Show Me the $$
Current Tune: Aamdhani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiya
First time experience. Lots of money. Plasma TV screens everywhere. Americans are smoking and drinking. 9 out of the 10 people seen were old (65 or older). Where am I?
I am in a US casino. After turning 21 in the US, everybody rushes to go to the nearest casino to gamble. I never had the interest plus I am not the luckiest when it comes to betting. Everyone else in the family has gone atleast once (bhayia had gone once with my cousins when he turned 21 but he didn’t play — just watched).
Mumma had seen a coupon in the newspaper last Sunday: Free $10 Cash. Come play at the Isle of Capri Casino in Bettendorf, IA. Bettendorf is in the state of Iowa and about an hour and half from our home. Mumma and Papa said that if they are going to give us free cash then why not go? So they this plan with Prasad and Kavita this last Thursday to go (they had never been to a casino either). 
I was in mood to go this morning (thoda kit-pit ho gayi thi Neeraj ke saath toh kuch karne ka mann nahi tha :grumpy:) but yeh baat main ghar walon ko nahi bata sakti thi so I had to go in majboori. As we got there, they were checking people who they thought were under 25. Bhayia is 23 but he didn’t get carded (I guess he looks older - you be the judge 
). Then when I was entering the casino, the man asked me for my ID. All I had was my driver’s license. He asked me for second piece of identification. I told him that this is all I brought. So he made me sign on a piece of paper, and his manager was going to verify my signature. All of a sudden, Mumma remembered that she had one of my credit cards with her so she took it out and showed the man. Everything was cleared and I was able to enter the casino — do I look younger than 21? Is that a compliment? 
So we played…for four hours! We got our ten dollars cash. Did I bring any money back? Yup. I won 20 bucks, Prasad broke even, Kavita won 20 bucks, Bhayia won 9 bucks, Papa won 5 bucks, and the bigger winner was Mumma with 80 dollars! 
Wow. You should have seen her at one time she was up 100 bucks only to give it up later. 
Free Coke, Orange Juice, Grape Juice, whatever you want. The Chicago Cubs game was playing on the big screen TV or you could outside (casino was on a boat) and check out the view. 
The bad thing about it: too much smoking. Suffocation smoke. 
I didn’t think that cigarette smoking was allowed on the casino because it is a public place. 
Papa explained that those who were spending the big bucks were the smokers and drinkers so it becomes important for the casino people to allow smoking otherwise they would lose customers. I think it should be banned, but that’s my own thoughts. 
So not bad - I spent none of my own $$ and brought back 20. Spoke to Neeraj just now, and we cleared everything up between us. So everything is good. 
Anybody have a good casino experience? Anybody lucky (doesn’t have to be in gambling but in anything)? Tell me your story.
Neeraj is going to be coming online, so I am waiting for him. Toh abhi hum kehte hain Alvida. Jai Mata Di. 
August 1st, 2004 at 9:40 am
AIyaa… paisa jeeti huhh?!?!?!… too cool!!
My sis.. had 6 fingers… and she has that midas touch yaar.. hamesha paisa jeetati hai :D Aisa mere saath kyun nahi hota?!?!??!:banghead::rotfl:
August 1st, 2004 at 1:58 pm
wowwie…. gambling casino sounds lotsa fun….
but where do i find one here …. rash do we have one here in jampot:banghead: ive left my blog url .. do drop in sometime
August 1st, 2004 at 2:45 pm
[Pranshu] Tum kabhi gaye ho casino main? Itna kuch khash nahi hai dost…u are not missing out on anything.
Apun aate rehte hain aapke blog main..woh apun jhaari rakhenge. 
August 2nd, 2004 at 12:06 am
Arrey, this is a nice way to earn money… lucky you
Gambling is fun… In India, as you might be knowing, there aren’t many casinos around. So, haven’t tried it out yet.
August 2nd, 2004 at 12:10 am
The only reason we went was to get $10 free!
Otherwise, no one in my family is interested in gambling or going to casino. 
August 2nd, 2004 at 12:18 am
But still, I would love to visit a Casino.. specially the ones in Las Vegas some day
August 2nd, 2004 at 12:21 am
August 2nd, 2004 at 10:56 am
Arey Pranshu…. when you know the answer…. toh puuchta kaye ko hai!?!?? :p
August 2nd, 2004 at 6:07 pm
Poonam, i wouldnt agree with you when you say you’re not missing out on something. Its defaintely a must visit. Casino’s are so much fun, yes sure they are an addiction lekin if you know to control yourself, its total DHAMAL !!
August 2nd, 2004 at 6:38 pm
But basically someone who hasn’t gone, isn’t missing out..i really didn’t see what the hype was about going to the casino.
Soch soch ki baat hai.
August 2nd, 2004 at 7:25 pm
True !! Soch soch ki baat hain!
Did you try black Jack, roulette, woh khode waali race. O boy, if i have money to waste, i can keep sitting there!!
August 2nd, 2004 at 9:26 pm
August 3rd, 2004 at 12:10 am
10$ = Rs 460… i agree with Poonam.. i won’t spend so much amount either… but… it is worth trying atleast once. :)
August 3rd, 2004 at 12:23 am
August 3rd, 2004 at 12:52 am
Sachai ko kitni der chupa sakte hain… sachai to akhir kabhi na kabhi samne aa hi jati hai… LOL
August 3rd, 2004 at 7:26 am
Manpreet, you cant convert like that yaar. You say you wouldnt bet Rs460/- as the min bet but would you think about bettin if you were earning Rs1,000 an hour and worked for 40 hours a week ???
August 3rd, 2004 at 7:37 am
That makes about 1,60,000 bucks.. per month…
with that kind of money… i will invest in the share market… chances of earning a fortune are more in the share market than the casino…
But, as i said it before… ek baar to try karunga hi karunga… If I am not able to go to Las Vegas, then might give Kathmandu casinos a try… but will surely try my luck :)
August 3rd, 2004 at 2:06 pm
Other investments that are potential risks such as the stock/share market you can check with a broker or an expert to see if you are making the correct decision. That point made by Manpreet is well agreed that the potential gains in the market is greater than the casino. That is why the share market is considered an “intelligent” risk in my mind.
Soch soch ki baat hai.
August 3rd, 2004 at 5:03 pm
Guys, we are not professional gamblers here. We are talking about going to the casino to have a nice time.
My suggestion to you guys, if you cant spend $10 in a casino, rather not go. Chances are you wont like it much.
August 3rd, 2004 at 5:28 pm
if you haven’t been, you are not missing out
I wouldn’t have gone if my family wouldn’t have wanted to go and get the FREE 10 bucks that they were giving! But then again, I am a person who doesn’t care to invest my $$ in a casino (i don’t see any fun in gambling).