Chapter 23: Deal With It

Again, you win! Again, Melvin is excited, and again, Charlie comes out onto the field in his red jacket to shake your hand, and say “Great job, kid!”

You’re getting sick of this. “What does it take to win the baseball challenge, anyway? How many more games?”

Charlie hems and haws a little. “Just… two more.”

Melvin is exuberant. “So, the Player wins two more games, and we get the ring?”

Charlie fidgets. “Sure, sure. Right.”

“So, what game is next?” asks Melvin.

“It’s the Super league,” says Charlie.

“Wait, isn’t this the Super league?” you say, puzzled.

Charlie laughs. “No, no, this is the Super CHALLENGE league. Totally different.”

“Wow!” says Melvin. “The Super league is the best of the best! There’s nothing higher than that!”

“Wait…” you interrupt. “If there’s nothing higher than that, why are there two more games?”

Charlie breaks in. “There’s no time for that now. The Super league game is this afternoon…”

“…and we need to go to the Casino,” you and Melvin say in unison.

Charlie puts his hands up defensively. “Okay, okay, you’re right. But I promise – this is the last time.”

“Really?” asks Melvin. “This is our last trip to the casino? You promise?”

“Absolutely,” says Charlie. “See, we need $2500 to play in the Super league game, and with the money we have now, I can get you into the Stud Poker game. After watching you win the Poker Solitaire, I’m SURE you can win this!”

Melvin raises an eyebrow, not that he has eyebrows. “And you’re SURE this is our last casino trip?”

Charlie puts his hand on his heart. “Scout’s honor.”

“What kind of scout are you?” you ask skeptically.

“I scouted you out, didn’t I?” says Charlie with a smirk. “But come on! The big game starts soon!”

“The Super league game?” asks Melvin.

“No, no – Stud Poker!” says Charlie, hustling off the field.

Back at the Casino, you are met by an even more elegant robot, with a thinner mustache, and a more expensive looking tuxedo. He leads you through a set of silver doors, then a set of glittering gold doors, and finally through a set of shimmering rainbow spectronium doors into a huge room appointed with beautiful carpets, gorgeous paintings, and a spectronium chandelier over a single table. An enormous robot shuffles cards with incredible speed in absolute silence. Six men and women sit around the table holding their cards with perfect posture, wearing incredibly expensive clothes, and peering at their cards through monocles with cigarette holders clenched gently in their teeth. Charlie is there, looking out of place in his tacky red jacket and tie. The robot who brought you in dusts off your seat, and gestures for you to sit down. “Okay,” says Charlie, “this is the big time, but I know you can do it. Five card stud, standard rules. Go get ‘em!” He claps you on the back, and the other players look at you skeptically. You swallow nervously as the giant robot silently deals you each two cards, one up, and one down.

Put the Casino cartridge into your Atari 2600. Use game select 3, and set both difficulty switches to a. Play until you have at least $2500. Post a link to a video in the comments section of yourself completing the challenge.