Praying to the God of Chance

Photo Courtesy (Delphinium Books)

Do you ever pray to the Gods of chance? Do those pesky gambling Gods seem to be more mischievous than magical or mystical in your experience.

According to David V. Forrest, M.D., slot machine players love to gather in their respective casino churches and pray to the God of Chance. In his book, "Slots - Praying To The God of Chance," he tells stories about gamblers in general, but concentrates on slot players, a group he unabashedly aligns himself with.

The good Doctor never derides slot players, he simply informs his readers that slot play is fun, exciting, and occasionally addicting. Instead of admonishing gamblers, Dr. Forrest admits, "Risk is an inevitable part of living," and that we simply can't avoid gambling in some form or another. As such, the Doctor's book is a fun and entertaining read.

As for myself, I always assumed there were several Gods of Chance. When I play, I don't pray. I do, however, ask the question a million other gamblers have asked at one point or another, "How did that happen?"

As a practical man, and a numbers guy, I usually find myself looking at the odds of an event happening and then adjusting my play and expectations to the odds. Unfortunately, even when there is only one card that can sink my poker or blackjack hand, the card has occasionally popped up. That's when I ask, "how."

In my case, I'm still waiting for an answer from the God of Poker. As for blackjack, that God has quite a sense of humor. She just says, "Expect the unexpected." I do.