“All bets in?” asks the croupier in charge of the roulette wheel. Everyone quickly added their bets, waging on red, black, even, odd or whatever number spoke to them. Everyone looked on as the white ball was sent spinning around the roulette. After a few tense moments, the ball finally settled.
On Saturday, Feb. 27, the ballrooms of Buntrock were transformed at the Inter-Hall Council’s annual Casino Night event. This was the first year the event was held in Buntrock instead of Tomson. This was also the first time in the history of the event that it did not have a theme. Nevertheless, Saturday night was a huge success. Oles dressed up in chic black dresses, heels, suits and ties in preparation for a night of pseudo-gambling.
The night began early, starting with live music from the St. Olaf jazz band during dinner in Stav Hall. In an elegant start to the evening, students enjoyed music while eating special casino night food.
After dinner, casino guests entered the ballrooms for the main event. They were handed small bags of chips which could later be exchanged for tickets. These tickets were later entered into a raffle for prizes, including speakers and a coffee maker.
The blackjack and poker room quickly filled up with students eager to test their luck with the simple but addictive games. Tables were full of people playing blackjack, roulette and Texas Hold ‘Em. Cheering erupted from tables where someone had just gotten blackjack, and displays of lamentation were visible at tables where people were slowly losing all of their chips.
I quickly found a table to sit at and jumped into the game. The game of blackjack is pretty straightforward: everyone is dealt two cards, including the dealer, and everyone tries to get as close to 21 with their hand by choosing to hit with a card or passing. However, it was a learning experience for most people at my table who had never played blackjack before.
I confidently placed my bet for the first round, along with everyone else at my table. The cards were dealt, and everyone was greeted with either a fantastic start or a challenge. The atmosphere was tense as everyone was deep in thought about their next move.
Overall, the night was a huge success considering all of the changes Inter-Hall Council had to make from last year, and a good excuse for everybody to dress up and act classy.
janusz1@stolaf.edu
