Casino Cards

The game was spades,
I saw it coming every time,
sitting at the counter,
between players 1 and 4,
the perfect angle to see both hands,
and the mirror behind player 2.
One of them was cheating,
using an identical deck.
He had it down to a science,
switching the cards with the flick of his hand.
The Ace of Spades was his continual land.
It was only a matter of time
until he got caught by one of the players.
You have to count the cards carefully,
or else you will forget what was played.
I crossed my legs and leaned back, waiting
against the bar, barely knocking my brandy glass to the side,
for someone to notice the flip on the dime.
The pile on number 2's side of the table dwindled
as they upped the ante each hand.
He was too drunk to notice the reoccurring cards,
and I am pretty sure player 3 was paying the blonde
on 4's arm to keep him looking more at her chest
than his deck of cards. The poor fools were done for,
and the next group of drunks were up
for a similar beating.
The glass of beer and wine
in front of 1 and 3 were untouched.
Proof of the scam.
I shake my head
and walk away,
thanking the bar tender
for the lovely game.