When visiting a local convenience store during the pandemic lockdown, my sister asked the shopkeeper, “How’s business?” He said that one aspect of his business was booming: gambling. People were flocking to his store to buy a variety of state-sponsored lottery tickets because local casinos were closed.

This reminded me of the time I overcame an infatuation with gambling that began in high school. At the time, I enjoyed various forms of gambling on card games such as poker and hearts. 

So when my parents said they were planning a family trip to Las Vegas the following year, I could hardly wait to test my card skills there. My dad gambled, and he had taught me the rules of what he called Las Vegas-style solitaire. It cost fifty-two dollars to play a game (about half a week’s salary for me then), and it was possible to make as much as two hundred sixty dollars per game if you put up, or used, all fifty-two cards. Winning that much was very unlikely in this type of solitaire. Nevertheless, in anticipation of our trip, I played hand after hand for hours and kept track of what I won or lost. I hoped to sharpen my skills so I could systematically win.