Being around him more will give me more opportunities to show my love for him.” Aelita glanced at Valkyrie and made a decision.

“Welcome to your new home Kate,” Aelita gave the maid a welcoming smile before leading her to where she could put her things away. As Aelita showed Kate her room, she wondered how James was doing.

(POV Change)

“And with a Full House, I take the pot,” you gloat as your pile of chips grows bigger and bigger. It has been several rounds of Texas Hold’Em and you have made considerable wins. You folded a few hands early and was able to avoid the impressive hands Don Hanover and Roger Hoofer had a couple times.

Collins is very quickly losing his pile chips though he didn’t show it, making you suspicious of the man. Your dad was managing to win as much as he lost, even getting the same hand as someone else a couple times. Due to the extra rules we were running, suits only counted with flushes.

“I think it's time to make things interesting,” Collins said as he brought a piece of paper out of his shirt pocket.