Wow, something's wrong with me

I love to gamble.  I gamble on sports occasionally, but my real love is the casino.  Lately, I've been hitting the blackjack tables but my real love is playing craps.  Nothing beats the camaraderie of a table full of people exploding with glee when a point is made or when a shooter gets hot and rolls for awhile.  I'm not a big gambler because I like to play for awhile and don't want to get busted early.  My conservatism also comes with a slight whiff of responsibility, you know, just in case I get busted.  Besides, I gamble because it is fun.  I don't gamble like it's a second job because one job is enough for me.  Knowing all this, you would think I would be excited to head to Vegas for a week on a basically all expenses paid trip?  Truth is, I'm really not that excited.

Gambling has been a real bitch to me ever since 2008 when I raked in about $8500 in winnings on four trips, the biggest being $3200 on my last trip of the year.  Since that epic year I haven't walked away a winner on a gambling trip.  It's been about two years of losing that has gotten into my head.  Yes, I gamble because it is fun but, for crying out loud, losing all the time kinda takes away from the fun.  And by "kinda" I mean "majorly".  I attribute most of the losses to playing more blackjack than usual after hitting big a few times in 2008.  Blackjack can be a very frustrating game.  When you constantly get dealt 12-16, the worst hands to be dealt, it's demoralizing.  I also blame my decline on my decision to gamble at the Hard Rock in Fort Lauderdale.  That place is full of losers and I think their funk has rubbed off on me.  The final piece of blame lies in my attitude when I get to the tables.  I catch myself nervous about losing and feeling cursed instead of saying, "Win or lose, who gives a crap, let's have some fun!"

On my last trip to Vegas in April of this year, I couldn't believe that I spent less than 30 minutes gambling on my entire trip!  And that was a 4 night stay!  I think it was good for me though.  I got back to having fun in Vegas the old fashioned way, with good ol' alcohol and partying.  Maybe that's what I needed?  A kickass time in Sin City without gambling to boost my spirits and get back to having fun in Vegas.  With a pocket full of cash and a flight that leaves soon, I guess it's only a matter of time until I find out.