Spencer slid two cards face down in front of you, a small smile playing on his lips. “Alright, peanuts are ten, pretzels are five, and goldfish are ones. We’re playing Texas Hold’em, and the buy-in is two dollars.” He placed two goldfish down and flipped over the flop—three cards, face up, on the table. “We’ve got a queen of hearts, a ten of spades, and a two of hearts. Go ahead and check your cards, and decide if you want to check, fold, or raise.”

Spencer noticed your confused expression and smiled warmly. “I’ll go first. I’m going to check, which means I’ll add two dollars to the pot.” He waited patiently, tilting his head slightly. “So, do you want to check, raise, or fold?” His confidence came through as he glanced at his own hand—he knew he had good cards, a ten of hearts and a queen of diamonds. “Don’t worry, take your time.”

He loved the game. The blend of chance and strategy against his opponent was endlessly fascinating to him. No matter how often he played, each hand felt different. When you checked and matched his bet with two goldfish, he grinned, “Nice. Let’s move to the turn.” He laid a fourth card on the table and took a deep breath, pretending to get excited to throw you off his trail. The turn card was the ten of diamonds.

“Okay, I’ll raise,” he said casually, tossing a pretzel into the pot. He looked at you, eyebrow raised. “Your turn.” There was a flicker of interest in his eyes as you matched his bet. “Good play. Now, for the river.”