Bad (and good) Decisions in Biloxi
New Year’s Eve on the Gulf Coast
My brother Chad, my mom and I arrived in Biloxi a few hours
earlier hoping to take an afternoon stroll on Biloxi Beach. Funny thing was
after driving in glorious sunshine from Alabama to Mississippi, once we passed over
the Biloxi Bay Bridge, a fog rolled in and covered everything in a gray wet blanket.
We attempted to walk on the beach, but couldn’t see more than half a football
field away. We needed to find an indoor activity.
After dinner we found ourselves in the Beau Rivage lobby. It
was like being in the midst of a Sex in the City episode. Women, young and old,
wore short shiny dresses that they bought just for this occasion and would
never wear again. Some wore shoes with heels so high they had to hang on to
their husbands’ or boyfriends’ arms for dear life. In some ways it was cool: New Year’s Eve was the one night they could
dress up like Carrie or Samantha. The one night where blue collar guys could
wear silk suits and ties and pretend that they had more money than they really
did. But I could not concern myself with them. I had cards to play.
My mom, the penny-slot queen, went off on her own in search
of one-armed bandits. Black Jack was too high roller for her taste. My brother
said he didn’t want to gamble. He preferred poker with his buddies over the
stacked odds in a casino that would undoubtedly take all my money. I can
understand that. However, he agreed to help me with my math at the tables,
which I desperately needed. If there isn’t a face card involved, I’m not fast
enough and get embarrassed when the dealer has to wait for me to figure out
what I’m doing. Numbers were Chad’s thing and I planned to take advantage.
It took us a while to find a table. Minimum bet was $15, a
lot higher than the $5 I was used to in Colorado. The minimum tables were all
full. My table choices were $25, $50 and $100. Yikes! I may be foolish, but not
stupid. So the two of us took a few laps around the gaming tables searching the
faces of the gamblers for signs of defeat as they would soon be vacating their
seats. After many minutes, a couple left a minimum bet table just as we passed.
I took the end seat and offered the other to my brother, in case he changed his
mind, but he said no. I put my $100 on the table and was ready to rock and
roll.
It started off well as our dealer was short, sweet and chatty.
She had a bust here and a push there. At one point I was up $45. I even split a
pair of sevens and the dealer went bust. Things were flowing. Then a new dealer
showed up.
“We need to move,” I told Chad
“After all that time it took to find this table? No, we’re
staying,” he said. He had a point. Our new dealer, Mike, was stoic. Not as
chatty as our first dealer. Much to my surprise, things didn’t tank right away.
Then on one hand I drew an ace and a two. That was either 13 or a 3. I had no
choice but to hit. I drew another 2. So now I had either 15 or 5. The dealer
was showing a face card; my 15 wasn’t going to cut it. I hit again.
“You sure you wanna do that?” Chad
The dealer drew me a five. I now had twenty and held. An
older gentleman at the other end of the table said, “Wow.” Mike flipped his
second card and it was a five. The dealer had 15.
“You took his five!” The gentleman at the other end of the
table said and the whole table laughed. In Black Jack, dealers have to hit
until they reach at least 17. Mike took one more hit and drew an 8. BUSTED! The
gentleman at the other end applauded. I heard Chad chuckle behind me. I was up
$75.
Sadly all good things must end. Our original dealer returned
to relieve Mike. Even thought it wasn’t technically a new dealer, a dealer
change was always a bad omen. My winnings quickly dwindled. After the dealer
hit 21 for the third time in a row, my chip pile dipped below my original $100.
It was time to go.
Once again Chad and I circled the gaming tables. While doing
so we ran into Mom. Her $20 was gone. However, it was only 10 p.m. Mom wanted
to go to the Hard Rock Casino next door and off we went. Although it was the building
next to the Beau, it was still a three block walk out in the cold mist. I was
freezing when we got there.
After taking the escalator up to the casino, we entered a
sea of humanity. A sparkly, shiny, polished and primped sea of humanity. I felt
immediately old. I wanted to go back to the Beau. Mom wanted to look around, so
she and Chad took off. I headed for the casino floor.
At the Hard Rock, Black Jack tables had a minimum of $20.
Really? As I walked around I saw some roulette wheels and their minimum bet was
$15. I had always wanted to play roulette, which they didn’t have in Colorado
He gave me the once over with his eyes and said, “How yoo
doin’?” I said “good” with the sexiest smile I could muster. The dealer then
yelled “Place your bets!”
I quickly glanced at the board. Apparently red had been
hitting. All the well-dressed young people at the table began setting their
chips on Red until the box was overflowing with towering stacks of chips. I put
$15 in chips on Black. My chips looked awfully lonely on the square all by themselves.
Red hit again to applause from the group. I was now down to $45. I put another
$15 on black, $15 on odd and put the rest in my pocket. At least I wouldn’t go
home empty handed.
“Place your bets!” The dealer put the marble on the wheel.
The wheel spun and spun while the marble bounced and bounced an agonizingly
long time. I was too far away to see where it landed, so I looked up at the
board. The board blinked 29. I had just doubled my money! I took my chips as
soon as the dealer set them down and left as fast as I could.
I began walking around the penny slots at the Hard Rock searching
for my family. I couldn’t see them anywhere. I then searched the gift shop. Not
there either. I called Chad
“Where are you?”
“We’re back at the Beau. We thought you came back here.”
“What?!? No! Fine. Meet me in the lobby. I’ll be right
there.” It was another cold walk back to the Beau. I stormed into the Beau’s
elaborate lobby where my family stood in the center of the space.
“You left me!” I cried.
“We thought you wanted to come back here,” they said.
“What time is it?” I sighed. Chad
“Well let’s get back in there. I’m not leaving until
midnight.”
“That’s the spirit,” laughed Chad. Mom just shook her head.
We headed back into the casino and while Chad Chad
“Five, Four, Three, Two, One, HAPPPY NEW YEAR!” everyone in
the casino shouted. I clinked my plastic glass with both Chad and Mom. Even
though it was midnight, Cami wasn’t wasting any time as she continued drawing
cards. The drunk couple left. All that remained was myself and an elderly lady
sucking on a cigarette. It took a few more hands, but I soon had $100 in chips.
Even, I cashed out and the three of us left into the misty cold night.
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