Art of Magic

So I just won a rare RED ARTIFICE deck from ELLUSIONIST.com for a story I wrote

Aboard the Red Artifice

As the Red Artifice broke bank of the shores of New Orleans, the Gambler knew he had only 26 short hours until they docked in Memphis. He found himself in the Drawing room of a what seemed to be a wealthy surgeon. He knew this only because he was reminded every time the gentleman got dealt a bad hand. “If my hands were as weak as these cards half of my patients would’ve died of malpractice!” The old man bolstered. The game looked straight enough, but the boat had just taken off within the hour. True bunko usually doesn’t start till at least midnight. The Gambler approached the table and waited until eyes fell on him until he sat himself. “Good evening, mind if I help pass the time?”
“Great, someone else to receive these cold hands for once,” mumbled the Doctor. The other gentlemen at the table seemed harmless enough, just tired travelers who were comfortable wearing a day old suit, and looked like they’ve lost their dreams twenty dollars at a time. The paste-boards flew with the time being measured only by the emptying decanter of scotch on the old mans bureau. “Have you been on the Red Artifice before?” asked the youngest of the men. “No, first time.” “You?” asked the Gambler. “Yeah, only once, I’m on my way up to St. Louis to propose to my girlfriend. See…” He pulled out a cheap ring made from a spoon and some tree sap amber. “She’s pregnant.” “Great,” thought the Gambler knowing that if anyone of the players even looked in this guys direction he would take it as a cue to tell them his whole life story. It was the Gamblers turn to deal. He felt the cards and didn’t feel any shorts, or belly strippers. No crimps that he could notice. And by the hands that he saw being dealt had no reason to suspect a tilted deck anyway. Four players, five cards each. The Gambler was smooth, and knew that nobody was looking anyway. The first card came quick and fast off the top, as did the second. But that third card, to a trained eye would’ve never been seen on the top. But their eyes were barely open, let alone trained. “I know this is unconventional” said the Gambler. But I do need some rest. Before we look at our cards would anybody object to me just raising the stakes for this one hand so we can all get some shut eye?” “Thank Jesus!” said the old doctor. “I thought I was gonna have to throw you guys overboard to get you out of my room for the night.” “OK,” explained the Gambler. “Whatever you have left in your folds rides on this one hand. Does that sound good to you all?” He met with no resistance. 

The last card was dealt. The Doctor grumbled with his usual huff and puff. The other man dropped as well. It was just the young man and the Gambler. “Now no funny stuff.” said the Gambler. “Nothings wild and no draw cards….what you got is what you got.” The kid just smiled. And I mean SMILED. Teeth were bursting from his mouth. He almost looked like he was gonna cry. The Gambler laid down his hand. “Two pair, eights and Jacks” showed the Gambler. “I cant believe this!” I just..i mean..no ones gonna believe this” bursted the kid……and as the kid laid his four kings on the table the Gambler just stood up. “Now go buy that girl a proper ring. She’s gonna be the mother of your child afterall.”
And as the Gambler slept in his suit the Red Artifice slowly pulled into Memphis.

~Chris~
somehow my story won