In life, there's no such thing as too much information. Always test the waters before you jump in.

Nestoras was looking at a pair of tens, but he wasn't gonna show it. He'd been a super long enough to build a pretty solid poker face. Yes, ma'am, that pipe was fixed on Tuesday, it must be something else. Yes, sir, I absolutely would have been there to fix your window, but my Aunt was sick. Yes, Mister Landlord, I was there to let him in, the electrician just never showed up. So Nestoras wasn't too scared that Solomon, behind his ridiculous dark glasses and cowboy hat, had any idea about the cards.

But it never hurt to put some feelers out.

"Solly," Nestoras said. "You guys got a pool over there?"

"You know we don't, Nestoras." Solomon sat very still, not even touching his cards. Nestoras stayed casual.

"Oh, right, right. Well, I was just asking, because I got this SafeDip Pool Tester the other day."

"Why'd you buy that?" Paulie had already folded, but he never minded stirring up trouble in someone else's game. Plus it was his deal, so he was kinda trapped. Hank was already walking to the fridge for another beer.

"Well, I didn't buy it, I sort of inherited it. I was looking to find it a good home. See, what you do is take the water from the pool and hit a little button, and it tells you what's goin' on in your pool."

"That's amazing. Really." Solomon talked in a monotone. He wasn't giving anything away if he could help it.

"Hey, would that thing work in a spa?" Hank called from across the room. "And anyone want a beer?"

"One for me!" Paulie yelled back.

"I bet it would," Nestoras said. "You want it?"

"Maybe." Hank answered. "One of mine is talking about putting in some kinda lap pool on the roof."

"Curse of Uptown," Paulie laughed. "Live like Kings and Queens, do extra work."

"Don't I know it," Hank said. "Hey, Nestoras, bring it next week, huh? I'll pay you a couple bucks, but I gotta be able to know when the pool needs a flush."

"They make you do that, Hank?" Paulie shook his head. "You need to set them straight."

Nestoras saw the wiggle of Solomon's arm. Well, well, well. All the stupid hats in the world couldn't hide a nervous twitch like that. Right now, that straight beat those two tens. But Nestoras was also one club away from a flush, and he had a card coming to him...

"Throw me one, Paulie."

"One it is."

"All in, Solomon. What'cha hiding under that hat?"

Later that night, when he was back home and counting his money, Nestoras decided he would just give Hank the SafeDip Pool Tester. Even if he hadn't meant to, he'd earned it.

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