Fortune's Fool

The chips clinked softly on the table as the blackjack dealer pushed the stack toward Tyche. The godess of luck was on fire tonight, smiling broadly and counting out the money in her head. She played a few more hands, doubled her money, and moved on to another table right as the dealers changed.1

Tyche made her way across the casino floor, finally stopping at a half-deserted roulette table crewed by a thin, faintly Italian-looking woman. "Care to take a spin, Miss?" the dealer asked.2

"Why not?" Tyche laid some of her chips down, and the woman spun the wheel. It was a winner, and Tyche let it ride, winning once more. This same pattern continued, for nigh on an hour. Tyche finally decided she'd had enough roulette, and wandered off again, finally coming to a small table in the back of the casino. It was empty, save for the dealer, a thin old man with spidery fingers. He got up as she approached, and the woman from the roulette table sat down. Tyche smiled, sat down at the table, and stacked her chips. She looked at the table. Faro. Good game.3

The dealer looked at her, and shuffled swiftly, sliding the deck into the dealing shoe and getting rid of the soda card. Tyche bet on the High Card bar, the Seven Trio (6,7, and 8), and coppered the Grand Square (bet the Ace, deuce, king, and queen to lose).4

"Seven, a winner." Tyche let it ride.5

"Deuce, a loser." Tyche shifted her bets a little, and the lady dealt again. "Six, a loser."6

Tyche was getting p.o.'d at this point, so she spread many bets across the layout, to increase her odds of winning. It didn't work. She kept watching the dealer's hands, trying to see the gaff she knew was getting run on her, but she couldn't see it. She knew something was off, but she couldn't tell what. She continued to play, losing big and winning small, until it was time to bet the turn. She checked the casekeep, and noted what cards were left. She put all her remaining chips on Ace, Deuce, King.7

The first card out of the box was the Ace of Spades. The next one, however, was the King of Hearts, the Suicide King.8

The dealer smiled sweetly. "Thanks for playing. Come back soon." It was right then that Tyche saw the dealer's nametag, previously hidden by the glare of the lights.9

Fortuna.