A Little Las Vegas in ESU: Casino Night
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A little bit of Las Vegas came to ESU last Thursday when the Student Activity Association celebrated its annual Casino Night from 7-9 p.m. in the University Center.
Cheese and pepperoni pizza along with an assortment of drinks and chips were the refreshments for the evening.
Students were invited to play to win, and handed an assortment of chips to gamble on either an authentic roulette table or a blackjack table.
Grey chips had a value of one, green chips had a value of five, red ships had a value of 10, and black chips had a value of 25. Altogether, the initial value each person received was 240.
These chips could then be exchanged for tickets to be spent on a raffle. Possible prizes included: a Lego banzai tree, a Te-2012 record player turntable, an air fryer, a disco ball diffuser, a Flip5 speaker, a Fire TV stick, an echo dot, a neon mood light and a handheld camera. Last year’s Casino Night even had a Nintendo Switch.
But many didn’t get that far. Whether it was the loud music that filled the room, the crowded tables where everyone sat shoulder to shoulder and knee to knee, the sugar or the general maturity level, many went broke going all in. Sometimes when one would put all their chips, literally speaking, on the table, others would join in. There was some success, but one failure when the bet includes everything is enough to end the night early for anyone.
But taking the chance was part of the fun. “Love Train” by The O’Jays was one the first songs playing, followed by upbeat jazz and other rock ballads. There was some groaning, and some muttered cursing, but even as the chips were raked in students managed to laugh it off.
And sometimes it worked out. One student put his entire chip collection on one bet, and surprisingly he won. By the time I left the table, he had a chip value of over 1000.
It was Vegas, and what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. This mantra kept the atmosphere light. Each dealer had their own way of doing things. One table had students gambling against each other, one winner leaving with the spoils while the rest had to watch their chips slide across the felt, and another table had the players bet against the dealer, a win and a loss between only the two.
And the roulette table was always packed, many drawn to the wheel where pure luck decided the winners from the losers.
It was gambling without real risk, depressing risk, so students were allowed all the highs without the consequences of the lows. No table had an empty seat and the room was filled with constant chatter. The only thing missing was a cloud of secondhand smoke and the clinks of martini glasses, but Casino Night was definitely better without it.
The Student Activity Association delivered again this year, providing a college-friendly experience where everyone had a blast.
