Once upon a time there had been two people enjoying a simple game of cards. But that time was long since past. It's strange that no one else notices the music completely fading away, the people becoming nothing but blurs on the periphery. In fact nothing exists but these two, the table, and the cards.

For all his villainy, Max is actually an upstanding businessman, and he doesn't cheat at cards. Right now he'd be tempted to, but he hasn't been counting them, and it's so much harder to cheat in poker than blackjack. This is actually going to come down to the cards.

Around them time stands still.

Two cards for Max. Two cards for Skulduggery.

And then the first three in the middle: 8 of diamonds, 5 of diamonds, 6 of hearts. He sets down the last two but doesn't flip them. Theoretically they could bet between each round here, but there's no point, neither of them is going to fold, not with this much on the line.

Max sets down the deck to look at his own cards, 9 of hearts, 7 of clubs.

Okay that's not bad, he already has a straight. But that's two diamonds out there, and if Skulduggery can get three more diamonds then he has a flush, and wins. Or worse, ends up with 4 of a kind.

((OOC: Skulduggery's cards are a 9 of diamonds, and a jack of diamonds. Well on his way to that all diamond suit.))