Under The Boardwalk

Towns of all kinds in the Basquay Sea region are set upon a coast whether it is an island or along the shores of the mainland. As such, there is a boardwalk somewhere in those towns. And, as inevitable as the tide, there is always someone crafty or desperate enough to set up some sort of illicit entertainment beneath it. It has become a tradition of sorts that those seeking a risky, or even risque, style of entertainment only have to find their way under the boardwalk.
Under the boardwalk, business has become the domain of thief gangs. They run gambling games and even provide loans to those who run short of money when their luck takes a turn. Those who end up owing a boardwalk gang can be found working off their debts by working for the gangs. If they have good looks, they will be serve the gambling crowds wearing skimpy clothing through most nights as people desperately try to win back their money by playing Python or Rolling Teeth.
Python is a three-card gambling game. An ante is paid by each player. A dealer gives each player and themself three face-down cards dealt out one at a time until everyone has three cards. Next, bets are made and everyone is allowed to discard up to two cards and is dealt a new card to replace each one tossed. If anyone tosses in all three cards, they are out of the game. This is called a "fold". After this betting continues until someone says "call". Players then pay up to the final bid or fold. Once that is done, everyone reveals their hand, including the dealer who has never even seen their hand until that moment. The one with the highest hand wins. It is amazing how often the dealer's hand wins.
Rolling Teeth is a game played with a pair of cubes with a number on every side going from one to six on each cube. These cubes tend to be made from teeth filed down into cubes. They are supposedly made from animal teeth but more than one gambler has been known to give up a molar or four to pay off their gambling debts. For those not squeamish about whose teeth are rattling on the table, the rules are simple. One person places a bet on the table and declares a number between two and twelve that they then have one roll to try and reach. Then those watching the game make bets on whether the player will succeed or fail. The player rolls the dice. If they get their number they win triple their bet, paid by the croupier, who runs the game. The bets amongst the

by nokono

crowd are settled by the baggers who pay out those who had won. Funny how many players can be on a winning streak and then suddenly lose every roll. Luck is fickle... probably.