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Even high rollers must reach a point when they’re losing money irresponsibly
“Well, do you feel lucky?” my wife once asked me at a blackjack table in Las Vegas. It was in response to a question I’d asked her about what to do in the game. Whether to take another card or (I vaguely remember you can do this) “split” my hand or (again, this is the dimmest of recollections) somehow bet more even though you’re in the middle of a hand and betting generally happens at the beginning.
I didn’t get on well with blackjack. It’s so stressful. You have to make loads of quick decisions, one after another, in a slightly stern context where you’re expected to know what you’re doing. There are rules about what is and isn’t appropriate when you have certain cards and it irritates people – both dealers and other players – if you break them. I don’t mean official rules of the game – I wasn’t trying to introduce dice or a quiz round – but things that one conventionally doesn’t do in certain gameplay situations. I can’t remember any specifics, just the stress surrounding my failure to observe them. Continue reading...