Word: beguile

beguile

\ bih-GAHYL \  , verb;

1. To influence by trickery, flattery, etc.; mislead; delude.

2. To take away from by cheating or deceiving (usually followed by of): to be beguiled of money.

3. To charm or divert: a multitude of attractions to beguile the tourist.

4. To pass (time) pleasantly: beguiling the long afternoon with a good book.

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    “Hey guys, can I play?”  She asked, eyeing the three guys and their poker game.  The three of them looked up at her and then at each other, smiling.  She was a very good looking girl.  The kind that almost seemed to be destined to be a model after graduation.  And they were not about to say no to that kind of girl.  One of them moved over a bit to allow room for the new player.
    “Hope you don’t mind, but we play for real cash here.”  Said one of them.  He hoped she didn’t care about that, not only because of her looks,  but also the fact that she seemed to have plenty of money.  She was wearing clothes that looked very expensive, and clearly designed to show off her figure.  

“Oh I don’t mind.”  She said as she sat down.  “But I hope you guys will go easy on me.  I’ve never really played before.”  This made all three guys very happy.  All three were thinking the same exact thing:  they would inevitably beat her, removing her of whatever money she had on her, then turn around and do the ‘gentlemanly thing’, and offer to treat her to a meal or two to make up for it.

“That’s fine.”  One of them said, “Do you know the basic rules?  I can teach you if you don’t.”  The other two glared at him.  To them, he had just managed to one-up them and get a better chance with her.  

“No, I think I’m ok.  I’ve watched a few games, so I think I know how.  Besides, I’m a fast learner, so I should be able to pick the rest up as we go.”  

“If you say so. But if you need help, just say the word.”  

She simply nodded while pulling out her wallet.  Just as they guys suspected, she did indeed have plenty of cash to go around.  She was given chips from the poker set they were using, dealt her cards, and the game was on.

Right from the first hand, the guys could tell she was an amateur.  Her face told them that she felt she had good cards.  She even looked to them to see what she should be doing with them.  After they had exchanged their cards, she took a few and mimicked them, asking for three.  Her face lit up as she saw the cards.  All three of them immediately folded.

“Yay, I guess that means I win!”  She exclaimed, taking the small pile of chips.

The next hand didn’t go as smoothly for her as the rest.  In fact, she lost it, having only a pair of kings.  The pouting face she made when she gave up the chips just made the guys want her all the more.  

As the game went on though, the three of them noticed something.  She was winning.  By a great deal.  While she didn’t win every hand, she did tend to win more than she lost.  They had no idea how it was happening, as it was clear she wasn’t cheating, and the expressions on her face just about broadcasted when she had a good or bad hand.  Yet, she was winning.  In fact, one of them was out of cash and would be out of the game if he lost the hand.  

He was feeling confident though, since his had was good, a lovely little flush that he thought would see him through to the next hand at the very least.  He looked at her, and saw the same excited smile she wore when she had a good hand.  His would probably be better though, so he went with it, hoping for the best.  But no matter how high he went, she matched his bet, and even raised it to the point where he couldn’t go any higher, even if she wanted to.  As he watched her, he felt like she must have something good to be so confident.  He folded his hand, leaving the game.  

After he left, it wasn’t long before the other two dropped out as well.  They had been beaten by an amateur.  The shame on their faces was visible to anyone who happened to pass by.  

“Thanks guys.”  She said smugly, collecting her earnings.  “Don’t feel too bad about it though,”  She said as she turned to leave, “I’ve been playing since I was seven.”  She walked away laughing to herself as the three guys stood there dumbfounded, and began searching for her next targets.

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 Yeah, I can't really think of much to say about this one, so here's a link to a relevant image.  Enjoy.