"I have a strategy"

Two seconds into my cab ride, my taxi driver asks "Have you been to the casino (pronounced as 'kah-si-noh') ah?"

Here we go, one of those chatty ones. He was obviously dying to tell me a story, so I let him, and replied with a semi-interested tone. "No. Have you?"

"Ya lah. I went last weekend oredi."

"Really? So how was it?"

"Good lah. Experience new casino."

"I hear that there are still problems lah. Got queue for toilet, queue for food, queue for parking, queue for everything."

"Got lah. You know how many people go there every day ah?"

"No. How many?"

"I read ah...15,000 people went over the weekend ah!" This was probably about two weeks after the official opening of the casino.

"Hah? Really ah? 15,000 people? Wah, that's a lot of people!"

"Ya la. Very crowded loh."

"So did you win or lose?"

"Me ah? I win lah." Said in a modest tone, but not that modest that he doesn't want me to probe further.

"Oh, good lah. Not everybody go to casino win money." I realise that it's easier to speak Singlish to taxi drivers and usually make little to no effort in grammar and syntax when I'm having these lengthy conversations with them.

"That's because they don't have a strategy. I have a strategy you know!"

"What? A strategy to win money? I'm sure everyone oso got."

"Huh...I tell you, I was in casino for 7 hours. I made $860, so after paying the levy, I still make money. I see all these people come in, put a lot of money down, and then they lose everything so fast. I got strategy, wan."

"Wah, almost $100 per hour. Not bad wat. Better than driving taxi hoh?"

"You want to know my strategy or not?"

"What did you play in the casino? Blackjack ah?"

"No lah. That one sure lose game. I play roulette lah!"

"Roulette? Why? Sure win wan meh?"

"My strategy can win lah. You want to know my strategy ah?"

"Of course! If can win money, of course I want to know!"

"My strategy - I play 12 numbers lah."

Side bar: For those who are not aware of the roulette 'rules' or the wheel, there are 36 numbers on the wheel plus a '0' and/or '00'. These numbers are 'randomly' placed on the wheel, but are laid out in a 3 x 12 grid on the table. In addition to the individual numbers, there are a number of additional bets along the side (row and column). There are a number of 'strategies' that people use to play roulette - either in sections or individual bets within these 'sections'. These are the 'serious gamblers'. The 'casual gambler' would usually walk up to the table, dump a huge amount of money on one of the side bets (usually odd or even, or red or black) and then very likely lose and walk away with their tails between their legs. For those who are really interested in roulette: http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/how-to-play-roulette.htm

So back to the taxi driver...

"Oh, so you play first, second and third 12 issit?"

"Hah?"

Err...okay, so maybe I'm a bit more experienced in roulette than he is. "So how do you bet? 1 to 12, 13 to 26, 27 to 36 ah?"

"Ah, ya lah. How you play?"

"Oh, a bit same like you lah. But my 12 numbers are different lah. I use the wheel to split my 12 numbers."

"Hah? How to play?"

"Same like the table lah, but I split the wheel into three loh. So each section will have one set of numbers. I just buy that set of numbers lah. Because people believe that the spinner will always spin within one section of the wheel. So if I see my numbers keep appearing, then I know the spinner is spinning in my section lah." Okay, I know I probably lost most of you, but the roulette-gambler would know what I'm talking about.

"Hah? Wah. So confusing wan ah. So what are your numbers?"

"I think I still remember them. Err...something like 3, 8, 13, 23, 28, 29, 33, 35, 36. And always bet on 0."

"Okay lah, I'll try your numbers next time I'm in the casino lah. You know ah, one of my friends ah. Got tip from a dealer."

"What kind of tip?" And no, it's not 'Don't eat yellow snow' or 'Cross at the green man'.

"This dealer ah. He said that he got money problem, so he ask my friend to lend him money and he will tell my friend how to win in the casino. He wanted $25,000 woh!"

"Hah? So much money!??! So your friend gave him the money ah?"

"Ya, my friend gave him the money. And then he told my friend how to bet lah. My friend has won $200,000 oredi!"

I fought to keep my dubious look off my face - but I've been told that I have no poker face, so I probably didn't succeeed. Fortunately for me, the taxi driver didn't notice.

"Really ah? What is the tip?"

"He taught my friend how to bet on roulette lah. He said to bet on some numbers only loh." And obviously he wasn't going to tell me what THOSE numbers are!

"Oh...okay, can stop here now. So good luck for your future trips to the casino ah!"

"Ya, ya. You too!"

Strategy indeed. I think that people just want to think that there is a strategy or a science behind gambling, because let's face it. No one wants to think that they're putting money on the table and leaving everything to chance or luck, do they? The same is true for me. I believe that by playing blackjack at the casino, I'm actually having some 'control' over whether I win or lose (and even the gambling books say so!), but to be honest? I have no control over how the cards fall in the shuffling machine, and I have no control over what idiots may do with their cards at the table. So yes...gambling is pure chance. And if you're happy to take the chance, then it can be quite fun. Sometimes.