Chips

The evening went well. There was the usual scrum at the bar before dinner, then we were ushered into the hall where we made our way to the pre-arranged seating. The food was good, and the wine adequate.

When dinner was over we were each given a token. This token could be exchanged for chips. This seemed strange having only just finished dinner - but the Gorse Fox assumed it was a Midlands thing.

It turned out the chips were for the Casino that had been set up for us whilst we were eating. Gorse Fox is not a gambler, so he wandered around from table to table watching and trying to understand the evident thrill that some of his colleagues displayed. Finally, he claimed his chips and placed a bet on the Roulette Wheel - it spun off, so he put it on the table. He won, doubling his stake.

He moved on to Blackjack. He put down his stake, and the the dealer turned over 21 - he'd won again. In the end he went to all four tables and won on each with his first bet. He started the cycle again - and won again. Eight straight wins. This disconcerted the Gorse Fox. His views on gambling are that you have to expect to lose. This meant a new strategy was required.

He picked a table, shared his chips with several colleagues who'd already lost their pile... and set about trying the lose the lot. It took a while.... but honour was restored. The Gorse Fox taught himself a damned good lesson!