Advertisement
Published: November 21st 2006
Edit Blog Post
Just in from the rain.
Didn't bring money to the gym for the bus and had to run back home in the rain. Among other things we ended up at Auckland’s Sky City Casino this weekend. Hamish, George and I started out at Hamish’s friend Will’s house. We started out debating the controversial proposal to build a rugby stadium for 60,000 people on Auckland’s waterfront. After a few drinks the conversation somehow turned to WWII battle strategy and Hilter’s poor battle planning at the end of the war. How we transitioned from sports to battle planning I haven’t a clue.
Around 11pm we headed up to the casino. The trick to having a good time and not loosing your shirt is take out the amount of cash you want to play with before you start drinking and then leave your debit and credit cards at home. The first game of blackjack I played was a very lucky hand. I was dealt a pair of eights. Split the hand. First eight came up to nineteen. Second eight came up ten and I doubled down resulting in a twenty. The dealer busted and paid out on my hand $190.
The crotchety old man sitting next to be enviously handed out the advice to walk away, which I did. It was sad to see the number of people that appeared to be spending their food and rent money at the tables.
Towards the end of the evening we got in a bit of trouble with the house. George had placed a bet at a place where another person had been playing. The hand was a push and George went to pick up his chips but was a little to slow on the draw and the original person playing at that spot reached out and took the chips. There was some confusion and the dealer didn’t know who was in the right and who in the wrong. They stopped play at our table and called up to the camera room and asked that they review the tape to determine who placed the bet. Long story short the pit boss said that George was in the right but that because the player in the wrong immediately played the chips in question on the next hand there was nothing that the house could do. Hamish and George did a good job debating the matter but I could tell it was a loosing cause. Eventually four or five casino employees came up to the argument. When the boss said that our group was making a scene I knew that if the conversation went on much longer we might be escorted (kicked out) out of the casino. Fortunately, the situation defused and we called it a night.
Sunday I went to a public rally against the waterfront stadium proposal. It was moving to see passionate people voicing their disagreement against a poorly planned concept that is being forced down their throat without due process. I must say this system is so much better than one where a person straps explosives to their body and detonates it amongst innocent and defenseless people. Friday we find out if Auckland will be strapped with a White Elephant (think Kingdome (Seattle)).
Yawn for now!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.118s; Tpl: 0.009s; cc: 12; qc: 29; dbt: 0.0519s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Uncle
non-member comment
Facial Hair
both Adolf and you should forget the facial hair....it's a Mein Kampf