Melissa had heard about Bill. He was a . He dated one woman after another, telling one after another. He was a pilot, a tiger , a banker, a publisher, a tycoon, an investor, adventurer, and on and on. He laughed about easy it was to deceive women. Dress sharp drive a luxury car, and they would follow anywhere. Bill could get almost any woman he . And then he discarded them like so many water bottles.

Although Bill owned a carpet-cleaning business had five employees, he made most of his gambling. He went to Vegas at least six a year, and played at a couple of in the Los Angeles area regularly. Tonight he invited himself to a monthly neighborhood poker game. most of the evening, Bill was rather quiet. hadn’t said one unkind word about women, and only briefly bragged about his poker skills. Melissa if Bill had finally met a woman who put him in his place. Meanwhile, he was every third hand.

Melissa decided to play one hand, and then leave. She ended up with wonderful hand—three nines and two aces. The betting spirited, but eventually all the other players dropped , except Bill. Bill made a final raise, and called. There was almost $200 in the pot, biggest of the evening. Melissa was mentally shopping the money (much of it Bill’s!). Bill, however, had a full house—three tens and two deuces. chuckled, “The best female poker player in the couldn’t beat me, honey. What on earth were thinking?”