Back From Vacation

I have reluctantly returned from vacation. The family and I had a great time on our 5 day Bahamas cruise. I spent a good deal of time in the casino, but I'm happy to report that overall I did not lose nearly as much as I had planned. I would estimate that despite spending a lot of time at the blackjack tables, I emerged down by about $100. I had some good luck, and I had some bad, including a dealer who mistakenly collected my bet despite my winning hand. I immediately pointed this out, and he gave me my original bet back, but not my winnings. I called him on it, and he summoned the pit boss, who gave him permission to pay me. This happened on the last night of the cruise, and it put a damper on the evening. He dealt me a 20, a 10 and a face card. He was showing an Ace, and he turned over his hole card to reveal an eight. He then went around the table collecting the losing bets. None of the other players came to my defense, and in retrospect I began to question whether he had an eight and lost to my 20, or a 9, which would have made a push and made him right to return only my wager. Regardless, the casino has some of my money, so all in all I don't feel too bad. I may also be the first person to return from a cruise weighing less than when they departed. I lost 4 pounds, no doubt due to the increased physical activities (walking the ship, climbing up and down stairs) and sensible meals with limited snacking.