Compromise

13 June 2021

By John Grochowski

Life is full of compromises, and sometimes casino players compromise on the games they play.

Maybe they compromise because they're with a group and want to be part of the gang. Maybe they compromise because of budgets or bankrolls.

I've accumulated a few stories from readers who sometimes played games that weren't their favorites because of outside influences.

BRENDA: This all seems so dumb to me now. I was on a second date with a guy. Our first was just coffee and get acquainted, We found we both liked casinos, so we decided that would be our second date.

One thing we didn't talk about was what games we liked. Brady suggested we find penny slots next to each other, and I figured, OK, we're here to get to know each other better. Might as well play where we can talk and play at our own pace.

Thing is, he didn't talk. He just stared at his screen and pushed the spin button. The most I got out of him was, "Look! A bonus."

After about half an hour, he suggested we play some roulette, and I went along. There, he told me all about his theories on picking, I smiled, nodded and kept my bets small

I wish I'd said, "Let me show you how to shoot craps. That's what I really like to play. My uncle taught me when I was a teen, much to the dismay of my parents. I love it, and maybe in showing my date how it was done, we'd have communicated more.

All in all, I was bored, didn't learn much more about Brady, and didn't even get to play the game I liked. Meh.

TOM: I was a groomsman in a big wedding, and the bachelor party was at a casino. All the others had got together and decided the festivities would include the groom, best man and groomsmen all going to the same blackjack table. We'd pitch in and fund the groom's bets, within limits.

I HATE blackjack. I tried to steer the best man to some other game for gamble-together time. Craps is fun, I told him. You can make some noise, cheer each other on, have more of a party atmosphere.

He insisted it had to be blackjack. The others agreed. I wasn't going to be the party pooper, so I agreed to play along.

Turns out nobody had asked the groom. They led him to the table and he said, "Oooooh, I've never played blackjack before." Fortunately, the crew recognized a bachelor party newbie when they saw one, and were laid back as others helped him. It wasn't a bad party after all, just not one the groom or I would have chosen.

KIRK: My park district sponsored a seniors bus trip to a casino about a two-hour drive away. It was fun, even the two-hour ride. We socialized and shared our life stories, or at least parts of them and when we got to the casino, lunch was provided.

Normally, I play blackjack and video poker. I'd taken out $250 so I could play my games.

When I got to a blackjack table, I was going to buy in for $100. I looked in my wallet, and I only had $47. I'd taken the $250 out, but I hadn't put in my wallet.

What could I do? I played penny slots, and I played very slowly. At least most of the others were playing penny slots, so it wasn't a bad day, just not the one I'd planned.

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