Call Me Double Down

Tonight my dad took me out gambling for the first time as a birthday thing.  I have to say that the whole thing was a unique experience, but overall I don't think I'll be making a habit of it.  My brother sat at a slot machine for a while pumping coins in but not getting any results.  For some reason my dad kept giving him money.  I think he just thought it funny that his sons are now old enough to drink and gamble legally and wanted to take it all in.  Or he just wanted to lose some money.  After walking around for awhile to see what the rest of the casino was like I took a seat at a blackjack table to try my luck.  The lowest minimum table I could find was $5 and it didn't take long to lose it all.  I won, I think, three hands and that was it.  I kept getting dealt 12 and 13, hit and bust or get 16 or 17, and the dealer kept getting 20.  I didn't' have a chance.
The thing that I'll remember most about the night though is the pathetic people that looked like they were there every night, or at least on the weekends.  Sure I don't know what it feels like to win big but to go through all the cash that they must have lost over the years could have lasted me years without even having to work.  Maybe I'll go back tomorrow night with a bucket and try to catch people before they go in and tell them they'd be better off giving their money to me and just have that warm feeling from knowing they've given to a worthy cause instead of the emptiness of loss.