I've never been a gambler. I just don't see the point. I think it's mostly because I have awful luck, so gambling is another way of saying "let's throw some money in the trash." So a couple weekends ago we were in Vegas for Julian and Erika's bachelor/bachelorette party, and I guess
you can't really go to Vegas and not gamble just a little bit, so we hit up the slot machines. At this point you might be saying, "well no wonder you never win, no one wins on slot machines." I actually talked to someone last week who won $800 bucks or something on a slot machine. I still can't believe it. But anyway, I play slot machines for several reasons. 1) I'm too intimidated to play at the tables: my math is too slow for blackjack, and I'm too self conscious of looking like an idiot to play any other game, and 2) I can play a penny or a dime at a time on the slot machines: tables require a bit more of a start up investment, which I always lack.
Anyhow, before this trip I just never understand how people can loose so much money on gambling. I mean, if you notice you've just blown $200, why are you going to keep playing? I loose $20 and I start freaking out about everything I could have done with those twenty bucks, so I stop playing.
But then I saw it: we were walking by some slot machines at the New York New York, and I swear it was calling to me. So I sat down, threw in ten bucks, and started playing. I think it was a quarter machine, which is pretty high-roller-status for me. I would get pretty low on my credits, and just when I was about to lose faith, it would give me a few credits, just to keep me going. Much to Jeff and Pat's amusement, I started getting pretty into it. I mean, talking and encouraging my slot machine: "If you don't give me anything, I'm gonna lose all my money and I won't be able to play anymore (tsk, tsk)." Yep, it's true, I did it.
And it was then I could see how some addictions develop: you keep hoping the next play is gonna be it, this one is gonna be a winner, I deserve it, I've been playing all night, something's gonna give. I definitely felt that way. I still walked away after losing about ten bucks only, but I got a sense of the feeling that must overpower people that are addicted to gambling. I guess I'm just lucky I didn't have more money to lose :)
No comments:
Post a Comment