Not only the long-haired youth, but the other people at the table also looked at Joe Di in astonishment. While ten billion in wins and losses was common on the third floor, no one had ever seen someone bring out ten casino chips worth one billion each at once.
"That's some real bravado, my friend," the long-haired youth could only say. Everyone comes here to win money, but bringing chips worth a billion each to gamble... that's just speechless.
As for the dealer, though he had never seen anyone bring out ten one-billion chips to gamble, he wasn't particularly surprised. In a place like this, anything could happen. He had once overseen a game with nearly thirty billion Union Credits in play.
"Explain the rules," Joe Di said to the dealer.
"We're playing Suoha. Each player gets five dice. The highest hand is three of a kind, then comes a straight, four of a kind, full house..."
Joe Di interrupted before the dealer could finish, "That's too complicated. Let's keep it simple. Either you roll the dice or I roll the dice—just three dice, and we compare the totals."
"Uh..." The dealer glanced at the others at the table.
This kind of betting was certainly allowed; Joe Di wasn't the only one at this table.
The long-haired youth laughed, "I don't mind. I think our friend's idea is great—simple and quick. We're here to gamble, after all. If you want to play Suoha, you might as well go play cards."
"I agree as well..." said an older-looking man.
With the agreement of the two, the other three also nodded in consent.
"Alright, since that's the case, we'll switch to betting on high or low." The waiter had already collected the other dice, leaving only three on the table.
The dealer took out a black dice shaker, showing its opening to the group, then swept the three dice inside with a flick of his wrist.
The dice rattled inside the shaker. Joe Di listened intently, and so did the others at the table.
As Joe Di focused his spiritual power, he seemed to sense the rolling patterns of the three dice inside the shaker. The sensation was strange, almost unreal.
It was as if his spiritual power wanted to break through his mind and rush into the shaker to observe the dice directly.
Just as Joe Di tried to keep sensing the dice's movement, a sharp 'smack' sounded—the shaker landed on the table. That strange feeling vanished without a trace, leaving Joe Di disappointed.
The others mostly bet between a few hundred thousand and a million, which seemed to be their normal betting range.
The dealer fixed his gaze on Joe Di. "Will you bet on high or low?"
"How are the odds calculated?" Joe Di asked.
The dealer finally understood that Joe Di had never gambled before and explained, "Our high-low bets are a bit different from other places. High or low pays one to one, a point bet pays thirty-six to one. Betting only on three of a kind pays twenty-four to one, betting on a specific three of a kind pays fifty to one, and betting on a specific three of a kind in advance pays one hundred eighty to one. Here, any triple counts as three of a kind."
Joe Di didn't know what the odds for point bets were elsewhere, but he did know the odds here were lower than at Jade Nation Casino. Still, thirty-six to one was good enough for him.
"Alright, I'll bet one hundred million on 3-3-2," Joe Di said, pushing a casino chip forward for a point bet.
Point betting is considered difficult, even for top gamblers; it's rare for anyone to make such a bet.
The dealer was slightly stunned; he had never encountered a gambler like Joe Di before.
When gamblers meet a master, their eyes light up. Seeing Joe Di casually place a hundred million on a specific point bet, the other five gamblers perked up, watching him with excitement.
To everyone present, Joe Di must be a top gambler; otherwise, who would dare make a point bet?
Even for those accustomed to big games, seeing Joe Di bet on a specific point made the dealer's heart race. Honestly, their casino's odds for point bets were low, but even thirty-six to one was risky.
Someone bet a hundred million on a point, and even people from nearby tables crowded over to watch.
"Bets placed, hands off! Reveal!" the dealer called, opening the dice shaker. Seeing the three numbers, the dealer suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, his tense mood settling down.
The three dice showed 4-1-5, which meant Joe Di hadn't guessed a single number right.
Not a single number matched. Many in the crowd realized he was just here to lose money. With this level of skill, how could he dare place a point bet?
Joe Di frowned slightly. He had once studied dice listening with the best gambler in Pearl City, Gambler King Jason Ji. Though he hadn't mastered the skill, he had a solid foundation. Moreover, now that he was at the Third Level Qi Refinement, his hearing was far beyond ordinary.
When the dealer rolled the dice, Joe Di could even sense their trajectory inside. Judging by his perception, it should have been 3-3-2, so why did it come out as 4-1-5?
The dealer took Joe Di's chip and rolled the three dice again.
The dice spun inside the shaker, and this time Joe Di clearly caught their trajectory. Although he couldn't see their exact positions, he had a vivid impression in his mind.
Smack! The shaker was covered again, and Joe Di casually placed three casino chips on 1-6-1.
Seeing Joe Di bet three hundred million this time, the dealer felt his heart tighten again. Three hundred million at one-to-one odds was nothing, but Joe Di was betting on thirty-six-to-one odds. Even for a well-funded casino, such a payout would be hard to bear.
At this moment, no one else was betting; everyone stared at the small dice shaker on the table.
"Reveal!" someone nearby couldn't help shouting.
Joe Di had already placed his bet; now he just waited for the reveal.
The dealer even forgot to call out for bets to be placed and hands off, and simply revealed the dice shaker. At this point, he had no other choice.
The numbers 1-6-2 were displayed, and the crowd erupted in disappointed sighs. Just one number off, and Joe Di would have won three hundred million times thirty-six.
The dealer let out a soft sigh. Even after revealing the dice, a thin sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Seeing Joe Di lose four hundred million in a row without so much as a change in expression, the crowd admired his composure. Clearly, he was a seasoned gambler.
"Step aside, I'll play a few rounds with our guest," said a man with deep-set eyes and extremely pale skin, motioning for the dealer to move aside.
The dealer quickly stood up and said, "Yes, Mr. Frank."
He knew he wasn't in the right state to keep rolling dice. Joe Di had guessed two numbers correctly on his second try—if this continued, he'd definitely win sooner or later. Just as he was at a loss for what to do, Frank Qi took over, saving him.
Now that Frank Qi was here, no matter how skilled the young man was, he was bound to lose. In all his years, he'd never heard of Frank Qi losing. Frank Qi was now recognized globally as the Gambling King; only a handful on Earth dared to challenge him.
"Hello, I'm Frank Qi." Frank Qi stood at the dealer's spot without sitting down, extending his hand to Joe Di.
Joe Di had reached the Third Level Qi Refinement. As Frank Qi stood across from him, Joe Di sensed a fierce and faintly murderous aura.
Joe Di immediately knew Frank Qi wasn't as warm as he appeared; who knew how many innocent lives he'd taken. His face was pale, eyes deeply set—either from excess indulgence or from practicing some strange cultivation technique.
Looking at Frank Qi's long, pale fingers, even if he liked indulgence, it probably wasn't excessive in that regard.
Joe Di didn't like Frank Qi, so he didn't take his hand. He simply said, "I'm here to win money. Just roll the dice."
Frank Qi withdrew his hand, his expression unchanged, still smiling. "That's right, we're just here to gamble. In that case, let's get straight to the point. Will you roll the dice, or shall I?"