The host opened the large doors silently. The room smelled a little musty but not in a bad way. He moved purposefully into the room to his right. He found the first light fixture along the wall and turned it on. Walking slowly around the outer wall he turned on each light one by one.

Everything appeared in order. Clearly nothing had been touched since the end of the last game. He was not surprised.

The large oblong table dominated the center of the room. The seven chairs around the table were ready to accommodate all the players and the lone dealer. The table felt was old but not heavily worn. The unopened sets of cards sat at the dealer station. The neat rows of chips waited in the glass container beside the cards.

He looked at his watch. It was time. The host stepped over to the wall intercom and pressed a button.

“Please open the doors Juan. We’re ready,” he said.

He turned and walked to the doorway without waiting for a response. Straightening his jacket he waited for the first player to arrive.