Editing Kakegurui Trip Fulltext (section)

==Chapter 4, part 9==

That 96% percent win rate was a lie. I wasn't going to keep track of such things, but it would throw off my opponents if they thought I did. If number crunching helped to improve your skill, everybody would be doing it.
<br><br>
What matters are the psychological ups and downs and in that respect, I'm far ahead. Honestly.
<br><br>
When I play against someone I've just met, I always talk to them. Even if they ignore me, I'll keep talking. The game starts when you first establish contact with someone, not when the cards are dealt. Anyone who doesn't understand that is a loser.
<br><br>
The game between me and Yumeko started when we spoke at the beach. She formed some kind of opinion of me there and it will greatly influence the outcome on this table. 
<br><br>
Poker is a game of mutual understanding. That's my belief.<br>
Almost all my energy goes into understanding my opponent, and if possible, into obscuring their understanding of me. The game mechanics themselves are secondary.
<br><br>
Once you figured out the opponents, it's easy to know what games you should get into and how you should bet. You'll know who you can get under your control and how to do it.<br>
Missing out on some immediate profit here and there is fine, as long as it creates a situation for you to profit from later. Those who think about poker one hand at a time simply don't get it.
<br><br>
What I love the most are games where you can bet as much of your own money as you want. I have lots, and splashing it on the table at exactly the right moment can have a devastating effect on my opponents' psyche. 
<br><br>
In tournament poker everybody starts with the same amount of chips. This is not ideal for me, but I can handle it. It just means I have to rely more on my skills. Reading minds becomes even more important.
<br><br>
Even people who don't play, know the term 'poker face'. Those who think they can pull off such a thing don't get it. Your expression, breath and pupil movement are only the start of it. The body shows many other subtle signals that are not that easily to control. If you learn to spot them, you can tell if someone is trying to create a false impression of themselves.
<br><br>
I got through the first round with ease. It doesn't look like the second round is going to be much of a challenge either. 
<br><br>
The girl first from the dealer was sweating more and readjusted herself in her chair a couple of times. She probably had a good hand. Then I spotted that the muscles at her temples were tense. Ah, not that good then. She had something decent.
<br><br>
''"Bet, 100 thousand"'', she said, moving her chips.
<br><br>
Ah, so that's a mediocre bet with a mediocre hand. I can simply scare her off.
<br><br>
''"Raise to 300 thousand."'' I calmly tossed the chips forward without looking at her. Ignoring her presence was part of the scare tactic. If she thought I wasn't even bothering to size her up, she would surely fold. 
<br><br>
The two guys after me folded.<br>
A normal player would try to observe the others as the hands were played. I'd say that is too late. You should have figured out everybody before the game even starts. 
<br><br>
Now then, what will Yumeko do? Whether or not I sized her up right will determine who wins this round. I don't pay much attention to school drama, but I heard rumors about her. I shouldn't underestimate her because she is a good gambler, no doubt. However, gamblers need luck while I don't.
<br><br>
''"I fold"'', Yumeko said with a very disappointed look.
<br><br>
Ah yes, eager to get in on the action but her hand was bad. That works for me.
<br><br>
The girl who went first also folded, as expected. I had the lead with 1,180,000 worth of chips. Not bad. I'm up next to start the betting phase. 
<br><br>
In the next hand, my cards were trash. I went for a flush when discarding but ended up with nothing. It's unlucky, but I can work with that.
<br><br>
''"Please, start the bet...."''
<br><br>
''"Bet, 500 thousand"'' I didn't let the dealer finish her sentence and splashed the chips in front of me. This was disrespect. Making the dealer re-stack chips for no good reason is frowned upon. I had no beef with her, but doing this helped create the false impression of me that I wanted the other players to have. 
<br><br>
I didn't have to look at them to know they were tense. I have the momentum and those losers wouldn't question it.<br>
The two guys after me folded. I've got them now. They only see me the way I want them to.
<br><br>
''"I'll raise, 600 thousand total"'' Yumeko neatly moved her chips and straightened out the stacks.
<br><br>
Just like in the first round, the starting amount of all players was one million. This made 600 thousand a very big bet. I looked at Yumeko, expecting some kind of poker face attempt. I saw the opposite. She was breathing heavily and blushing like she was turned on.
<br><br>