Mala Suerte!

I like to play games, but I don’t like to lose money. I have in the past gambled a few times at the race track. I pick out horses by their names and color, I’m partial to silver horses.

I see no point to slot machines. It’s all luck and what kind of skill do you need to pull the lever.

I love playing cards, but all my games , win or lose, we play for points. Mah Jongg is the only steady game where money is exchanged. You can’t lose more that 3 dollars, if you do you play free.

In one of my games, dating back to the 1970s, We would collect 10 dollars before we play. We saved, but not really sure for what! We played two times a week, almost year round. If someone missed a game, they would pay double the next time. Of course, unforeseen problems, and bumps in the road of life, sometimes made the nest egg a little smaller.

The women I played with in that game were older than me by at least 5 years, and most of them either had or married into money.

When we had accumulated enough, the group decided to go to Puerto Rico for 5 days. One of the women had a time share, and we split the cost of everything. The only thing was air fare that we had to pay individually.

The location in Puerto Rico was gorgeous. The resort was fabulous and surprisingly small. We planned on some activities, and a lot of cards. One attraction nearby was a school to teach people to be casino dealers and croupiers. On certain nights, the school was open to outsiders. You would pay a small fee, and were given fake money. As a guest, you would play all the casino games using the fake money, you could get more money if needed.

I had never played anything other than the slot machines, so I was happy to try dice, or roulette. I watched first, just a little and then joined in the game. I lost all my money. I went back for more and switched games. I had the same ending. All my chips were gone. By the fourth time I had replenished my betting cash, I had an earned reputation. I was known as “mala suerte!” It means BAD LUCK . I became a celebrity that night, the woman who couldn’t win. At the end of the evening, I was back at the craps table. I had a crowd around me. My turn to throw the dice, and everyone would yell out! Mala suerte! I would crap out.

On my 70th birthday, which was many many years past my Puerto Rico stay, I created a gambling party. I used a company who provided tables for different games and the people to run it. There was a lovely little 3 par golf course that had a little club house. The club house was also located on a mini golf course as well. It was really cute. I rented the two back rooms to the building, the gambling tables and for people to sit and have lunch, that I brought in. I invited a whole bunch of people and it was festive. I did not play any of the gambling games that afternoon, the last thing I wanted to bring to that room was be mala suerte. Well, all my guests had a good time, but the club house didn’t fare as well. Within a short time of my party there. The place was sold, everything demolished, the land cleared and a new community was built. I haven’t gone there in ages. As far as I know, the community is half built and the mess from leveling the club house still isn’t totally cleared. I was happy in a way to leave my mala suerte there.