And when our group here started considering a trip to Atlantic City, I wasn't sure. Primarily, I wasn't sure about it - moreso because it was going to conflict with game three of the World Series. But when the Rangers dropped the first two games of the series, I decided to go. You only live once, right?
The trip cost $40, including $20 worth of chips to the casino. It was going to be a nice little expedition out of Delaware, and I eventually looked forward to it. The trip down the New Jersey Turnpike was cool, especially with the leaves changing all over the place.
As soon as we got there, we went straight to the buffet for lunch. It was $16, but it had a bit of everything to eat. The three of us ate enough to feel content with the price of the buffet, and then we headed to the casino.
It turned out that the $20 wasn't actually in chips but for slots. We quickly used up the money (on a "game card"), converting any winnings into cash. One of the people in our group had no interest in gambling, and she ran off to the aquarium. With my other colleague eager to play high-stakes blackjack, I was left on my own.
Now I haven't played blackjack in a long time, and I'm not exactly good at it. But with only one poker table in the whole casino, I decided to try it. I had a $10 bill in my wallet, and I decided to try one game. The dealer was a bit peeved that she had to shuffle for one game for one person (I intentionally chose an empty table), but I didn't really care.
She shuffled and dealt. 14 for me. Hit me. A 10 came down. 22. Bust.
"Well, that was fun," I said.
"Not really," the dealer said as I walked off.
With no other cash, I decided to go to the ATM. I'd hoped to bring enough cash to not have to do that, but with the bus ride and the buffet, I was already in trouble. I pulled out $50, knowing that I was going to allow myself one more trip to reach the $100 limit I'd placed on myself.
I continued to play blackjack, learning some of the hidden tricks of the game on the fly. I wasn't overly concerned about the other players at the table (a mistake, I later learned), and I wasn't great at strategy at first. And since the casino had a $10 minimum bet, I found myself losing the money quickly. For that first $50, I never actually went up. I lost, got a bit back, and eventually lost it all.
Back to the ATM.
For my second trip, I tried to do a little better. I found a table with a colorful group of people, and I actually did a little better. Until one hand.
I was dealt another 14. The dealer had a 6 showing. I decided to hit, hoping to get a bit closer to 21. The people at the table were instantly horrified...the rules, they said, demanded that a player stay with cards higher than 12 when the dealer is showing a 6 or less.
I busted. The dealer ended up hitting and beating everyone at the table.
The guy next to me was really mad. He promised to leave as soon as the next hand was played, and he eventually did that. I was later told that blackjack is, oddly enough, a team sport. The team against the dealer. And if I'd just stayed, everyone at the table would have won. I made a mistake, and because of it, the whole table lost.
I actually went up the second time (about $10), but I gave it all back. I tried to stay with money, but I figured I should either go up big or lose it all. In my head, the $100 was a sunken cost that I was willing to lose. I wasn't going to bet any more, but I saw no reason to only lose $70 instead of the $100.
But I was slightly tempted to go back to the ATM, and I could see how people could fall under such temptations. The game is so easy, it seems, and the money goes by so quickly. It's such an interesting psychological phenomenon, and I think it'd be really interesting to study it.
After that, one of us stayed at the casino, and I joined the other one on the boardwalk. It was pretty fun to be outside, by the ocean, looking through the various shops. We ended up at the other side of the boardwalk, where they were having a Phish concert. Considering it was Halloween Eve, there were definitely some characters out there.
By 7pm, we had to head back so we didn't miss the bus back to Delaware. All in all, it was a pretty fun night. I got to experience casino gambling, got to see the ocean (which I hadn't yet seen), and I got to hang out on Atlantic City's famous boardwalk for a few hours.
Delaware itself might be boring, but it's right in the middle of everything. In the time it takes for us to drive to San Antonio, they can drive all over the place. D.C., Baltimore, Atlantic City, Philadelphia, New York City, Boston. Despite being here five weeks, we're only here four weekends.
And even though I'm ready to go home, I actually wish there was more time for travelling. Too bad they actually expect me to work while I'm here.
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