The Gambler

I'm dating myself a little here, sort of, I think I was about 6 when this song came out...but I've always had a soft spot for Kenny Rogers and The Gambler - loved the song, loved all the movies, even Gambler 4 (I think) which was...well, bad. But I watched it and I loved it. And then two years ago, my husband and I went to Vegas for our 10th anniversary trip and I become a gambler...and now I love the movie/song even more.

No, I'm not a poker girl. I hate playing slots (ever thought about all the germs and contagions on those machines thanks to all the hands touching them? ::shiver::) and I don't 'get' Craps. I'm a Keno girl. Keno is a game of numbers - 1-80 to be exact - and in each game 20 numbers are picked from a bubble thingy (think a Bingo turner only slightly more techie). In my Keno version (there are many and you can even make up your own) I pick 8 numbers and hope they all pop up. If they do, I win big bucks; if only a few pop up, I win less but I still win. My favorite part of the game? I can play for a few hours, while my husband is in the sports book, for $5 or less. Yeah, big gambler me.

The thing is, I don't like parting with money for no reason and in many cases gambling is a 'no reason'. Sure, a great pair of shoes will make me wretched with wanting...but I digress. Gambling is essentially throwing money at something until you win and in most cases you basically win back your losses. I don't enjoy that. But gambling $5 at a time (and I do usually win at least my money back) for the chance to really go big? I'll take that.

Kind of like the risk I take every time I send out a submission to an agent or an editor. At the least, I'll get some feedback (usually) but then there's that chance. The 'i want to represent you/offer you a contract' go-big-chance. I guess maybe I'm a gambler after all.

Comments

  1. Fun post. I've never been to Vegas, and the truth is that I'm a little afraid I might have a gambling problem if I did.

    I'm a slots girl, but I think I'll try Keno. It sounds fun.

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  2. Keno is very fun - with the benefit of being cheap! You should try it some time. :)

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  3. I'm a cards girl. I love blackjack, but I don't like the odds. My game of choice is Pow-gow poker for the same reason you play keno. You can play a long time on a little money because you break even more times than not.

    Although the last time I went to a casino on the coast, I played this Stargate slot--had Jack, Daniel Jackson, Teal-c--how could I go wrong and had a blast. Especially when I got to spin the stargate. And I won! 50 bucks when I quit because my mom and husband were ready to go. But I won.

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  4. Isn't winning the best feeling, Margie? Even when it's 'little'! I'll look into pow-gow sometime, sounds like my kind of game. :)

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  6. I like Slots, but I'm not a gambler. Powerball is up to what, $220 million, or something? And I still can't force myself to spend the money.

    I gamble mostly on contests, I guess. For $25 or $30, I can get my butt kicked, or if I gamble and win, an editor request. My odds haven't been good lately...

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  7. I'm a slots girl. I had a blast the last time I was in Vegas. I guess if you're a writer, you're automatically a gambler.

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