After work, I swung by to the Grosvenor
All suited up, I loosened up the sleek tie
In gambling, there are no winning rules
Playing the game is an option you take
Don’t count the cards or the quids you make…
I looked around, the place was all glitzy
The Casino Manager invited as the waitress grinned
Some curious faces of greed and few stalking loners
Young and excited couples at the roulette table
Old but confused souls at the slot machines…
The first timers are predictable and always do the usual
They order for their beer and chat up with fellow gamblers
Multiple trips to the cash machine while they contrive with
their accomplice
The Pro usually settles without any hush at the poker table
Many are seasoned eccentrics with less of variance…
The casino cash machine at times greets me with my name
The cashier has the usual smile when sometimes I encash the
chips
With the maths and equations in place, rule book clear in
head
I rooted down at the blackjack table close to the shuffle-master
Played against few dealers but Dmitrich is always my
favourite
Against a colour, I have pulled a card on twelve
Split the tens, against an ace and still was on the race
Dealer had a four; I had to double down on my seven
Lost a game, but it takes few rounds to steady my mind
My beats stopped racing, unaffected by the short wins or the losses
Subtle temptations are put to test on a blackjack table
There are six packs rolling and seven boxes on the table
When the chips go down – I stand strong on lower cards
When my greed goes up – I have always doubled and taken side-
bets
Dmitrich had advised - Focus on the game, not on the chips
or the cards
Four in the morning – I went all-in, doubled side bets and
walked out
‘Play the game – Don’t gamble’ was his soft quirky advice
Sometimes vibes resonate and you care less for luck
Chips will be gone and cards will change forever
But a game sharpens the character and gives you more to assimilate…
- Inspired by the Marshmallow experiment,
to be continued...
