Gambling

When the deck is stacked and the game is rigged, you just quietly fold your hand and walk away from the table. Eventually, the drama unfolds, the hand plays itself out and the players in the end get what they feel is coming to them. Even though the game continues at the next level, the mark never really sees it coming until it is too late to do anything about it, if at all. The bigger, badder sharks gravitate to the high stakes; the fried fish fall farther. When the only game in town is crooked, time pays to start a completely different interest field and let the game play until the winners are clear and the losers are gone.
Maybe we'll be looking alone at each other when the dust clears - have confidence, be prepared for anything and stay away from the con games, until it's time to come back and pick up the pieces, to rebuild once again.