Oh Craps!

Friday night I learned how to play craps. Maybe I should be honest and say that I played for three hours and still don't understand how to play! Working in the Internet department doesn't usually allow for lots of perks unless you count hanging out with troll-like programmers a benefit. But since I am in charge of the Advertising Operations for the site, I got invited to our annual Advertising Event. This is where we entertain Media Planners for different ad agencies and have a forum to answer questions about our site. The daylong meeting is followed by a fun event where we get to know each other a little better.

This year we got to take a cruise of Newport Harbor and practice our casino skills. The last casino night was our company Christmas party and I did an abominable job at roulette, so I decided to jump in and try my hand at craps. Our cruise started at sunset on a beautiful fall evening. I could see the rosy glow of the light playing on the sparkling water. The buildings gleamed and a thousand fairy lights created the mood. I could smell the fresh sea breeze and a hint of boat fuel added to keep things real. I had a drink in my hand (Sapphire & Tonic; extra lime!) and a smile on my face.

That's the last I noticed about the scenery or the boat—I had found the Craps Table! Luckily the dealers at these events are patient and will show you what to do since nobody's using real money. He was explaining all the ins and outs of the game, but I didn't have time to listen. I was the girl with the dice. What I did learn was never say the word "seven" at the table: It's unlucky. To be safe, I didn't say any numbers, just in case! I didn't want to ruin anyone's luck. I put some chips on the table where he told me to, and then I rolled the dice, added chips, and rolled again. This was fun. I'm good at rolling dice. I got to roll for a good while before it was the next person's turn. So I learned the routine. Put some chips, wait for the dice, place more chips, have the dealer place more chips. I'm not sure what any of it means, but I learned to yell whenever they called a good number. Especially when they called one of my lucky numbers and I got more chips. Woo-hoo!

I had so much fun and wasn't the only person at the table who ate standing up while watching the dice and cheering. Three hours flew by and I couldn't believe it was time to stop. As I turned in my chips for raffle tickets, I thought about Vegas. Now that I'm an expert I should try my luck there. Or maybe I'm better off going home and kissing the cat!