One armed bandit, four armed thrill
The luck of the draw
D.B. Bostdorf
Okay, Okay, Okay, Okay (a la Joe Pesci) some of us have these stereotyped views of casinos. We might think of Bugsy Segal in the 1950's or maybe the movie Casino starriing Sharon Stone, Robert Deniro and yes Joe Pesci. We might feel fear, excitement or just curiosity when we hear the word "casino."
For me, it's a combination of all that- and a little flushed anticipation of maybe landing a windfall.
When I saw James Bond Casino Royale, I thought ALL casinos were like Monaco in the south of France. I believed they had Bond like types in tuxedos and women in designer gowns.
But now I know it's not true. Yet casinos are still fun, and do offer the possibiity of winning big, or at least providing entertainment similar to a ride in a roller coaster.
And of course some do have a setting, where you just might see 007 or at least a look alike at the table.
Nearly all big resorts have a little gamiing.
For example, in Anguilla, there's the "cigar friendly" Sonesta. In the Turks and Caicos there's Allegro Resort in Grace Bay.
The Bahamas sports three large casinos, including the fabulous one at Atlantis Resort.
The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, with their large land mass, also dominate the Caribbean casino scene, while nearby Virign Islands just has one casino at Divi Carina Bay in St. Croix.
My first personal experience with Caribbean casino gambling was when my wife and I stayed at the The Caravanserai Resort in Dutch St. Maarten about ten years ago.
Just a short walk across the parking lot was the modest casino not affiliated with the resort.
At the far end was a beautiful mahogany horseshoe shaped bar. Just below the bar, on one side of the room, there were row upon row of the nickle video slot machines with a dozen-in-one games to play. These seemed to be the favorites for blue-haired women and men with Hawaiian shirts.Twenty five dollars of nickels in a bucket and a Bud light had one guy in a bleary-eyed trance.
We felt out of place in our black silk and chiffon and decided to head back to the hotel.
So much for Bond-like baccarat and mysterious spy intrigue.
But then we noticed a new horizon. On the other side of the room, the mood was much different, along with the drinks.
Smartly dressed men and women playing five and ten dollar slots. There were black jack tables, roulette, and a Caribbean stud poker.
Then we spotted a mega jackpot one armed bandit with a neon flashing $10,000 instant jackpot.
My wife and I took our chances. We parted with five dollars, and both of us pulled at the machine.
It took less than 20 seconds and four arms to get our one armed bandit, four armed thrill.
But we learned a lot during our first first Caribbean casino encounter.
Casinos are a metaphor for life. You gotta get into a mood, find your groove, and win at your own game.
A table at the fabulous casino at Atlantis in the Bahamas.Photo courtesy Atlantis Resort and Casino
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D. B. Bostdorf is anticipating a windfall at the Blackjack table, after he learns to play.
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