På Halloween-natten var casinoet i Oslo et mysterium av farger og lyder.

On Halloween night, the casino in Oslo was a mystery of colors and sounds.

Folk i kostymer fylte gulvet og skapte en festlig, nesten uvirkelig atmosfære.

People in costumes filled the floor, creating a festive, almost unreal atmosphere.

Lysene var dempet, og skyggene danset over pokerbordene.

The lights were dimmed, and shadows danced over the poker tables.

Det var en kveld hvor alt kunne skje.

It was a night where anything could happen.

Siv, vanligvis på den andre siden av pokerbordet som dealer, sto denne kvelden foran et nytt eventyr.

Siv, usually on the other side of the poker table as a dealer, stood this evening before a new adventure.

Hun hadde lenge ønsket å bevise for seg selv - og for andre - at hun kunne spille like godt, om ikke bedre, enn de erfarne spillerne rundt henne.

She had long wanted to prove to herself—and to others—that she could play just as well, if not better, than the experienced players around her.

Tvers over bordet satt Lars, en gåtefull rival kjent for sine listige strategier.

Across the table sat Lars, a mysterious rival known for his cunning strategies.

Han hadde vunnet mange ganger før, og hans blikk var nå festet på Siv.

He had won many times before, and his gaze was now fixed on Siv.

Ved siden av seg hadde Siv Ingrid, hennes venn og støtte.

Beside her was Ingrid, her friend and support.

Ingrid smilte oppmuntrende, men det var klart for Siv at hun ikke helt trodde hun kunne slå Lars.

Ingrid smiled encouragingly, but it was clear to Siv that she didn't quite believe she could beat Lars.

Hennes tro var kjærkommen, men Siv kjente også en trang til å bevise sin verdi.

Her faith was cherished, but Siv also felt a need to prove her worth.

Siv kjente hver regel i boken; hun hadde sett nesten enhver hånd mulig fra pokerspillerne hun hadde handlet til.

Siv knew every rule in the book; she had seen almost every possible hand from the poker players she had dealt to.

Nå var det hennes tur til å bruke denne kunnskapen.

Now it was her turn to use this knowledge.

Hun visste at hun måtte være dristig, men også klok.

She knew she had to be bold, yet wise.

Spillet startet, og spenningen i rommet økte.

The game started, and the tension in the room increased.

Chiper klikket mot bordflater, og nervesitrende blikk ble utvekslet mellom spillerne.

Chips clicked against tabletops, and nervous glances were exchanged between the players.

Siv spilte forsiktig i starten, nok til å holde seg i spillet uten å avsløre sine intensjoner.

Siv played cautiously at first, enough to keep herself in the game without revealing her intentions.

Rundt henne merket hun blikkene fra de andre spillerne, inkludert Lars som vurderte henne med et aldri så lite smil.

Around her, she noticed the glances from the other players, including Lars, who assessed her with a slight smile.

Han likte å kontrollere spillets tempo, men Siv nektet å falme under hans blikk.

He liked to control the pace of the game, but Siv refused to fade under his gaze.

Tiden kom for den siste, avgjørende hånden.

The time came for the final, decisive hand.

Lars satset stort, og mange spillere foldet.

Lars bet big, and many players folded.

Kun Siv holdt fast i kortene sine.

Only Siv held on to her cards.

Pulsene banket da hun viste sin vinnerhånd, en royal flush som tok pusten fra de fleste rundt bordet.

Hearts pounded as she revealed her winning hand, a royal flush that took the breath away from most around the table.

Det var et øyeblikk av stillhet, før applausen brøt ut.

There was a moment of silence before applause broke out.

Lars nikket anerkjennende, og Ingrid kunne ikke tro hva hun nettopp hadde sett.

Lars nodded approvingly, and Ingrid couldn't believe what she had just seen.

Siv hadde vunnet. Ikke bare spillet, men også respekten fra sine konkurrenter.

Siv had won—not just the game, but also the respect of her competitors.

Med denne seieren vokste en ny tro i henne.

With this victory, a new belief grew in her.

Hun kunne gå videre fra sitt vanlige liv som dealer, fri til å forfølge nye muligheter.

She could move on from her usual life as a dealer, free to pursue new opportunities.

Den kvelden sa adrenalinets rush fra pokerbordet mer enn mange ord kunne.

That night, the adrenaline rush from the poker table spoke more than many words could.

Siv hadde bevist for seg selv at hun ikke lenger var bundet av sin rolle.

Siv had proven to herself that she was no longer bound by her role.

Hun var en spiller, klar for hva fremtiden ville bringe.

She was a player, ready for whatever the future would bring.