Love

26 December 2024

By Royal Flushes

CINDY: Let’s talk about love.

ABBY: We aren’t too old for that are we?

CINDY: No. I mean what we feel about playing in the casinos. Do we love it?

ABBY: Except when we hate it.

CINDY: Okay, so you have a love / hate relationship with the casinos?

ABBY: Absolutely.

CINDY: More love? Or More hate?

ABBY: Much more love. And you?

CINDY: Oh, much more love than hate. Hate comes in and out at times and that is mostly related to other players or maybe really awful streaks and the like.

ABBY: Yes, I feel that way too. I actually can accept the fact that I will have bad streaks and awful streaks occasionally and many times I will have small losses. I can handle that. I have my bankroll in my separate account.

CINDY: Scoblete calls that the 401G bank account.

ABBY: Yes, and that “G” stands for gambling. Having that account has been a great help because I guess you could say that the money in it is play money. I only use that money to play with. No “real” money.

CINDY: Do you think that it is a great idea, the “G” account?

ABBY: Totally. It takes the burden off you so you can play fearlessly. And whatever happens, happens.

CINDY: Like playing monopoly with monopoly money. You still want to win but losing is just a part of the game and the money isn’t really needed for anything other than playing monopoly.

ABBY: What things do you hate in the casinos?

CINDY: Always at blackjack when you are at the table with a person who considers him or herself an expert – especially if they really don’t have the basic strategy down correctly and they keep giving you advice and criticism about how you play your cards. And, of course, they are almost always wrong.

ABBY: Early on in my blackjack playing days those people could rattle me a little. Now, I just look at them and smile. You would think the older blackjack players would take the hint. They could be the worst!

CINDY: It is funny. You could say we have become “hardened” casino players.

ABBY: Like steel. Most of the experts I don’t really hate, as such, I just dislike that they have no full idea of how to play the best game, percentage-wise, in the casino.

CINDY: Be honest now, what losses really affect you? Losses that hurt?

ABBY: Early in my experience when I was down and I thought, “It’s time to go.”

CINDY: And you didn’t go?

ABBY: I didn’t go. I stayed and took a terrible beating. I knew better. I should have called it a day or a night, but I stubbornly just kept playing in the hopes that the game would turn around.

CINDY: Bad streaks are not preordained; you can be losing and losing a lot and then you have a good streak. That can happen, but still, I think you feel the full drain of the bad streak even if you make a comeback. I think that is why you used to kick yourself.

ABBY: That really doesn’t happen much anymore. I have my time to quit, my personal playing rules and I follow them. If I am behind, I am behind and I head out. I get plenty of play in too.

CINDY: Same for me.

ABBY: Love and hate. Mostly love.

CINDY: Mostly love.