Casino Plus

  The bright promise of neon Casino Plus reaching through the streaked window. The glass doors heavy and swinging open to the white noise of won and lost. Blackjack tables spinning like black holes in the grind that is gamblers and dreamers desperate to find a way to win.  I took a seat at an open spot, and nodded to the dealer, a slim-built, sharp-dressed man whose smile dived beneath his laces. The other players around the table gave me a quick look, their expressions half-open, half-watchful. This game was about being on your guard, being cool, and not giving away anything. There were no bystanders here. Everyone was a threat. And every set of cards a contest of nerve.  The dealer fanned out the deck, cutting the cards clean through the air like waves through water. I threw in my chips. The weight of them sat in my gut. I wasn’t gambling. I was playing blackjack. Blackjack wasn’t gambling. Blackjack was a test of character, a battle against the house, the devil, smart...