Hook, Line and Sinker

The seductive world of a casino drew me in the first time I was introduced to it. My previous gambling experience was limited to the once-in-a-while card game at a friends place. Living in suburban Maryland, the concept of a casino was completely alien to me since my family wasn’t one that took too many vacations, which severely limited by casino experience.

My first experience with a casino was a few years back. The night started off normally enough – with some friends and myself drinking and just having a good time at a local bar. Unknown to me, there was a bet regarding something about “AC”, which I didn’t pay much heed to till much later. One of the chaps antagonized the others by stating that he believed we wouldn’t go to AC. I had no idea what they were talking about, but he seemed to hit a sore spot with the others. It happened a couple more times, before my curiosity was aroused and I asked what AC was. It, apparently, was short for Atlantic City, where many of them had been previously. I hadn’t, of course, so they filled me in on the wonderful experiences they had had earlier.

Just as the evening was winding down and we were on our way back, the dare was issued again. That’s when the guys accepted it and we were on our way to the mysterious world of a real casino. That was the beginning of my adventure to AC!

I was blinded by the bedazzling lights of the frightening casino. It was 4 am, and it seemed like time stood still in that universe, with people playing games, the sights of which I had never before seen. It had the feel of a festive carnival to it, and when my initial apprehension subsided, I began to even enjoy the atmosphere. We went to the ATM to draw out some cash, and immediately followed a gambling pro to a blackjack tables. I chose one with the fewest people. That marked a turning point in my life – the first time I was going to gamble officially! A quarter of an hour passed and I had managed to lose a few hundred dollars and was ready to call it a night. My inexperience had annoyed the others at my table, and not only was I down by some cash but my ego was hurt too. But what an experience! It was thrilling and exhilarating and seemed to pull me in. The little bit of cash I lost was unfortunate, but it didn’t, however upset the experience for me. It was an amazing evening and I’ve been there many times since, having a better time at each visit.