"Out, Damned Spot!"

14 April 2022

By Royal Flushes

CINDY: Lady Macbeth is one of the great characters in world literature. She teases and tempts her husband to kill King Duncan so that the two of them can rule Scotland. Her ambition is overwhelming but she doesn’t realize that the murder – and the blood from King Duncan which is everywhere in the King’s chambers after Macbeth slaughters him – will fester inside her and destroy her.

ABBY: What’s the comparison with casino playing? I have a couple.

CINDY: There are some. That gout of blood on Lady Macbeth’s hand in her dream can’t go away not matter how much she dreams of washing it away, nor can we fully wash away the absolutely dumb decisions we have made over the years in the casinos. They are a stain against our character in a way. Okay, not so bad as killing someone. We aren’t swimming in blood.

ABBY: Well, some players do allow themselves to kill themselves in a casino by poor play and stupid decisions. And when it’s all over, they know it! They come into play with the idea that they are going to “bet it up” and make a killing and the only killing they make is to their bankroll.

CINDY: Maybe they do dream of the money they wasted during their play and dream about it as Lady Macbeth dreams of Duncan’s blood on her hands. Maybe they try to reach out and grab the money as it flies away from them.

ABBY: Great way to think of it.

CINDY: What about you? You have had some dumb decisions in the casinos, right?

ABBY: Yes. I once had a great dinner and I had some great wine. I then went into the casino to the craps table absolutely convinced that I couldn’t lose that night. Why not go for the worst bets that paid the most money since I knew I was going to triumph over the house. That was my idea of becoming the Queen of the casinos!

CINDY: You cried that night. I remember that. You took it very hard.

ABBY: It wasn’t just losing. It was how I lost. I just kept throwing money out there, thinking it was all going to turn around. It didn’t turn at all. I guess you could say that was my night of blood. I convinced myself I was going to win and I couldn’t lose. Gosh, I was so stupid.

CINDY: I think many casino players have that type of night. Maybe they have many of those types of nights. One wonders if they are actually happy with their play.

ABBY: It is one thing to lose but it is another thing to lose because you lose control of your intellect. Losing yourself, I guess you could say.

CINDY: Playing can be a very emotional thing.

ABBY: That’s part of the fun of it too.

CINDY: Yes. But those emotions have to be controlled too.

ABBY: Oh, yes, tell me about that.

CINDY: Therefore, one night Abby was our very own Lady Macbeth. But you recovered from that one night. Lady Macbeth never recovered.

ABBY: She never did.

CINDY: True.