money player

After observing several hands, Sin Yiu-man realized that Chaplin truly lived up to his reputation as a master of performance. He could make any expression he wanted and switch between them with ease. Moreover, his frequent exaggerated and bluffing performances made it difficult to judge his starting hand by observing his micro-expressions.

Sin Yiu-man had no choice but to give up on being the second Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin's behavior was not replicable; it was normal for Chaplin, but if he were to copy it, he would be a complete failure.

Therefore, he had no choice but to adopt a steady and conservative style, with a very high card-covering rate, and only enter the game when he had a "good starting hand".

When he got another mixed hand of 2 and 7, he bet $1.5.

Seeing him place a bet, Chaplin laughed and said, "Adam, got a big hand?"

“A pair of aces,” Sin Yiu-man said with a smile. “I have a feeling this hand can get four.”

“I don’t believe you.” Chaplin picked up a few chips from the stack and threw them in the center of the table. “I’m raising, $4.5. Do you want to call?”

Sin Yiu-man fiddled with the chips, saying, "I'm not in a hurry. The others haven't spoken yet."

Chaplin's next opponent was Forman. He lifted a corner of his hand, glanced at it, rubbed the cards with his thumb for a moment, considered for a moment, then folded his cards. "I'm not going."

Kramer and Benjamin after him also folded. When it was Krim's turn to check in, he hesitated for a while before folding. Now only Sin Yiu-man and Chaplin did not fold, and it was Sin Yiu-man's turn to speak again.

He deliberately glanced down at his chips, making a gesture of counting his chips. Actually, there was nothing to consider. He had $20 in chips on the table, and the previous $1.5 was his first bet. He clearly had $18.5 left in chips. He was just considering whether to call or raise, and how much to raise. His stack wasn't deep enough, and raising too much could easily trap him in the pot.

Of course, he could also go all-in. If Chaplin folds, he takes the pot and wins $4.5. If Chaplin calls, then it's up to fate to see what river card comes out.

His limited chip stack restricted his ability to utilize his skills, and this hand wasn't a good time to go all-in. His best option was to fold and continue to cultivate a solid playing style.

"I'm not going, you win."

Chaplin made an exaggerated expression, like the factory worker in "Modern Times," and laughed loudly: "I knew you weren't a pair of Aces. You think you can steal chickens from me so easily?"

As he spoke, Chaplin turned over his starting hand: a mixed 2 and a 6, slightly better than Sin Yiu-man's hand, making it easier to form a straight.

"Haha, I'm stealing your chicken."

Upon hearing this, Sin Yiu-man responded with a smile, "Don't be too happy yet, I'll catch you."

Chaplin wasn't showing off his successful thievery; rather, he was setting a trap for Sin Yiu-man, creating the image of him as a thief, just waiting for Sin Yiu-man to lose his temper and grab the nut.

Chaplin sorted through his chips and smiled, "I'll wait for you."

The game continued, and Sin Yiu-man maintained a steady style, playing when he had a good hand and folding when he didn't, occasionally stealing a win. In nearly an hour, his chip stack only increased to $21.5.

Chaplin's luck was consistently good; he hit the nuts in two out of every ten hands, and even had a very rare hand where he encountered a nemesis: Forman's four of a kind met his straight flush, and he went all out, with his stack exceeding $170.

$170 vs. $21.5. Even if Chaplin didn't use any skills and couldn't tell if Sin Yiu-man was cheating, he could still crush Sin Yiu-man just by having more chips. Even knowing that his chances of winning were slim, he could still force Sin Yiu-man to play his cards. If he lost, it would be $170-$21.5, but he would still have a huge advantage.

Moreover, there are conventional rules at the poker table that each additional bet cannot exceed $20, similar to short-stack play, which blocks Sin Yiu-man's way of increasing his stack through additional bets.

At this point, Sin Yiu-man felt there was no hope. If he wanted to beat Chaplin, he could only rely on luck, or Chaplin might suddenly lose his mind and play recklessly. Otherwise, there was no room for skill to be displayed.

There's no point in relying on luck; he wasn't gambling. The chances of Chaplin losing his temper are extremely slim, unless he resorts to dirty tricks. But why bother? It's just an entertaining card game.

Instead of targeting Chaplin, Sin Yiu-man's playing style improved. He actually got a pair of Aces in his starting hand, the Ace of Diamonds and the Ace of Clubs. This was the first time he had such a strong hand tonight. His probability of winning this hand was about 31%, and his hand was in the position after Chaplin's.

After looking at his starting hand, Chaplin threw $2.5 into the pot.

Foreman hadn't recovered from losing four straight flushes and folded immediately after looking at his starting hand.

Kramer called.

Benjamin folded.

Krim followed without making a sound.

When it was Sin Yiu-man's turn, he said to Chaplin, "Charlie, I'm another Ace."

Chaplin laughed and said, "What a coincidence, I'm also an Ace."

Sin Yiu-man shrugged, threw out his chips to follow, and then glanced at Margarita. The hand came too late, so he picked it up to look at it directly. Not only could he see it, but Margarita, who was sitting next to him, could also see it.

Seeing this, Benjamin, who had already folded, automatically became the temporary dealer. He removed the top card and dealt three flopped cards: the 2 of Diamonds, the 4 of Diamonds, and the 3 of Clubs.

Sin Yiu-man has a double flush draw and a chance to form a straight flush. His best strategy is to check, trap other players, and then decide how to bet on the turn. However, whether he can check to see the next card for free is not up to him.

Chaplin looked at the flop, quickly threw down a stack of chips, and said, "I'm betting $8.5 to test you guys."

Sin Yiu-man cursed under his breath. He couldn't fold this hand; folding would be a disaster. But if someone else called, he would be facing a pot in the next street. He couldn't keep up with the calls and would have to go all-in. There was no skill involved; it was all down to luck.

Right now, his best strategy is to go all out on this street, which means he might scare away players who would have looked at the next street, lowering his potential winnings. But if he doesn't scare away players with $8.5 or an all-in, their starting hand range is likely to be a pair of Aces or Kings, or a pair of 2s, a pair of 3s, and a pair of 4s, forming a set, causing his chances of winning to plummet.

Chaplin's starting hand range is impossible to predict right now. He has a deep stack, so it's not surprising that he would play a hand that overwhelms his opponent. We'll only be able to see what's going on after he goes all-in.

"This old guy is almost at the level of a professional poker player. He's really good at deception and strategy, it's really grueling."

However, despite his mind racing with calculations, he wasn't actually that concerned about winning or losing this hand. At this moment, he was more interested in assessing Margarita's acting skills. Chaplin had already caught the moment she looked at the cards, and the old man was interpreting Margarita's expression.

While Sin Yiu-man was analyzing the game, Margarita was complaining and expecting. Sin Yiu-man had initially given her too much hope; she thought that even if she didn't get a hundred dollars, she could at least get a few dozen dollars. But in reality, Sin Yiu-man was timid and didn't dare to place any big bets. She no longer worried about sharing the huge gambling debts, but instead started complaining about only getting 75 cents.

She finally saw a pair of aces and thought she should call Sin Yiu-man's hand. Even if she lost, it wouldn't matter; it would just be splitting the $10 debt. If she didn't call, she would be bored to death.

Her mind was racing, but her eyes were fixed on the card table and the other players. She caught Chaplin's gaze and her first thought was that Chaplin was observing her, his plaything. Then she immediately realized that Chaplin hadn't paid attention to her all night, so why was he paying attention now?
Suddenly, she remembered the unconscious expressions she had learned at acting school. The teacher asked them to forget about technique and pursue instinctive reactions. She also thought of the special training for eyebrows and the corners of the mouth. The teacher asked them to observe the alert eyes of a cat and the fawning expression of a dog and transplant them to their own eyebrows and the corners of their mouths to express the inner activities of the characters.

Chaplin's acting skills are beyond question. Was he observing my facial expressions to find out what card Adam had?

And what did Adam mean by glancing at me just now?
Is it to alert me?

Margarita recalled that her attention hadn't been on the cards, nor had she shown any directional expression.

When it was Kramer's turn to speak, he lifted a corner of the card again, glanced at it, thought for a moment, then lifted the corner of the card again, pinched the card and threw it out, "I'm not going."

When it was Krim's turn, he didn't simply call or fold. He looked at his cards, folded back, thought, looked at his cards again, folded back again, and then had a long period of contemplation. He kept his head down, staring at the table, not giving others a view of his eyes and facial expressions. As a result, it was hard to tell whether he was really struggling or just acting.

Chaplin's eyes were busy, glancing at Krim and then at Sin Yiu-man; his brain cells must have been working just as hard, trying to guess the range of Krim and Sin Yiu-man's starting hands.

Sin Yiu-man only observed Chaplin, not Krim. He figured it would be pointless to look at him anyway, as Krim was also a master of facial expression management, and like him, he rarely made any moves. The data wasn't enough to break through what Ko Chun said about "my ring-touching gesture being something I deliberately added to the five hundred decks of cards recently." Forcing an analysis would likely lead to a trap. Krim wasn't his target, and he didn't want to waste his brainpower.

Chaplin naturally noticed Sin Yiu-man's observing gaze. He gave Sin Yiu-man a knowing smile, as if to say, "Kid, I've been playing cards for years, and I've handled more cards than you've ever seen. Don't try to analyze my expression."

"That old man!"

Sin Yiu-man chuckled, finding it quite amusing. Neither of them cared about winning or losing twenty or thirty dollars, but they were racking their brains to outwit each other. What was even more interesting was that he lost, because he couldn't read his opponent's expression and because he was outmatched.

However, he noticed that Chaplin had a strong competitive spirit. All the other players in the room had their chips wiped out by Chaplin, leaving only him on the water. This must have been a regret for Chaplin, and it was also a gambler's mentality of rounding up – to win one more round and then stop playing once he had enough for 1.

When gamblers develop this mentality, it's only a matter of time before they lose everything.

He didn't want to rely on luck, but given the current situation, the odds were in his favor. Chaplin, who didn't gamble, had become a gambler.

Krim's silent performance lasted a full three minutes before he finally managed to push out his chip, "I call."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Sin Yiu-man immediately pushed out all his chips, "All in."

“I call,” Chaplin said with a laugh as he counted his chips. “Adam, my hole cards are 5 and 6, you believe me?”

“Whether I believe it or not is no longer important.” With that, Xian Yaowen looked at Krim. “Arthur, things have come to this, you might as well just be straightforward.”

Krim chuckled. "Of course, I will."

He pushed out all his chips, $3.5, and then revealed his starting hand: a 4 of spades and a 4 of clubs.

"Arthur, I'm sorry, I'm a little older than you."

Chaplin also revealed his starting hand, which, as he said, was indeed the 5 of spades and the 6 of diamonds.

Sin Yiu-man was quick to react, revealing his starting hand almost simultaneously.

Chaplin glanced at it and said, "Adam, you need four different hand types to beat me. Your chances of getting a pair of aces are even smaller than Arthur's. It's a real shame about your pair of aces."

Sin Yiu-man shrugged. "I think I can get four Aces."

Kramer laughed and said, "Absolutely impossible, I have an Ace."

“It’s alright, capturing House is enough.”

"Haha, let's see if luck is on your side, Robert, deal the cards."

Benjamin draws a card, turns over the turn card, and it's a 2 of clubs.

Krim laughed, "Charlie, I'm in the lead now."

Chaplin said expressionlessly, "It's okay, as long as I stay ahead of Adam, I won't lose by too much."

“Charlie, your hand is set, I still have a chance to bet on an Ace,” Sin Yiu-man said.

Chaplin smiled faintly and asked, "What are your odds of hitting the Ace?"

"We'll see, Robert, deal the cards."

Under the watchful eyes of Sin Yiu-man and the other two, Benjamin slowly turned over the last river card of the five community cards, which turned out to be a heart ace.

Sin Yiu-man won!
"you win."

There was a hint of weariness and loss hidden in Chaplin's voice, as if something inside him had been taken away.

Sin Yiu-man sensed it; indeed, it was unlikely that someone addicted to gambling wouldn't become a gambler.

Once something becomes a habit, the basal ganglia will make it an unconscious behavior, bypassing the prefrontal cortex responsible for rational decision-making. Chaplin thought he wasn't a gambler, but in fact, he entered a gambler's state as soon as he sat down at the poker table. It's just that his poker skills were high enough that no one had broken his self-perceived God mode before.

“Charlie, I have been receiving your generous donations all night, and now I finally have a chance to repay you.”

Upon hearing this, Chaplin smiled knowingly, his goodwill towards Sin Yiu-man soaring. "Thank you very much for your gift."

Sin Yiu-man said in Japanese, "Let's go have some tea."

Chaplin's smile widened, and he said in awkward Cantonese, "Let's have some tea sometime."

"uh-huh."

The phrase "have some tea when you're free" became Sin Yiu-man's biggest takeaway of the day. The card game that followed was no longer important to him. In a relaxed atmosphere, the card game continued until a little after ten o'clock. The big winner and host, Charlie Chaplin, treated everyone to a late-night snack. The group went to Chinatown on Broadway Street.

West Lake Grand Restaurant is positioned as a high-end Cantonese restaurant, specializing in late-night tea and roast meats. The peak hours for the restaurant are from midnight to 4 a.m.

Chaplin seemed to be a regular, recommending Hollywood Longjing tea to everyone. Apart from Sin Yiu-man, the others probably weren't familiar with Chinese food, but they accepted the recommendation and asked Chaplin to recommend some dishes.

Chaplin didn't stand on ceremony and ordered honey-glazed char siu, custard buns, and congee with preserved egg and lean pork for everyone.

Tea is served first.

When the tea was placed in front of him, Sin Yiu-man glanced at the tea soup in the cup. It was reddish-black with hints of white, and lemon slices and ice cubes floated on the surface. It was an iced lemon milk tea with a black tea base. The name "Longjing" was perhaps just to match the West Lake.

However, the owner here is quite adaptable, which explains why half of the customers are white.

Taking a sip, it's completely in the style of English black tea; it can't be considered an Americanized adaptation, but rather a case of borrowing.

As the food was served, everyone began to eat, using forks and spoons. There were no comical scenes of people using chopsticks. The char siu and custard buns were easily accepted and seemed to be enjoyed, but the congee with preserved egg and lean pork was only tasted once, and no one touched a second spoonful, except for Chaplin.

Chaplin seemed to really enjoy the taste of century eggs, eating one spoonful after another.

"Adam, do you know where fortune cookies are from in China? I've never seen them in Shanghai or Hong Kong."

"Charlie, China doesn't have fortune cookies, nor is there a widespread tradition of putting slips of paper in food. Hundreds of years ago, it was briefly popular in Jiangnan to put slips of paper with auspicious words written on them in mooncakes. But more often, people are used to putting coins in glutinous rice balls, a food for Chinese New Year. Whoever finds a coin will have good luck for the coming year."

What are mooncakes?

"A food, like fruitcake for Christmas."

"Nobody likes to eat this?"

Sin Yiu-man laughed and said, "This year, September 22nd is the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. My relatives and friends will give me mooncakes and say to me, 'Hey, buddy, I haven't forgotten you.'"

"Hahaha," Chaplin laughed loudly, "Chinese people hate mooncakes, just like Americans hate fruitcake?"

“Some people are rather unpleasant.” Xian Yaowen didn’t want to delve deeper into the topic, as it could easily lead to discussions about food, so he asked, “Charlie, have you been to Japan?”

"I've been to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka."

Have you ever visited temples in Kyoto?

"I've been to Kiyomizu-dera Temple."

"Then you must have gone straight into the temple without exploring the surrounding area. Otherwise, you would have found people selling a kind of 'Tsuji-zumi' pancake around the temple. It's edible, but it's not considered food; it's a divination tool."

People choose one from many Tsujizan pancakes according to their own preferences, break it open, and find a slip of paper inside about their personal fortune. It contains obscure and difficult-to-understand words, which few people can understand directly. They need to take the slip of paper to a specialist for interpretation.

Selling Tsujizan pancakes and interpreting Buddhist scriptures—this is a business based on connections, a business that profits from people's beliefs.

Chaplin said with disgust, "A disgusting business."

Sin Yiu-man shrugged. “God loves believers and will not care if believers use themselves to obtain food and warmth.”

"Perhaps. How did fortune cookies become a specialty of Chinese restaurants?"

“I’m not too sure. Maybe it’s related to Executive Order No. 9066 from a few years ago. I heard that at that time, many Japanese people disguised themselves as Chinese to avoid being imprisoned in concentration camps. Maybe at that time, the good idea of ​​fortune cookies spread from the Japanese to the Chinese. The Chinese found it quite useful and then promoted it.”

This is somewhat similar to the old song "St. James Infirmary Blues." The original version by Joe Primrose received a lukewarm reception, but Louis Armstrong's cover of it that same year made it a hit.

Chaplin nodded slightly. "I have mixed feelings about what happened back then. I donated money to China to support the anti-fascist cause, but I didn't agree with putting Japanese people in concentration camps. Adam, you might not understand..."

“No, I understand, Charlie. You are ‘just talking about the issue, not the person.’ You believe that people are only bad when they do bad things, not that bad people will always do bad things.”

Chaplin chuckled and said, "I like your interpretation, thank you."

Just as Sin Yiu-man was about to reply, the figure of a middle-aged woman came into his view. Glancing at her face, he recognized her as Anna May Wong. She walked straight toward their table, her purpose clear: she must know someone and wanted to greet them.

Anna May Wong was a woman who had a tough time. She went through many hardships to break into Hollywood as the daughter of a laundry worker, but could only play negative roles such as dragon girls, female slaves, and prostitutes. Chinese Americans thought she was an insult to China and were full of criticism. Some people cut ties with her because Anna May Wong supported her sister's education and felt ashamed that the Wong family had produced Anna May Wong.

In 1936, Anna May Wong visited China under the guise of a journey to find her roots. As soon as she set foot on her homeland, the Shen Bao newspaper immediately gave her a warm welcome with the headline "Hollywood 'Anti-China Star' Comes to China to Make Money." A tabloid raved for its supporters, "Anna May Wong: A Chinese in America, a Foreign Slave in China."

Public opinion about her is polarized; some envy her international fame and the money she makes, while others condemn her for disgracing their ancestors.

Anna May Wong wanted to visit Soong Mei-ling, but Soong Mei-ling declined, saying that her schedule was full.

It can be said that Anna May Wong's visit to China was met with limited support and warmth from the intellectual and film circles. Disappointed, she returned to the United States and the following year auditioned for the lead role of Alan in "The Good Earth," a film written by Pearl S. Buck that depicted the positive image of Chinese farmers. However, she rejected the only suitable Chinese actress in Hollywood at the time and opted for an all-white cast.

When the film was released, while Chinese Americans were furious with Hollywood, some also blamed Anna May Wong for not fighting enough—"Damn it, you're so eager to play prostitutes, but you won't take a good role when it's available."

Despite Anna May Wong's participation in charity performances to raise funds and her donation of almost all of her wealth to support the country's resistance against Japan during the War of Resistance, domestic media rarely reported on her and adopted a cold attitude towards positive news about her.

Later, she self-funded the documentary "Daughter of China," which showcased the real lives of Chinese people. However, it was blacklisted by Hollywood and was not well-received by the Chinese community. Even after that, she participated in anti-Japanese propaganda films such as "The Lady from Chongqing" and "Bombing Burma" for free, but the Chinese community still did not appreciate it. "You've played so many roles that insult China, and now you want to whitewash yourself? Keep dreaming."

During the War of Resistance against Japan, Anna May Wong benefited from the US's need for a "pro-China image" by playing a series of anti-Japanese heroes. After that, nothing more happened. After World War II, there was no news of any serious works. It seems that she only made a little money from sporadic performances and relied mainly on property rent for her livelihood.

Recalling Anna May Wong's information, Sin Yiu-man began to ponder her film and television value.

It's unlikely that she'd be able to make a film in Hollywood. Anna May Wong would have a hard time carrying the lead role, especially with the Korean War still raging. If she were to promote a Chinese actress at that time, it would be strange if Hollywood didn't target her. Even if she did make the film, which company would dare to promote it, and which theater would dare to show it?

Filming in Hong Kong isn't a big problem with Anna May Wong's anti-China image. Most of those who initially held that image in mind are now struggling financially and can empathize with her. The vast majority of them won't and won't be able to jump out and spout nonsense. Those who insist on stubbornly facing the challenge can be rewarded with a one-day tour experience card from the community. After experiencing it, they will have the right to shout, "In such a vast place as Hong Kong, there is no room for a quiet desk."

For ordinary people, who are also the main audience, Anna May Wong's private life was a major problem. Her public image was that she opposed arranged marriages and forced marriages. Her Chinese family thought that she was disgracing the family by showing her face in public and that she could not find a Chinese man to marry. Because of her several relationships with white men, the audience misunderstood her as not wanting to marry Chinese men and only wanting to have casual sex with foreigners.

It's unclear whether Anna May Wong is stubborn or not. If she's willing to accept a rebranding, given her established fame, there's still room for maneuver. She could rake in some money, improve her image, and have a perfect ending to her life.

Unlike in the original history, he didn't have to die decades before he was lucky enough to encounter a political need and receive a belated affirmation.

Anna May Wong took seven steps to stand in front of Chaplin and greeted him warmly, "Charlie."

Chaplin looked up, a smile spreading across his face. "Anna, you're still so beautiful. Come and have something to eat?"

“Yes, I’m hungry.” Huang Liushuang’s gaze swept over the faces of the others at the table, landing on the empty seat. “Can I join you?”

"of course."

Upon hearing this, Anna May Wong nodded to everyone and then sat down in an empty seat.

"Anna, what have you been busy with lately?"

Anna May Wong said self-deprecatingly, "I can't get any film work in Hollywood, so I have to look for television opportunities. I'm currently in talks with Dumont (the television network) to produce an adventure series."

“Don’t worry about it too much. There’s never been any fairness in Hollywood. I can’t get any work either,” Chaplin chimed in, then gestured to Sin Yiu-man, “This is Adam, a big capitalist from Hong Kong. Maybe you can talk to him.”

Judging from Anna May Wong's greeting and Chaplin's warm reception without introducing her to others, the two had a good personal relationship, but Chaplin seemed unwilling to publicly acknowledge his relationship with Anna May Wong.

While his mind was racing, Sin Yiu-man didn't interrupt Chaplin's introduction. He smiled politely at Anna May Wong and said, "Ms. Wong, hello. I'm Sin Yiu-man. I own a film company in Hong Kong."

When Huang Liushuang heard Xian Yaowen's awkward Taishan dialect, she immediately felt a sense of goodwill, but also a little embarrassed. Her ancestral home was Taishan, and both her parents were from Taishan, but she could not speak Taishan dialect well, nor could she speak Cantonese. Her Mandarin was only at the level of "hello" and "thank you," but she was very fluent in English and proficient in daily conversations in German and French. She did not know how to respond to Xian Yaowen.

After hesitating for a moment, she still said in English, "Hello, Mr. Xian."

Sin Yiu-man switched to English and said, "If Ms. Wong is free tomorrow, let's arrange a place to talk about film collaborations."

"Mr. Xian, do you really want me to make a movie?"

“Of course.” Sin Yiu-man nodded. “Ms. Wong, I know you quite well, so please don’t worry. This is a very formal invitation.”

"Thank you, I'm free tomorrow." (End of Chapter)