"I don't have a martini," he replied, referencing a habit of the fictional agent that even he could identify. "Or someone to rescue."

Not that he had any interest in a so-called Bond Girl. He'd rather not deal with anything resembling a relationship; the concept held no lure for him.

"Now bring the cards back to a deck, and I'll deal. I'm going to deal all the cards face up just to explain the game, but you know that wouldn't be how it was played." He would carefully cut the deck and deal as promised, explaining the suits and values and how to build a hand from a pair up to the royal flush.