Hank Discovers Craps!

For the first few years, my game was Blackjack. When the cards weren't going in my favor, I'd take a break in front of a video poker machine (preferably at the bar). Meanwhile, Charley and Roger had been dabbling in craps, and were throwing around a lot of terminology, and tales of exciting runs at the table. Anyone who's ever been in a casino when there's a hot craps game going on knows how explosive that game can get. They had tried to explain the basic rules to me several times, but I just couldn't seem to get the hang of it, and observing a game in action just made matters worse.

One day I had just finished up a losing session at blackjack at a downtown casino, and was walking around looking for Roger and Charley. I found them at the casino's only craps table so I stood back and watched for awhile. I had a single $5 chip left from my blackjack play, and I said to them, "If I wanted to make a $5 bet, without getting too complicated, where would I put it?" They both suggested putting in The Field. It's real simple they explained, it's just a one-roll bet on the next throw of the dice. You either win or lose! So, I carefully put my chip in the field just before the next throw. The dice flew, the stickman continued his ongoing patter, "12 CRAPS 12 TAKE THE COMES AND TRIPLE THE FIELD" I didn't know much about the game, but I knew that 12 was one of the "craps" numbers, and that was bad. Meanwhile, Roger and Charley were whooping it up on my behalf as the dealer slid three red chips next to mine. "Pick those up!" Charley said, "12 pays three to one in the field!" I picked up my $20, cashed them out, and from that point on I've been hooked on craps!

I found out later, that betting "The Field" is kind of a sucker bet, but on that occasion, it was all I needed to get the fever. I bought books, computer games, I frequented some truly scary places in search of low-limit games, and I've been a part of some very memorable hands (in the Craps vernacular, they are referred to as monster hands or Dukes). Generally speaking, I was always too scared to substantially increase my bets, so I seldom walked away with more than a couple of hundred dollars, while the rest of the table cashed out thousands in black and purple chips. The best I ever did was at the Desert Inn, shortly before it closed. This was in September of 1997 so I will get to it in a later entry, but it's the only time that I was ever in possession of a $500 chip. I love casino chips, and have a small collection, and I remember staring and staring at the pastel yellow D.I. chip in awe. Later that week, I met the woman who was to become my wife... so needless to say, I was on quite a hot streak!

In the next installment... The importance of food!

P.S. I've been published!!! Big thanks to the folks at LVconfidential.com. They like my stories, and have reprinted one of them! Check them out at http://www.lvconfidential.com/!