Spike's Ponyville Poker Game

by SparityLoveisForever

The Final Hands, Finally.

Now there were only two players left in the game. Both bit totals were only a few coins apart. Spike had come just ahead with the last few hands. Lucky couldn't remember the last time he had enjoyed such a close mostly friendly game. It was the hardest game he had played in a while, and it would all come down to the very last hand. Spike needed to win tonight if he did he'd be able to get together a few more bits before Karat closed tomorrow. Then he'd surely be able to sweep Rarity off her feet with a wonderfully romantic evening.

Heads up poker is what happens when there are only two players left. Big Mac had picked up the cards once more the action was about to resume with the first of the last few hands. He looked back and forth between the two opponents. He could see that Spike had that green burning need to win in his eyes and would try to pull away before the final hand. Big Mac could see Lucky, and his face was calm like the eye of a storm.

Big Mac dealt the cards alternating between the two and it was on Lucky to call or raise the hand. Lucky called the fourteen bits it took to see where the draw phase would take him. Spike's decision was to check or raise based on the cards in his hand. Two cards from something formidable he chose to raise the bid to twenty-eight bits after a moments consideration. Lucky was in a similar situation, not one to be pushed around even by larger bit stacks he called. Big Mac gave each player two cards Spike had only received one card he was looking for and immediately checked. Lucky had received both of what he was looking for and offered up the maximum bet of fourteen bits. Spike saw this and folded as wasn't sure he could beat Lucky with only three of a kind. Lucky claimed the bits and handed the cards back to Big Mac who noticed Lucky had given him a full house.

The next three hands Big Mac dealt were trade offs between the two players. Making the last hand of the fourteen bit limit shocking. Each player only asked for one card from the dealer. The entire pot a whopping fifty six bits the maximum allowed between the two. Both players revealed Four of a kind. Though Lucky was the one with four tens, Spike had managed to bring together four kings. Spike's bit total was now starting to dwarf Lucky's.

Big Mac dealt the first hand of the last five hands with the same conviction he had every hand this evening. Lucky was a little surprised by what was dealt to him for this hand his eyes widened when he saw what it was. Spike grinned a bit as he watched the expression on Lucky's face. Immediately he raised the bid to thirty bits to get another card. Lucky noticed this and raised the bid to forty-five bits as he was quite confident in the hand he had acquired from the start. This was his chance to even the odds. Spike decided to call and asked for only two cards. Lucky asked for only one card from the deck and was rewarded with a completion of his hand. Spike was the first one to raise in the second half. He felt like nothing could stop him. Lucky raised the bid again briniging it to thirty bits to see the cards. Spike raised and both revealed. Lucky had a straight flush of ace to five. While Spike showed a aces full of queens full house. This left Lucky to collect the bits on this hand.

Lucky continued to battle it out with Spike despite alternating wins over the next three hands again. Now there was only one hand left to determine just who was going to walk away seven hundred bits richer. The entire nights activities would be culminated in this hand. Big Mac dealt the cards steadily and Spike brought a smirk to his face at this draw. Lucky looked over his own cards and knew there was only one card that could make it work. Both but all their bits in right away and Lucky asked for one card. Spike asked for none and awaited the reveal. Lucky needed that one card that would bring his hand to the next level. Spike was the first to reveal his hand showing his straight diamond flush of ten to six. Lucky had yet to check his last card, so he started to reveal his cards one at a time. The first card was a ten of spades, then a jack of spades, next a queen of spades, lastly the king of spades was revealed. There was a slight pause before Lucky flipped the card he had received in exchange for his one undesirable. Lucky flipped it over on top of the cards he had laid out before. It was an ace of spades.

Spike shook his head a bit. Standing up at the table and putting his hand out and said, “Good game sir. It's been a while since I've had such a good one.”

Lucky reached out and put his hand into Spike's shaking it firmly and said, “It could have gone either way Spike. It was a good game though, Lady Luck can be a fickle one. It's quite a set of cards you have. In fact it was Pierce's description of them that lead me here in the first place. You seemed to really be on your game tonight. Would you consider a trade of sorts?”

“What did you have in mind?” Spike looked a little confused by Lucky for asking this.

“I would offer my winnings from tonight and a few more bits to make sure you had enough to give Rarity that night she'd never forget. In exchange I would ask for ownership of the cards. As long as I'm in Ponyville I will still bring them by for the game each week. The choice is yours young dragon.” Lucky said as he looked over at Spike.

“I would need three hundred more bits to make sure of that.” Spike said with a wistful sigh.

“Done.” Lucky tossed out three bags of bits roughly the same size onto the table with the other bits and slowly started to gather put the cards and put them into the box.

Big Mac had stuck around to see this go down and while he was a little surprised at Spike selling off one of his possessions. Big Mac also knew Spike loved that white mare more than any of his material possessions. Soon Lucky and Big Mac were seen leaving the Golden Oaks library. They seemed to hit it off together gently talking all the way until Lucky had to head back to the hotel. Waving goodbye the night came to an end everypony a little bit happier with the nights events.

(Epilogue)

Spike took those bits and bought the sapphire rose for Rarity. He took her on a night she would never forget as it was the night she confessed her feelings to him. Spike couldn't have been happier with the results and with his special somepony actually his. He felt like he was on top of the world. As a result of their love and marriage Rarity lasted many years more than an average pony. Spike knew he wouldn't have the rest of his existence with her but he knew that their four children would always remind him of her. Spike would be around to see several generations of the family he generated in Ponyville. When his time came he had lived a full life, and was lucky to meet his friends and family on the other side.

Big Mac continued to work on the apple farm for a long time as it was rare for him to leave other than for a Ponytones performance. Which had also found him falling in love with a skittish yellow Pegasus mare with a flowing pink mane and tail. It didn't matter that she was one of his sisters friends because they loved each other deeply and tenderly. They eventually had two children an orange earth pony who loved animals, and a red Pegasus who loved helping out around the farm. Both lived out the remainder of their days in Sweet Apple Acres.

Pinkie Pie would go on to be one of the premiere bakers and party planners of Equestria. Almost every day she managed to fill the world with smiles. She wasn't one to settle down even for a moment which is why it was a surprise when she found somepony special for her at the next Grand Galloping Gala. They met in the kitchen at the castle and had a baking brain blast for the party. When the night was over she had a smile on her face she would never forget because it was the first time she saw that she really loved Golden Grapes was his name. They became even closer over the years and soon Pinkie even had a few Pie's of her own in the oven. She lived a wonderful life with him and they made many ponies smile before they left this world in one last party till they dropped.

Creme Brulee would go on to make his small moving company the best in Equestria soon with several branches scattered through out the kingdom. He also managed to find that special somepony for him. A local florist her name was Rose. They had hit it off during him picking up a delivery for her. They found they liked many of the same things and lived a full productive life together even having a total of three children to their family.

Thunderlane went on to be a pony who always appeared in Rainbow Dash's shadow. Whenever she achived something he was always second fiddle to come in right behind her in acomplishing the same thing. It was very disheartening for the stallion. She even made herself a regular Wonderbolt before he did. She had a relationship before he did and always got a bigger applause from her performances. He did manage to win a few more games with the group Thunderlane did eventually find that girl of his dreams had been cheering him on all along. Blossomforth. They also had a very full life together.

Caramel would go on to lead a lonely life of isolation in Ponyville until realized his feelings for Applejack. Who together worked their set of chores at Sweet Apple Acres for the rest of their lives.

Twilight Sparkle who wasn't even in this story very much eventually became the wonderfully adorkable princess of libraries where she spent most of her time. With a certain sentry keeping watch over every move.

After Lucky's party he never left Ponyville again. He had become quite infatuated with the lovely hotel owner Ginger Gold. With the crystal cards added to his own collection he only wanted to win her heart from that moment on. He asked her on a date and soon they were going everywhere together though Friday nights were usually off limits. They had a full long life together with a love truer than most.

Author's Note:

(A/N)

The first chapter was really designed to set things up. The middle chapter which took a lot longer that I expected it to partially because I worked out most of the hands on scrap paper. And if you don't believe me just remember that Pinkie Pie said it best "Numbers don't lie." The last chapter was meant to just bring things to a close. The opinions expressed in this epilogue are personal preferences for the way I feel these ponies would end up with their lives. And as many of you know I'm not the biggest fan of Caramel. He knows what he did. So I will show him no love for his ending. This is all happening in an alternate Equestria everypony so do keep that in mind when you go oh but this didn't happen that way or this way. I crafted this Equestria for things to happen my way. It's a fan fiction I didn't force you to read it. Thank you to all who enjoyed my first work in an anthro Equestria and I will restate that I did this project for a friend who wanted to plopped into Equestria. Everything I directly described about Lucky was given his approval which is what ate up most of my time this month. Also Lucky is only OC in this story. Every other pony that was in the background or brought to the foreground came from a name of the pony on the list of ponies on Wikipedia. Not everypony is as perfect as Rarity tends to be so please if I made a mistake or two with the grammar in come spots Let me know and I'll go back and fix it. I will not fix anything related to how the story came out. Also I do not condone gambling in a secretive manner or otherwise. This is a bunch of friends coming together to have some fun and play a game every week. Comment time, everypony!