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The episode starts with Mary Frances bringing in a box from outside, entering the Recreation Center all the while. Bessie notices, and spontaneously appears right in front of the troop leader, scaring her half to death.
"Hi, Mrs. Gibbons! I'll bet that's another prize for me. I did sell 100 boxes in 50 minutes, after all!" Bessie grabs the box, before Mary Frances stops her.
"Actually, Bessie, this is not for you. It's something that all the girls can enjoy!" announces Mary Frances.
"Yay! I like surprises." states a cheery Millie.
"Are we getting a pet? I hope it's a beaver! I promise I'll floss his teeth, and brush them, and never bite his tail, even if it looks like a waffle." says Penny.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, girls." replies Mary Frances.
"Way ahead of you." says Portia, as she brushes her hair with a comb.
Sitting right across from her, Gwen notices a gray patch of hair visible at the back of Portia's head. "Uh, Portia?"
"Gwen, I just have to straighten my cowlick and I promise I'll give your comb back in a second, okay?"
Gwen simply shrugs.
"But I still want to hear some excitement, because..." Mary Frances opens the box to reveal several cards. "It's time for the Poker Pals!"
Most of the Honeybees gasp in amazement, save for an unimpressed Gwen and Portia.
"I love polka! I play a mean accordion." claims Millie.
Mary Frances side eyes Millie. "Poker, Millie. You know, the great card game."
"I don't think I've played that before. But I'm really good at Chinese checkers, Sudoku, and backgammon!"
"Sorry, we're playing a game that was made in this continent." states a snobby Mary Frances.
Bessie raises her hand. "Excuse me, Mrs. Gibbons?"
Mary Frances face palms, dreading what's next. "Yes, Bessie?"
"Poker actually originated in France, where it was brought to the French Quarter and gained popularity in the South. Over time poker evolved and-"
Mary Frances interrupts her. "Thank you for the history lesson, Bessie. But I'll decide what's American here."
"Ooh, ooh! Like cheese!" exclaims Penny.
Mary Frances clears her throat. "All of you will pick a partner, and wager a badge of your choosing. Whoever wins gets the entire pot, in addition to..." Mary Frances grabs a badge out of thin air. "The Hold 'Em and Fold 'Em Badge!"
Bessie stares in awe at the badge.
"Of course, if you lose, then the badges waged will go to the winner and you'll have to re-earn them all over again."
"How are we gonna decide teams?" asks Millie.
"Good question, Mill! We could pull names out of a hat. Or flip a coin! Though we'd have to get creative with that option 'cause, ya know, heads or tails doesn't work with groups of multiples."
Bessie's head proceeds to pop out of Portia and Gwen's shirts, disgusting them.
"I got it! Musical chairs! Whoever's the last bee standing gets to pick the teams!"
Mary Frances then approaches the three, grabbing Bessie's disembodied head.
"That won't be necessary, Bessie." She places Bessie's head back on her body, twisting it on like a light bulb. "The oldest girl in the troop will get the first pick, and we'll work from there. Looks like that's mon petit Portia!"
"I call dibs on Gwen!" claims Portia.
"We got this in the bag!" Gwen high fives her best friend.
As the other Honeybees choose a partner, Bessie notices another unpicked Honeybee, Penny.
"Ol' reliable Pen. Looks like it's just you and me, huh?"
"Actually Bessie, Millie picked me!" informs Penny.
"Huh? I didn't hear her say anything at all!" replies Bessie.
"That's because she whispered it into my ear. Hear!"
Penny's left ear enlarges, as it begins to speak.
"Penny, do you want to be my Poker Pal?" asks an echoing Millie.
"Sure! Chicken Little loves polka dots!" replies Penny, her past self speaking through the ear.
Once Penny's ear returns to normal, she walks away from Bessie.
"Wow." states a nervous Bessie, as she sweats water drops shaped like bullets.
"Looks like Stinkenbottom's the runt of the litter!" teases Gwen.
"Yeah, so why don't you get along little dogie?" asks Portia.
Gwen laughs at Portia's remark. "Looks like you won't become the Mighty Dweeb now."
"It's Mighty B, Gwen. Easy mistake to make." replies Bessie.
"Whatever! It's not like you're gonna get the badge anyway." states Portia.
"Yeah, all your hopes and dreams going down the drain. Ooh!" adds Gwen.
"Why? Is it because nobody wants to be my partner?"
"Well, duh!" replies Portia. "It doesn't take a dork like you to figure that one out."
"It can't be because I'm bad at card games!" insists Bessie.
"Bingo!" answers Gwen.
"Now you're just talking bananas! I beat Ben at bingo every single time. Without a caller!"
"Oh, really? How about the time you played Go Fish?" asks Portia.
A flashback begins, as Portia and Bessie sit next to each other on the ground.
"Messie, when are you gonna go fish?"
"Not until I find a fish card, Porsche! You know how the game works!" says Bessie.
"Um, I think you're the one who doesn't get it." retorts Portia.
"Of course I do! I mean, they wouldn't call a game Go Fish if there weren't any fish cards, right? Who says letters and numbers get to have a monopoly in card games?"
Portia falls face first on her cards in frustration, as Bessie looks on.
"Pretty sure showing your cards isn't part of the rules!" says Bessie, as we return to the present.
"Am I wrong? Why call it Go Fish if there aren't any fish? It's not like the king and queen have water apparatuses to use in the ocean." rants Bessie.
"Don't forget Jack." says an annoyed Gwen.
"That knave? You know he doesn't live in the underwater castle!"
"Mom! Messie's being annoying again!" shouts Portia.
Mary Frances walks up to the trio. "What's the problem now, Bessie?"
"I don't have anyone to partner up with to earn the badge!" says Bessie.
"Well, if that's the case, you'll just have to sit this one out. Try not to take it so hard; no girl can earn every badge." says Mary Frances, in a patronizing tone.
"Wait! What if you give me a day to find a partner?" asks Bessie.
"Hmm. Well, I suppose. Don't get your hopes up, though. The odds aren't likely."
"Yes! This is gonna be awesome!" shouts Bessie, whose lisping drenches the faces of Portia, Gwen, and Mary Frances.
Later, Bessie is seen entering Hilary's Cafe. Her mother cleans the counter with a washcloth. Ben himself is shown sitting on the floor, reading a comic book.
"Hi, pumpkin! How'd it go?" asks Hilary.
"Well, there's good news and bad news." answers Bessie. "I need to earn the Hold 'Em and Fold 'Em badge!"
"Good?" inquires Hilary.
"No, Mom, that's bad! Because I need to find somebody to play poker with. A Poker Pal, as it were."
"Oh, that's too bad." muses Hilary.
"Actually, it's a good thing! Once I find a partner, I'm eligible for the badge." states Bessie.
"Hmm. What about Ben?"
Bessie laughs. "Are you kidding? Whenever we play Pineapple, he always licks the pineapple tokens! Blegh!"
"Hey! It's not my fault they look so delicious!" retorts Ben.
"Ben, for the last time, it's made out of plastic. Imitation pineapple but not the real deal!" explains Bessie.
"Oh, now you're just making me hungry again!"
Hilary shushes both of them. "Ben, here's a cookie!"
He proceeds to take a bite of it, and gasps. "There's sugar inside!" Ben's eyes light up, as he eats the cookie like an animal on the ground.
"Mom, do you know how to play poker?" asks Bessie.
"Do I know how to play poker?" inquires a confident Hilary.
"I just asked you that."
"Oh, Bessie, you don't know the half of it. Back in the day, I was a part of the Riot Dolls." explains Hilary.
"Ooh, sounds like a hair band! Did you have the crunchy hair or the poofy perm? I take you as the aerosol kind of gal." asks Bessie.
"Um, let's just say we were punk and traveled the world. Anyway, I was the best at playing poker. All the other ladies said I was queen of the heart breakers!" recalls Hilary.
"Don't you mean queen of hearts?" asks Bessie.
"Oh, right. Silly me!"
"Sounds like you were quite the expert at playing cards." claims Bessie.
"Nah! Just the best of the Riot Dolls." replies Hilary. "What was really impressive was that time I won in arm wrestling against a bear!"
Bessie gasps. "What kind? Grizzly, polar, panda?"
Hilary is taken aback, but answers with "I guess you could say grizzly."
"Those are the toughest ones! Mom, how'd you like to be my Poker Pal?" offers Bessie.
"Well gee, Bessie. I'm flattered, but I haven't played it in years. I'd be too rusty." reasons Hilary.
"Aw, come on!"
"Really, I'd love to, but I can't. I need to look after Ben." states Hilary.
"You don't have to worry about me, Mom! I just turned 7." claims a confident Ben.
Just as he's about to turn a page in his comic book, Ben accidentally gives himself a paper cut. A droplet of blood falls down, as Ben stares.
Ben screams with all his might. "No! Paper Towel Man used his most painful move! Cut 'em to a pulp! Somebody help me!"
"Don't worry, Benjamin! I'm here!" comforts Hilary.
"Mom, can you kiss my boo-boo and make it feel better?" asks Ben, as a tear runs down his face.
"Of course, sweetie. But not before we get my healing crystals."
"Can't we just use a bandage?" inquires Ben, as he and Hilary walk upstairs.
"Hmm. Looks like it's time to go into my thinking chamber." states Bessie.
In the following scene, Bessie is about to open The Hive's door.
"I can always rely on you to clear my head."
Just as Bessie opens the door, she is stunned to see Happy playing poker with The Hippie, Hal, Doctor/Vet, and The Dog Bartender. She approaches Happy, none too pleased at the display.
"Happy! How many times have I told you?"
He looks worryingly at Bessie, with the others surprised.
"You're supposed to use coasters while in The Hive. The cards could get wet from the drink sweat!" reprimands Bessie.
Calming down, Happy shrugs it off.
"Honestly Haps, you can be such an animal."
In annoyance, Happy proceeds to point at his round nose.
"A boop? Don't mind if I do!" Bessie then squeezes Happy's nose several times, as a bicycle horn is heard in the background.
An angered Happy yells at Bessie.
"Sheesh, Happy! I'll go! I swear, sometimes I feel you missed your calling as a sailor."
In response, Happy blows Bessie a raspberry. Bessie attempts to open the door, but it won't budge. She tries to use one of her pigtails to unlock it, to no avail.
"Hmm. Unusual but not impossible. Finger, help me out here!"
Finger tries his best to open the knob by sticking inside the hole, but this simply results in Finger getting stuck.
"Finger, calm down! I know you have a fear of the dark, but there's nothing I can do!" claims Bessie, desperately trying to pull him out of the keyhole. "Haps! Finger's stuck in the door knob again!"
Happy mutters in his dog voice, "Give me five."
"Wait. Five chips, five cards, or a card with the number five?" asks Hippie.
Happy tries to explain to The Hippie what he meant, but decides to go for five chips, adding them to the pot.
"Bummer. The highest card I got is four." resigns Hippie, as he folds.
The Dog Bartender agrees, also revealing his hand.
"Well, I'm not gonna quit so easily. Happy, I see your five and I'll raise you ten." proposes Hal, putting his chips up for grabs. "Good luck matching that one!"
Doctor/Vet laughs.
"What's so funny?" asks Hal.
"You can't pull a fast one on this trained osteopath! Hoppy and I can tell you're bluffing."
"Count them if you don't believe me." says Hal.
Doctor/Vet proceeds to do just that, as Hal continues speaking.
"I am the city dogcatcher after all. I have no reason to lie like you!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" asks Doctor/Vet.
"We all know how you earned your degrees." says Hal.
"I took an accelerated double major! It happens!"
As Hal and Doctor/Vet continue talking in the background, Happy is clearly bored from the duo's argument. He takes a look at Bessie, as he sets his cards down on the table.
"Oh, finally! I was worried I'd be here all day!" complains Bessie.
Back at the table, Hal and Doctor/Vet are still arguing.
"At least I still have hair left!" claims Doctor/Vet.
"In the back." retorts Hal.
"Whoa! This poker party is turning into a major drag. Make love, not war!" interrupts The Hippie, standing in between the two men.
Hal and Doctor/Vet simply stare at him. However, their attention turns to Happy's poker hand.
Happy opens the door from the inside, and proceeds to use a pen cap on the door knob. This frees Finger, who is pulsating due to the pain.
"How come you didn't use your claw this time?" asks Bessie.
Happy mutters, as he shows Bessie his trimmed claws.
"Ooh! So nice to see you engaging in nail hygiene. So, I don't want to take advantage of this moment or anything, but I need a partner for the Poker Pals. And, well, they say dogs are man's best friend after all! What do you say?"
Happy barks in anger.
"Pretty please, with biscuits on top? I need that Hold 'Em and Fold 'Em badge!" pleads Bessie, as she holds onto Happy's legs in desperation.
Happy once again declines Bessie's offer.
"I am not a sore winner! I just critique other's games so they'll get better next time." insists Bessie.
The dog turns his back away from his owner.
"Come on, Haps! Don't you want to be my CPA when I become the Mighty B? Superhero living isn't as cheap as it used to be!"
Happy shakes his head.
At the poker table, Hal and Doctor/Vet are shocked at Happy's hand, which is four of a kind.
"All I had was a three of a kind. He has four of 'em!" says Hal.
"I knew you were bluffing." responds Doctor/Vet.
"At least my cards were stronger than yours, pair!"
"I am not shaped like a pear! I'm more of a squash." says Doctor/Vet.
"Eh, what does it matter anyway? We got our butts kicked by a mutt."
The Dog Bartender barks.
"No offense." says Hal.
"Man, Happy totally nailed it!" opines Hippie, as all the men leave The Hive.
Bessie and Happy then return to the table.
"Can't you at least be there for me as my emotional support animal?" inquires Bessie.
Happy rolls his eyes at her.
"Fine! I guess I'll just have to pick Ben and do all the heavy lifting! Wouldn't be the first time! Man's best friend. Yeah, right!" Bessie proceeds to go into The Hive's dumbwaiter, leaving for Hilary's Cafe.
As Happy sits down at the table, he is surprised to see no one there. However, his surprise turns into delight when he sees all the items that were bet on are now his possessions, namely Hippie's fake dog poo, a coupon for The Dog Bartender's The Dog Bowl, a free checkup at Happy Pet Vet, Hal's bacon wraps, and Happy's own bet: biscuits.
He puts bacon wraps over his biscuits, as Happy thinks about how he has never won so easily at poker before. Bessie then enters his mind through a thought bubble, as he softly feels his chin with his fingers.
After the bubble disappears, Happy snaps his finger and jumps outside The Hive's window, doing parkour around the Higgenbottom household.
Meanwhile, Bessie sits down in Ben's room on the floor with her brother, Ben is shuffling cards, which fly around the room.
"Ben! How can I expect you to be my sidekick when you can't even shuffle a deck of cards?"
"I only have one good thumb now, so be patient with me!" snaps back Ben.
"Whoa! You certainly got the sidekick sass down to a tee." opines Bessie.
Suddenly, Happy breaks through Ben's widow.
"My window! Now I'll get the chills every night." despairs Ben. "Thanks a lot, Happy!"
Happy assures Ben he'll fix it.
"Yeah, because you fixing my action figure turned out so well. He's got a foot for a head!" states Ben.
Happy banters with Ben.
"Action figure, Happy! Action figure! Dolls don't have bendable arms or capes!"
Happy lets out a wheezy dog laugh.
"Ben, enough! Happy and I clearly have something important to discuss!" claims Bessie. "Go play in the backyard!"
"We don't have one!" replies Ben.
"Then imagine one! Get out of my room!"
"But this is my-" Bessie shuts the door on Ben before finishing his sentence.
Bessie walks up to Happy. Happy proceeds to explain he changed his mind and wants to be Bessie's partner.
"Really? 'Cause you said you'd rather have Veggie Pup than be my partner! Which, by the way, is some tasty stuff! You don't know what you're missing, Haps!"
Happy raises an eyebrow at Bessie.
"Don't give me that look! You eat human food all the time, can't I indulge in canine cuisine too?" asks Bessie.
Happy uses his hand to signal that Bessie should sit down next to him, as he picks up the scattered cards on the floor.
"Oh, this is gonna be great! Finally, we're gonna be a team! What should our name be? Higgenbottom Squared? The Collar Club? Tail Twosome? Last one's my favorite, 'cause you got a dog tail and I have pigtails!"
"Ssh!" shushes Happy, as he gives Bessie some cards.
"Gotcha! I'll be as quiet as a quail!"
Happy begins to shuffle the cards in a deck. The scene transitions to Mary Frances doing the same at the Recreation Center, using her press-on nails to switch a few cards in separate positions.
"Five more minutes, and the Poker Pals matchup shall begin." announces Mary Frances.
"Where's Messie? You'd think she would have showed up way before we did." wonders Portia.
"What does it matter? It's not like she was gonna find someone to partner with anyway!" reasons Gwen.
Seconds later, Bessie enters the Recreation Center, alongside Happy. Both of them are wearing green poker visors on their heads.
"Ew! Those hats are so last season." claims Portia.
"They wanna protect their precious little eyes when they sit in the nosebleed section."
Gwen and Portia proceed to laugh at the duo.
"Nope! I found a Poker Pal, and it's Happy!"
Bessie gestures to an innocent looking Happy, as he barks in excitement.
Portia is seething, as Gwen looks on. Gwen thinks for a moment, and comes up with an idea.
"Too bad he's not eligible."
"What do you mean?" asks Bessie.
"Just hear what page 45 has to say about your little team up." states Gwen. She reads the following passage: "In team competitions, a Honeybee must partner up with another member of the troop. Anyone not enrolled in the Honeybees - case in point, that mutt of yours - is ineligible to partake in Honeybee activities."
"Welp, looks like you're gonna have to miss out on this badge. What a shame." claims Mary Frances, trying not to smile.
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Except for one little thing!" says Bessie.
"What are you talking about, Stinkenbottom? Let it go, you're not gonna earn the badge." says a dissuading Portia.
"Normally, what Gwen is saying would be true. However, anyone who is not a Honeybee may be allowed to participate if they have a badge of their own."
"And? I don't see a sash on that fleabag!" retorts Portia.
Happy barks back at her.
"If you girls remember, Happy earned the Animal Appreciation badge in the dog show. Show 'em, Haps!"
"Yeah!" states Happy in his dog-like voice, extending his tongue to reveal the badge in question. Happy allows the tongue to return to normal size, temporarily rolling up like a window shade.
Mary Frances sighs in defeat. "Okay, Bessie. You and... that pet of yours can be Poker Pals."
Bessie and Happy hold each other's hands, jumping up and down.
"Mommy! You said it was a sure thing she wouldn't get in!" complains Portia.
"Indoor voice, Portia. Besides, my hands are tied." shrugs Mary Frances.
The competitors all take a seat, their desks combined to form a poker table.
"Now remember: keep it civil. We wouldn't want to call your mothers!" warns Mary Frances.
"Does that include dads?" inquires Penny, raising her hand.
"Sure. Let the Poker Pals begin!" announces Mary Frances.
The Honeybees all put a badge into the pot: Penny's Chicken Pox badge, Bessie's Pet Lovers, Portia's Origami, Gwen's Unicorn Finder, Millie's Polkapalooza, and others from remaining Honeybees. All the teams bet one chip each. Mary Frances then gives every team five cards.
"Happy, should we bet? I got a feeling we have a strong set of cards!" exclaims Bessie.
Happy puts his finger on Bessie's mouth, shaking his head no.
Penny is seen sucking on her and Millie's chips.
"Tampering with your chips! Team Lefkowitz and Millerson, you are disqualified!" declares Mary Frances.
"Penny, how could you?" asks Millie.
Penny proceeds to swallow the poker chips, shocking Millie. "Those are the best potato chips I've ever had."
"Um, Mrs. Gibbons? How does poker work again?" asks Tigerlily.
Mary Frances blows a whistle on her neck. "You're out of the game!"
"But all I did was ask a question!"
"You had plenty of time to learn yesterday." says Mary Frances.
Tigerlily and her partner hang their heads in shame.
Then, Nisa accidentally drops her cards. "Whoops!"
"Nisa, Tatum, you're both history!"
Nisa cries, as Tatum attempts to comfort her.
One of the three teams left, consisting of two brown skinned Honeybees, sneeze on their cards.
"Penalty! Lack of proper hygiene! You girls are out!" states Mary Frances. "All the unused chips are now property of Portia Gibbons."
Portia greedily grabs all of them, and adds it to her own pile. Happy lets out a smile, seeing the competition dwindling.
"Happy! Don't you know it's impolite to take joy in other people's misfortune?" asks Bessie. "Good thing it wasn't us, though! Phew!"
"Everyone's dropping like flies." comments Gwen.
"Except for Messie. That dog must be doing all the heavy lifting." realizes Portia.
Mary Frances claps her hands to get everyone's attention. "We have our finalists! My darling daughter Portia and her partner Gwen, with... Bessie and her dog as the others remaining."
"You two are gonna eat my dust! My Mom was a poker champ back in the day in an all girl group!" states Bessie.
"Figures. That explains her earthy look." snarks Mary Frances.
"Oh, yeah? Well, my Mom wins Solitude every night against total strangers! Welcome to the 21st century, Stinkenbottom!" retorts Portia.
"Solitaire, Portia. No need to make mommy sound more desperate than she already is." states Mary Frances, under her breath.
"Be quiet, mommy!" demands Portia.
Mary Frances gasps. "Portia!"
Happy looks over the chips he and Bessie have remaining, and decides to grab them all.
"Haps! You're using all of our chips!"
Happy barks at Bessie, possessive of the chips.
"Going all in? But that means we could lose it all!" states Bessie.
Happy points to his head.
"Oh, Happy. You live on the edge."
Happy proceeds to put the chips in the center of the table, where several badges and other team's chips remain.
"Wow! That was a totally stupid move!" opines Portia.
"Guess they'll have to use you two as the example picture in the dictionary!" Portia and Gwen high five each other.
"Are you perhaps too scared to bet as much as we did? I mean, we don't blame you! Just thought you'd meet us halfway, ya know?" says Bessie.
"Can you believe this?" asks Gwen.
"What?" asks Portia.
"Stinkenbottom's trying to trick us into betting!"
"Not at all! We're just having a friendly game of poker." states Bessie.
"With badges at stake? I don't think so." replies Gwen.
As Bessie converses with Gwen, Happy notices Portia is starting to sweat. He then taps on Bessie's shoulder.
"Happy, I told you to go to the bathroom before we left!"
Happy shakes his head, and then whispers something into Bessie's ear.
"Tells? What does that mean?" asks a confused Bessie.
A frustrated Happy grabs the cards out of Bessie's hand.
"Well, fine then! Sorry for not knowing everything!"
Noticing Portia's nervousness, Gwen attempts to comfort her.
"See, girl? Those two have no clue what they're doing!"
Portia wipes a bead of sweat off her forehead. "You're right! I got nothing to worry about. They probably got lower cards, too."
"Exactly! So let's up the ante and use up all our chips! There's no way we could lose to Stinkenbottom!" assures Gwen.
Gwen grabs Portia's large amount of chips, and adds it to the pot.
"What's our next move, Haps? Do we fold? Call? Raise?"
Happy shouts at Bessie, as they can no longer call or raise.
"Well, sorry! I'm new at this whole poker thing! Cut a girl some slack, would ya?" asks Bessie rhetorically.
"We can hear you talking, ya know." states Portia, as Gwen laughs.
Happy thinks about his next move, before snapping his finger. A dog bone appears above his head. Back to the game, Happy makes a proposition with Portia and Gwen.
"But Happy, we don't have those!" warns Bessie.
Happy gives Bessie the stink eye for this comment.
"You really expect me to buy that lie, kibble breath? Gwen and I know you're totes bluffing." says Portia.
"We're not that stupid, ya know!" adds Gwen.
Bessie sighs. "You guys are right. That was a bluff."
Happy is confused by Bessie's comment, and talks to her.
"Sorry, Haps. We might as well drop the charade."
Happy shakes his head no, and tries to convince Bessie not to.
"Hey, we had a good run. Gwen and Portia are the clear winners, and there's nothing we can do about it." says a defeated Bessie.
Happy tries to stop Bessie from folding, using his upper arm strength to best hers.
"Well, it's about time, Messie!" claims Portia.
"Especially when you can't beat..."
Gwen reveals her and Portia's cards to be three kings and two queens.
"A full house!" announce Portia and Gwen.
Happy bites his nails off, worried what Bessie will do next.
"That's a pretty good hand, Porsche."
"I know that already, but thanks for the validation." replies Portia.
"But every self respecting home should have a bathroom." says Bessie.
Portia is confused. "What are you talking about?"
"She's probably in denial over losing." reasons Gwen.
"Time to put your rubber gloves on, ladies."
"And why is that, Messie?" inquires Portia.
"Tell her, Haps!" commands Bessie.
A grinning Happy reveals he and Bessie's hand: an ace, king, queen, jack, and the number 10.
"Royal flush!" announce both Bessie and Happy.
Portia's eye twitches. "B-b-but you folded!"
"Nope! I never set the cards down on the table!" says Bessie, as Happy nods.
"I lost... to Stinkenbottom?" A queasy Gwen leaves for the bathroom, puking off screen.
Mary Frances, who had fallen asleep, wakes up. After seeing Bessie's win, she decides to go back to bed.
"Mommy! This is so not fair! Messie and her ugly dog tricked me into thinking I won!" screams a despondent Portia.
"That's poker for you, honey. Now, let mommy get some beauty rest, okay?"
Portia looks at Bessie and Happy in anger, as they celebrate.
Later, everyone has left the Recreation Center except for Bessie and Happy. Happy collects their winnings as Bessie is about to open the door.
"Well, we did it! We got the Hold 'Em and Fold 'Em badge!" proclaims Bessie. "I couldn't have done it without you."
Happy howls in celebration. He then has something to say to Bessie.
"Aw, thanks Haps! Earning the Master Manipulator badge taught me all about exploiting others!" says a giddy Bessie.
Happy confesses to Bessie that he had used her under the belief she was a good luck charm, and rubs the back of his head in shame.
"You know what? No matter what the reason was, I'm just glad you were my Poker Pal. I couldn't ask for a better best friend." states a sincere Bessie.
Bessie proceeds to remove the Pet Lovers badge on her sash, and places it on Happy's chest. Touched by this kind gesture, Happy returns the favor and puts the Animal Appreciation badge on Bessie's sash.
After smiling at each other momentarily, Bessie breaks the silence.
"Wanna clean out Ben's candy stash in poker?" asks Bessie.
She and Happy high five each other in the air, as the episode ends.