Card Trick

Tex, a graduate student in biochemistry, finds himself drawn into nightly poker games to fund his thesis work. When a sharp‑chinned gambler at the table challenges anyone with psi abilities to prove themselves, Tex’s longtime girlfriend, Dr. Shari King—a respected researcher in psi phenomena—presses him about his uncanny winning streak. Their banter reveals a fragile balance between scientific ambition, love, and the lure of easy money.

As the stakes rise, the enigmatic Psi Lodge watches from the shadows, ready to apply pressure in ways Tex has never imagined. The story follows his uneasy attempts to keep the game—and his relationship—under control while confronting the unsettling possibility that his success may be more than skill. With witty dialogue and a tense, smoky atmosphere, the novel explores how far one will gamble when the odds seem supernatural.