My Kenny Rogers

I learnt to play blackjack many years ago, in a smokey casino in Las Vegas. It was about 3AM, and the blackjack dealer looked just like Kenny Rogers. Now, it wasn't the real Kenny Rogers, but seriously, he looked just like him. This was long before shows like "Punked" and long before washed up celebrities had to do shows like Celebrity Apprentice, so I AM sure he was only a look-a-like.

He had a warm, harmless kind of look about him. And a soft raspy voice, typical of someone working in a smokey casino,  when he said, "Come on girls, sit down, I'll teach you how to play this game." It wasn't a predatory suggestion in any way! And he surely didn't say "come with me little girls...". After all, Val and I were 21, we weren't little girls.  But young. Gosh, in today's measure, we were young and naive. However for some crazy reason, we had the nerve and chutzpa to head to Vegas unchaperoned.

So there I was in the casino of the Rio hotel and I decided to take the plunge. Up until this point I'd only tried slot machines. And in those days slot machines took coins and they dispensed coins in the most glorious "cling clang, clang... you're a winner!!!" kind of way. None of this dot matrix sounding printing onto paper crap like there is now. 'Sigh' Anyways, I took a deep breath and sat down. It was just me and my Kenny Rogers.

I placed a $20 on the table and he walked me through every step. Minimum bets were $3 so that's what we started with.  It was a calm and relaxed lesson. He showed me how to wave off a card with the subtle side to side (almost like cleaning a counter) of a hand, palm down. He taught me to tap with my index finger to signal I wanted a card.  See, blackjack, is a quiet, solitary, gentleman's game. There's no shouting "hit me" or "stay" or that kind of thing. It's all in the hand motions.

You can handle your chips, up until the point where the dealer waves off bets with a swooping motion across the table. You make small talk when they shuffle the deck and tip the dealer, by placing a bet (with yours) for them.

"Kenny" covered it all. I played till dawn. It was a blast. He taught me, "you gotta know when to hold 'em;  know when to fold 'em;  know when to walk away and know when to run."  (Yes. I know that was bad. I just COULD NOT resist.)

I can't imagine learning the game by tapping on a button on a VLT or clicking a mouse on the computer. It just wouldn't be the same. A machine would never coach you to split aces or how to read the table.

I definitely appreciate learning this lesson "old school." And since it took place long before the "what happens in Vegas...." slogan,  I'm sure no one will revoke my players' card based on sharing this story.