Gambling, also known by its friendlier name “gaming”, is a major industry in the United States. It’s hard these days to find a person who hasn’t gone to Vegas, where it is reported that over 86% of the visitors gambled during their stay. Of course you don’t have to travel to Nevada anymore to game. 48 of the 50 states currently have casinos. I believe it is Utah and Hawaii that don’t. All sell lottery tickets of some kind. And if you really are dying to gamble, it’s only a click away.
But for me, I get my fix of gaming in much simpler down to earth ways. First, its good to have a local bookie; keep your winnings and losings in the local economy. (Think globally, shop locally). Second, realize why you game. Things are more fun when you have something at stake. Third, everything in life has the potential to bet on. I once lost 20 bucks to my dad on the states governors’ race. (Tip: in an election never bet against a Bush, those races are fixed). And finally, you don’t need to go to Las Vegas to be entertained, every night out has gaming potential. Here are a few of my favorite games.
Game One: Guess the nationality of the cab driver. While waiting for a cab, bet your friends the cab driver’s nationality. This is much harder than it sounds, mostly because when people hear cab driver they automatically buy in to stereotypes. Don’t be fooled, people from all walks of life drive cabs and sometimes I need to look the country up after I hear the cabbies nationality. (This game is also a good way to learn geography.)
Game Two: Wager on Service. Lean into the bar and see which of your friends will get the bartender’s attention first. After you’ve played this game a few times you’ve notice the same person is always ordering the drinks. Eventually you’ll want to make this game more fair by placing different odds on people. (Tip: Women generally have better odds at being served then men do.)
Game Three: Name a wine on the wine list. This game takes trust. Dishonest friends will scout wine lists ahead of time. Be careful, but with people you trust this can become a fun game. (Well maybe only for us wine dorks, but if you're reading this blog that assumption is a safe bet.) A wine I find is a good bet is Covey Run. My favorite is the Quail label Cab Sauv.
Covey Run Quail Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 is a great wine, especially for the price. In the glass the wine is aromatic and deeply colored. The palette is fruity, with flavors of cherries and berries and hints of spice. This is a medium-bodied flavors Cab from Washington. The main reason you’ll find this wine in restaurants is it pair well with many meals. I like it with cheese burgers myself.
The most important thing however is don’t feel limited by the games you play. Remember, everything and anything can be wagered on. Gaming is only a problem when you can’t cover your loses. So make sure to have lots of bets going at all times so your winnings can cover your loses. Now if you’ll excuse me I have an Easter egg hunt to bet on. (Tip: smart money is on the pushy girl with pigtails.)
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