I've found another activity that I thoroughly enjoy playing, yet sulk when I am losing. (See also: minigolf, ten pin bowling, most board games.) That activity is a little thing called gambling.

After enjoying a nice long sleep-in, Jase and I stumbled downstairs to be greeted with the sight of my brother lugging a huge cardboard box across the hallway and into the dining room. Being half asleep and more preoccupied with finding breakfast, I didn't pay it much attention until he told us what was inside.

A poker table! Which also turns into a blackjack table! Which flips over to form a roulette table! With coloured chips! And cards! And spinny wheels! And little silver balls! Squee!

When we happen to be near a casino, Mum heads straight to the computerised roulette tables and disappears for an hour or so. Nan also has a bit of a fling while she's there, and has quite a lucky streak actually. Me? I take my trusty $5 and tend to make it last a couple of hours playing the one
cent poker machines. (As you can see, I'm a huge gambler and must be
monitored closely.) Suffice it to say that I know nada, zilch, didly squat about the different games.

Playing roulette was fun, since I'm a big dork and stuck to my black or red guesses. I even ventured out to odds and evens when I felt a little braver. I've played poker before, but just your standard version. (Stripping optional.) Jase and Ajay wouldn't let me play it that way, oh no, it had to be Texas Hold'em. I'm a terrible poker player, me and my face that lets everyone know what I'm thinking. To bluff or not to bluff, bah. Anyone could win easily against me.

But my favourite of the games? Definitely blackjack. It's bloody wonderful! I won so many games that the dealer had to resort to opening his second bank. If we had been betting with real money, I'd have just about paid off next week's laser surgery. If only.

Blonde moment of the day goes to me again, thinking I'd beaten
Jason and his full house with my three pairs. Yes, three pairs. What?
No-one told me I could only use five of my cards!

(I'm still too much of a scaredy-cat to ever actually gamble on these games with real money. Until I learn how to do a poker face anyway.)