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(Alessio stood in front of the crimson-colored building with neon lights. It’s called “Solario Casino”.)
(Alessio)
So this is the place, huh?
(Alessio paced in front of the building, waiting for his dear friend to arrive. Suddenly, a flashy light blue Porsche pulls up.)
(Alessio)
Oh, of course he has a Porsche…
(After it parks, Ted comes out of the vehicle.)
(Ted)
Alessio! You made it!
(Ted extends his arms out to Alessio, and he grasps it in a welcoming gesture.)
(Alessio)
It’s always good to see you, Ted. I admit, I’ve never graced a casino with my presence before, but I never doubt you in your recommendations.
(Ted)
It’s a really good one. Some of my best friends come here. I’ve actually called a couple of them to play with us today.
(Alessio)
Oh, really? I didn’t expect you were the type to have many friends.
(Ted scoffs.)
(Ted)
Real funny, Alessio.
(Alessio looks confused.)
(Ted)
Let’s just go inside.
(Alessio and Ted head inside the building. Inside, they see bright neon lights. Slot machines, roulette wheels, and most importantly, poker tables.)
(Ted)
My good ‘ol stomping ground… When I’m not doing tournaments, I’m usually here.
(Alessio)
I’m impressed that you’re able to create a career off of gambling. I’d just lose all the time, go into debt, and become more of a starving artist than I already am!
(Ted laughs.)
(Ted)
Just come here, Alessio.
(Ted brings out a stool for Alessio, and he sits in it. Ted then gets a stool for himself. Sitting at one of the tables are two of Ted’s friends.)
(Ted)
Hey, guys! Alessio, these are my friends, Ryan and Anthony.
(Ryan has red hair and a thick beard. Anthony has dark skin and a large fedora on.)
(Ryan)
Pleasure to meet ya, Alessio!
(Anthony)
Sorry to see that you didn’t do well on the season.
(Alessio)
You watched our season?
(Anthony)
I’d do anything for my buddy Ted. Although, he did say before going on that if he didn’t merge, beer would be on him for a full night.
(Ryan)
And what did we do?
(Anthony)
We drank ourselves blind!
(Anthony and Ryan chuckle.)
(Alessio)
I’m more of a coffee guy…
(Ted)
Enough with the buildup. Sabrina?
(A lanky woman dressed in a dealer suit steps over to the poker table.)
(Sabrina)
I’m here.
(Ted)
This is one of my favorite dealers here. Sabrina’s great at shuffling the cards.
(Alessio)
How does that matter?
(Ted)
You don’t want any cheats. That ruins people’s lives, you know.
(Alessio)
Fair…
(Ted)
Alessio, since you’re our guest, I’ll give you the choice of game.
(Alessio)
I just want regular, old-fashioned five-card draw poker. The kind I played with my buddies in university for pools of 20 euros.
(Ted)
Alright! I would've preferred Texas hold-em, but this is my wheelhouse as well.
(Alessio)
Each chip can be one dollar.
(Ryan)
One dollar? Come on, man! Do you not understand the idea of stakes?
(Alessio)
I do. And that’s why I don’t want to lose today.
(Ted)
Go easy on him, Ryan. He just wants to play poker.
(Ryan)
Fine…
(Sabrina gets a pack of cards out and shuffles them. She then deals them out to the players. Then, she distributes the chips. Each player gets 30 chips. The turn order is Anthony, Ted, Ryan, and then Alessio.)
(Anthony)
Okay… I’m starting with 2 chips.
(Anthony places the 2 chips in.)
(Ted)
Call.
(Ted tosses 2 chips into the center.)
(Ryan)
I’ll call as well.
(Alessio looks nervous.)
(Alessio)
Uh… I’m folding.
(Alessio releases his cards. It is a jumble of random cards.)
(Anthony)
Oh, come on, man. You’re folding before we even start the raising?
(Alessio)
I’m just not confident in my cards!
(Ted)
You know poker is all about acting, right? Lady Gaga wasn’t lying in poker face!
(Alessio sighs. The first game continues, with Ted eventually taking a pot of 12 chips with a two pair of 8. The next round begins.)
(Anthony)
Call.
(Ted)
Call.
(Ryan)
Call!
(Alessio looks nervous, but pushes his glasses up.)
(Alessio)
Call…
(Ted)
Dude, you sounded so nervous while saying that!
(Alessio)
Why can’t it just be that I am nervous?
(Anthony sighs.)
(Anthony)
I’m gonna up the ante by 3.
(Ted looks at his cards carefully.)
(Ted)
Already? Damn, guess I’m folding.
(Ryan replaces a couple of his cards. Alessio refuses to.)
(Alessio)
I’m confident now…
(Ted)
Well, if you’re confident, just don’t tell people.
(Alessio blushes a little bit.)
(Alessio)
It’s a little bit endearing how you’re giving me all this advice…
(Ted)
I do it out of the kindness of my own heart.
(Ted smiles. Alessio turns and looks at Ted.)
(Alessio)
And maybe a little something else?
(Ted)
…And maybe a little something else.
(Anthony)
I’m gonna raise it by 2 again.
(Anthony tosses 2 chips in confidently.)
(Alessio thinks carefully.)
(Alessio)
…Call.
(Anthony looks disappointed, as he opens his cards. They are a no-pair.)
(Anthony)
Unlucky.
(Alessio has a three-of-a-kind.)
(Alessio)
Unlucky? More like, I just beat you!
(Anthony scoffs.)
(Anthony)
You’ve gotten him too confident, Ted.
(Ted)
I think it’s a healthy amount of confidence!
(The next round begins. Everyone calls, and every player makes a couple of card swaps.)
(Anthony)
I’m going to fold.
(Ted looks to his side, and counts his chips.)
(Ted)
I’m raising by… one.
(Ryan looks down at his cards a couple times.)
(Ryan)
I’ll fold.
(Alessio grins.)
(Alessio)
Well, now it’s a face-off between you and me!
(Ted)
Yes.
(Alessio)
And I’m going to raise the chip amount by four!
(Ted looks surprised.)
(Ted)
Okay then. I’ll call.
(All the chips are now at the center.)
(Alessio)
I’m going all-in!
(Ted looks baffled.)
(Ted)
Alessio?
(Alessio)
I’ve found a new passion of mine! It’s becoming the best poker player I can! And this is just the start! The “inizio”, if you will!
(Ted closes his eyes, and breathes.)
(Ted)
I’ll call.
(Ted counts his chips and shoves them into the center.)
(Alessio)
Let’s see who wins this one…
(Ted has a two pair with 5. Alessio has a two pair with 4.)
(Ted)
Yes!
(Alessio)
Ah… Ted, you’re way too good!
(Ted)
I just know I am.
(Alessio)
I think I’m done with poker for now.
(Ryan)
Should we just go for drinks at this point?
(Alessio)
Yeah. I hope this place has the good stuff.
(Anthony)
You’ve GOT to see the liquor here.
(The four of them go to the bartender. Her name is Lisa.)
(Ted)
Hey, bartender! I just won some money!
(Lisa)
Good job.
(Ted)
My reality TV friend is in the city today, so we decided to bring him out to poker night.
(Alessio)
I was doing well, but then I lost it all. It wasn’t that much money, though.
(Lisa)
That’s too bad. I’ve had some issues myself, though. But, Ted’s the best in the business. At least, in this casino.
(Alessio)
I know he’s the best poker player around. He’s not the best Disventure Camp player around, though. The bartender in our season made it really far.
(Lisa)
Good for them, I suppose.
(Ted)
Hey, you say that as if you weren’t the first person voted out, and I wasn’t the person to orchestrate your demise!
(Alessio)
And that was when we hated each other.
(Ryan)
I’d think you both like each other now, right?
(Ted)
A good bit.
(Alessio seems happy, thinking about Ted. He then snaps out of it and remembers what he was there for.)
(Alessio)
Oh, yeah. I’ll have a limoncello.
(Lisa)
Coming right up.
(Eventually, everyone orders their drinks.)
(Lisa)
Just make sure you don’t play darts after this. Yesterday, we had an incident of that.
(Ted)
Oh, was it Gavin that did it?
(Lisa nods.)
(Ted)
That’s hilarious.
(Anthony)
Ted, I know Gavin very well!
(Ted)
Oh, uh, sorry. Is he okay?
(Lisa)
Yeah…
(Alessio is sipping his drink, humming to himself.)
(Ted)
What, are you into music now after that whole guitar thing?
(Alessio)
Of course! I’ve been practicing some songs ever since I was young. I’ve bought a new guitar for myself, recently.
(Ted goes to sit right next to Alessio.)
(Ted)
Like what?
(Alessio)
It’s a secret. Next time I’m in the city, I’ll perform for you.
(Ted rolls his eyes.)
(Ted)
What, do you want to serenade me?
(Alessio smiles.)
(Alessio)
Maybe.
(Ted)
Got any new painting ideas?
(Alessio)
Hold on. I just painted something last week. Sold it for a thousand dollars.
(Alessio pulls up the picture on his phone. It’s a painting of a table with a cat on it.)
(Alessio)
It’s for a dear friend of mine back in Italy. She loves her pet cat.
(Ted)
Wow, great job! I wish I was as skilled as you were in that field.
(Alessio)
Honestly, ditto. I should have just folded earlier…
(Ted)
Hey, if you never tried, you wouldn’t have learned anything!
(Ted takes another shot of his beer.)
(Ted)
I really should take a painting class or something… Sometimes, the gambling is just a bit too stressful.
(Alessio)
Is it possible you need a break?
(Ted)
It could be.
(Alessio)
I just want you to know that I’m here for you.
(Ted)
That’s so endearing of you. Your charisma is just, oh.
(Alessio)
…What do you mean, “just, oh”?
(Ted)
Just a little slip. It’s nothing.
(Ryan)
Alright, I’m gonna head out now.
(Anthony)
Me too.
(Lisa)
Are you two okay to drive?
(Anthony)
We didn’t drink that much, Lisa.
(Lisa looks nervous.)
(Ted)
You know, she’s always nervous about over-drinkers. She’s had to deal with a lot of incidents. She’s been a bartender here for 15 years.
(Alessio)
That’s nearly as long as you’ve played poker, and my professional art career!
(Ted)
She loves it here, though. Don’t get me wrong.
(Alessio)
I like it here, too. I’ve never been a gambling, but the architecture of casinos is just a chef’s kiss.
(Ted)
Are you even good at cooking?
(Alessio)
My friends say I’m pretty fine…
(Ted)
You’re so multi-talented.)
(Alessio)
Oh, stop it.
(Ted)
Wanna play a little roulette before we go?
(Alessio)
Fine. I’ve always enjoyed horse racing more, though.
(Ted)
Then why don’t we just do that?
(Alessio)
Sounds good!
(Ted and Alessio wander towards the TV screen of a horse race.)
(Ted)
Aye, the next one is in 2 minutes!
(Alessio)
Oh, who do you think is gonna win?
(Ted)
#4.
(Alessio)
I think #6 is way better.
(Ted and Alessio both bet $20 on their respective horses, with the dealer in front of them.)
(Ted)
Okay, come on, #4!
(#4 takes the early lead in the horse race. Ted cheers. However, as the race goes on, #6 begins to pull ahead. At the last second, #4 begins to get close to #6 again. However, #6 wins.)
(Alessio)
Woo-hoo! Parlay hit, I beat you in something gambling-related!
(Ted)
Alessio, it’s gambling-related. Not anything with actual skill.
(Alessio)
I thought you said you were fine with this!
(Ted)
I… Am. Ugh, I’m just so ashamed to lose to you in something like this.
(Alessio)
Hey, that isn’t necessarily bad… Is it?
(Ted grins.)
(Ted)
I guess it’s not too bad.
(Alessio and Ted eventually exit the casino.)
(Alessio)
Well, I guess this is where we part for now.
(Ted)
It was very fun playing with you! You’re very good for an amateur. You just shouldn’t have challenged the king.
(Alessio)
I don’t really care. As long as we had a good time.
(Ted)
Always.
(Alessio)
Goodbye, my dear friend Ted!
(Ted)
I’ll hope to see you again, whether in the casino or not.
(Ted waves goodbye as he gets into his fancy car, and leaves the parking lot. As the stars shine in the night sky, Alessio stares up into the sky.)
(Alessio)
I think I like that man a lot…
(Alessio walks away from the casino, as he goes to catch the bus.)