The Past

18 August 2022

By Royal Flushes

CINDY: This is kind of a “remember when” article as there are some things that I remember that are maybe worth or not worth remembering.

ABBY: I can go along with that. There are things I remember too. Not so important but memorable to me. I think most casino players have similar memories, maybe not so important in the scheme of things like winning a lot of money now and then.

CINDY: Early on in Atlantic City the first casino opened and you had to pay money to get into it. I don’t remember how much the entrance fee was but the whole thing seems ridiculous to me now. You are paying to play games where the house had and still has an edge on every game. What was with that? Were players too stupid to know they were being ripped off? Well, I was one of those silly players too.

ABBY: Me too!

CINDY: I remember too that the Atlantic City casinos were not open for 24 hours. They closed, I don’t quit remember at what time, but then after some hours, they opened again. There would be a lineup of players waiting to play in the morning. It was almost like feeding time at the zoo.

ABBY: Me being one of the zoo animals!

CINDY: The first time we went to Vegas was something of a shock, a very, very good shock.

ABBY: After all those years playing in Atlantic City, we weren’t ready for what we found. The Atlantic City blackjack games were average except you could occasionally get a four-deck game with good rules. Then we went to Las Vegas.

CINDY: They had many casinos with single-deck games with good rules. Holy cow. The comps were great. The pit people came to the tables and almost begged you to take their breakfast and lunch comps. It was amazing.

ABBY: We were small players…

CINDY: Really small.

ABBY: They made you feel like high rollers. It was as if they were rooting for you to win.

CINDY: Now, yes, we didn’t go to the big casinos but we played the smaller places and they sure made you feel welcomed.

ABBY: Yes, we added Vegas as a yearly stop. Right up until now.

CINDY: But over the years, and with the spread of casinos throughout the country, Vegas is not as special as it used to be. The blackjack games are nowhere as good as they used to be. Both Atlantic City and Vegas have changed the rules to favor the casinos even more. You’ll find those changes in almost every casino in the country.

ABBY: How many players do you think are in America and Canada? Take a guess.

CINDY: Maybe 70 million or thereabouts.

ABBY: I’m guessing around there too, especially with Internet gambling added to the list. It could be the major activity for many people.

CINDY: You go into a different world when you enter a casino. It is made to make you feel you are in a different world. There used to be no clocks anywhere to be found.

ABBY: It was said that the casinos pumped in air and special subtle odors that kept players awake.

CINDY: I don’t think they actually did the air and odor thing but it was part of the mythology of the casino world. What else?

ABBY: Next week!