Ivan found that going only to vampire bars repulsed him both in theory and in practice. Sustenance was all well and good (less good, if they all kept closing), but there wasn't much entertainment to be found in such places; besides, the way the wind was blowing, he could use some allies. And people watching was better in other parts of the city too.

Normally, he'd be happy to just sit in the corner and watch, but he could use a return on his cash, and he'd been playing poker since only a few decades after the modern form was invented, and he'd been lying for more than two centuries. He didn't win enough to piss off the locals, but he did win steadily enough that he was netting a profit.

Eventually, it's inevitable he and Aimery will end up at the same table.