The Card Trick

"Show your cards."

"Three of a Kind"

"..High Card"

"O-O-One Pair."

"High Card."

"Ha! Looks like I win!"

A circular table, surrounded by five ponies. Each one is wearing a black saddlebag, protected by their long jackets. They are in a dark room that is housed under the local tavern. They have all been there since sunset. Even though there are no windows, some in the room knew the sunrise was due in an hour or so. One of the ponies, an orange stallion with red eyes, was close to winning all of the tokens on the table.

"Looks like I can afford that amulet I promised my fillyfriend." The orange stallion exclaimed as he dragged all of the tokens to his end of the table.

"C'mon Rusty, you could go a little easier on us." A white mare, the youngest of them all, flipped her mane back and smiled at the orange stallion.

"Is it truely fair to be playing against someone whose talent is bluffing?" The dealer, a yellow stallion spoke up. Pointing to Rusty's cutie mark.

"Bluffing? My cutie mark means I am talented in office!" Rusty spoke up.

"Like I said, bluffing." The yellow stallion shuffled the cards.

Everyone at the table laughed at the dealer's comment, including Rusty.

"I think it's safe to call it a night." The dealer spoke up. He scanned the table, everypony except Rusty was close to having no tokens left.

"I agree." The white mare said, looking at her cell phone. "Sunrise is soon, and some of us have to work."

They all started to put their tokens into their saddlebag, until one of the ponies at the table slammed his hoof on the table.

"One last hand." He said.

Each pony in the room looked around. The dealer broke the silence after a few seconds.

"Look, I know you're new here, but you have the least amount of tokens of all of us. We are tired, let's call it a night."

The stallion brushed his black mane back. He looked right at Rusty. "One last hand," he said, "all or nothing."

Rusty let out a loud laugh.

"And why would I do that?" Rusty exclaimed, nudging his saddlebag full of tokens.

"I never took you for a coward, Rusty."

Rusty flinched from that remark. The stallion challenging him placed his red hooves on the table, and looked Rusty in the eye. Rusty felt nervous.

"One. Last. Hand." The red stallion spoke one last time.

Rusty smirked at the dealer. "If it'll get you to shut up. Sure."

The dealer sighed as the other two left the building. The dealer took a seat between Rusty and the red stallion. He slid the first card to each of the ponies.

"What's your name, by the way?" Rusty asked.

"Silver Boulder."

The dealer sent out the next card.

"Odd name for a red earth pony."

"I am an odd red earth pony."

The dealer send out the last set of card, and put the two cards face up between them.

"All or nothing?" Silver more stated than asked as he put his saddlebag on the table.

"Agreed" Rusty said as he put his on the table as well.

"On three." The dealer wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

"One..." The dealer eyed the two to the sides of him.

"Tw-.." Rusty flipped his cards over.

"Royal Straight Flush!" He shouted.

The room was quiet. His voice lingered in the air for what seemed like forever. All that Silver could do was smile and wait for him to sit back down.

"Looks like I win." Rusty said as he reached over for Silver's bag.

"nuh-uh." Silver placed his hoof on Rusty's

Silver flipped his cards over. "Royal straight flush."

The room was in silence. None of them were able to move.

"We both have the same hand, but I have two spades." Silver stated.

Rusty did not move.

"That means..." Silver couldn't help but smile as Rusty struggled to say the words.

"Y-You win." He finally said.

Silver sat back down on the stool and smiled. "I'll be taking your bag now."

Rusty slumped back in his stool. He starred at his hand, then at Silver's. He could not take his eyes off them. Silver grew impatient, and reached over the table for Rusty's bag.

"No!" Rusty slapped Silver's hoof away.

Silver slumped back in his chair, giving a cold stare to Rusty.

"I finally got the money to treat my wife right! I won't let you take that away!" Rusty yelled at Silver.

"Very well." Silver replied in a calm manner.

Silver slammed his front hooves on his end of the table, then pushed with all of his weight. The table caught Rusty by the neck as his end was launched in the air. Luckily, the bag was still on the table; the bag flew through the air and landed near Silver. While Rusty was still stunned, Silver spun around and kicked the table with his hind legs. The kick sent the table, along with Rusty, flying to the wall. One loud crash later, there lied pieces of a table, and a knocked out Rusty.

Silver put on Rusty's saddlebag, straightened his coat, then fixed his mane. "Thank you for a wonderful night." He said as he walked by the dealer.

"Don't ever come back here, Borderline." The dealer responded.

The red stallion was halfway up the stairs.

"I was not planning on it."

The game was supposed to end before sunrise, but it was far too late from that. As Borderline left the tavern, the sun was just rising over the horizon. He heard bells coming from the Baltimare town hall, signalling that all the public buildings are now open. After going to the bank to exchange the tokens for bits, he made the mistake of walking in front of the tavern.

"Thats him, sir!" A voice called from the tavern entrance.

Borderline looked that way, and saw two guard. One on each side of a familiar orange stallion.

"Shit" Borderline whispered as he covered the saddlebag with his coat. The guards approached Borderline, who put on a smile.

"So how can I help y--" Borderline was cut off, something struck him in the back of the head.

"You are wanted for assaulting and stealing from the mayor of Baltimare! What say you in your defense?!"

"Mayor?" Borderline's vision blurred.

"Take him in, and I'll be taking that." Rusty took the saddlebag from Borderline.

"Get up!" One of the guards shouted at Borderline/

"Mayor?" Borderline asked. He was struck again.

"I said get up!" The guard shouted.