Got Nugget? Part One.
Brad Chin
From Sparks, NV to Oakland, CA
I’m back in the Bay Area once again, after a nice relaxing week-long vacation — one so beautifully juxtaposed with the frenzied chaos of sound, drink, screams and laughter. The feint “clink” sound echoes through the walkways between high-tech digital slot machines emulating the sound of “coin payouts.” Buckets abound — as if they’re to be used by anyone anymore — there aren’t any “coin op” machines (insofar as I know)!
I felt a constant pressure there; one created by the overinflated egos and expectations mixed with the spirit of karma — positive and negative energy… in spades.
Blackjack — Win $700 during a fifteen minute rush; royal matches at 2.5:1 at least every other… 61 hands won out of 65. Loss of $470 during a ten minute beatdown; dealt two tens, dealer shows “6” — flips over “5” followed by “10.” Losing with a “20” when the dealer shows “6” — that hurts.
When that happens once…
It’s no biggie — and it’s not like I’m going to complain when I’m on the other side of that sort of Blackjack-magic. When bad beats happen like that hand after hand; well, that pile of chips starts to get small and the urge is to play just a little bit bigger — to win back the loss.
That’s generally a bad idea.
That’s probably the time to color up and play something else. Relax a bit… let the dealer “cool off.” People who’ll tell you that “cards have no memory” clearly don’t gamble much in the casino — the cards come in “runs,” and when you’re hot… it’s time to press the bets!
Especially with single or double-deck Blackjack… forget what the “guide” says and the “count.” Even if the deck doesn’t count rich — if you’re still winning each hand, why lower the bets back just because some book might try to tell you to?
Luck is essential. People who “gamble” and try too hard to use a “system” or mathematics generally aren’t having too much fun, win or lose.
It’s called “gambling,” and it’s supposed to be “fun.”
Playing against the house at a casino isn’t a career. The allure of “get rich quick” draws a lot of people to the tables and the slot machines, because, who knows — anyone could hit it big! That’s “luck.”
Many people find out that the dreams of “get-rich-quick” were payed for by a common, opposing reality — “get poor, quick.” The casino does not get so big and so pretty because the house loses regularly. The odds are generally against the player, but it is possible to win… sometimes, even… likely.
So gambling; win or lose, it should be, “have fun doing it.”
If it’s not fun, spend your money on something else.