Vigorish

"Vigorish" by Walter Bupp is a science fiction story placed in a world brimming with telekinetic powers that intersects with the high-stakes realm of gambling. The narrative centers on Wally Bupp, a telekinetic surgeon pulled back into gambling to assist the Lodge, a secret group of telekinetic individuals, at the troubled Sky Hi Club casino. A mysterious thief is using psi powers to rig the games which forces Wally to pair with a woman named Pheola which her strange precognitive abilities. Amidst the chaos, Wally and Pheola faces internal treachery as duplicitous allies seek to undermine them. The story showcases the characters pushing their skills to the limit in an explosive showdown which challenges everything they believe.