How to Deal with Rude Gamblers
Gambling can be stressful, but if you can’t play nicely, then it’s best to pack up your chips and go somewhere else.
Last weekend, I ventured to sunny Las Vegas with three friends hoping to win millions. Sadly, I had to settle for some amazing food, a great show, and taking home a whopping total of 25 cents from a slot machine. (Hey, maybe next time, right?) While wishing for a windfall of great fortune at the blackjack table one evening, though, I realized a very disturbing thing about some of my fellow gamblers—they’re rude! Okay, not all gamblers drop their manners at the casino lobby, but there are enough of them acting like toddlers during a temper tantrum to suggest that it might be a widespread occurrence.
Exhibit A: “Shawn,” a 28-year-old Cleveland native sitting at the same table as my friends and me, who was completely wasted and getting drunker with every hand. Ironically, he wasn’t losing much, which was frustrating since I was. Here I was betting only 10 dollars a hand and meanwhile, this totally intoxicated guy was playing recklessly and winning hundreds of dollars. I guess Jack Daniels and Jose Cuervo were giving him some great advice. But regardless if you are winning or losing, there’s no excuse to go buck wild and crazy at the tables.
For example, when Shawn lost a hand, he’d SLAM his palms on the table and curse loudly. Now, I understand losing serious money is cause for discomfort, but this behavior was not only completely childish but also extremely rude. For the rest of us witnesses, it was scary too. I mean, he was gambling and drinking alone, and I honestly didn’t know whether I would be next on his “hit list.”
Secondly, his language was atrocious. Every hand—good and bad—was followed by the F word. If Shawn lost, he’d yell at his cards (yes, the inanimate objects), “Go F YOURSELF!” Then, if he won, he’d shout, with his fist pumping, “F YEAH! F YEAH!” One time, after a rather large win, he stood up from the table, jumped in the air, and while doing so lost his balance. He ended up landing face first on the carpet. Fortunately, he was fine, but that might have been the booze covering up the pain.
And lastly, Shawn’s acrobatics were out of control. When Shawn got very excited, he’d hug the guy next to him, as if together they’d just won the Super Bowl. The person next to him happened to be one of my friends, who for the most part was being a good sport until we all realized the table was simply not worth staying at for the rest of the night. And this, my friends, is how you handle a situation involving a Shawn. At the end of the day, realize that he’s just one person at a very large casino and that you can take your business elsewhere. Casinos have several tables and dozens of options, so there is no reason why you should feel obligated to tolerate some moron like Shawn—even if you’re on a winning streak.
From the highest highs—when the chips are forming towers around you—to the lowest of lows—when you realize there are no chips left, and you march over to the ATM to try for another “run,” gambling can be chaotic. I get this. But what I don’t understand is lashing out and cursing incessantly. To the Shawns of the world, you’re not in a friend’s basement casually playing cards with the luxury to do and say whatever you want. You’re in a public setting with not only a thousand cameras on you, but also strangers sitting very close to you. At any moment (unlike at your friend’s house) some very large security guards can come by and whisk you away, and in some situations, go as far as banning you from the casino altogether. I’ve seen this happen, and I’m sure Shawn was being monitored closely by the “eyes in the sky” to see how his actions progressed.
Folks, if you can’t handle being an adult while gambling, then stick to games with your friends, or check out some online deals. Frankly, as a fellow casino patron, I don’t care what you do, just as long as it’s far away from others who are trying to enjoy themselves. And for anyone who’s seen a Shawn at a casino, don’t forget that sometimes it’s just better to walk away.
As always, if you have another manners question, I look forward to hearing from you at manners@quickanddirtytips.comcreate new email. Follow me on Twitter @MannersQDT, and of course, check back next week for more Modern Manners Guy tips for a more polite life.
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