The McNair Hall and Douglas Houghton Hall associations teamed up to put on a second Casino Night, this time held in the DHH Ballroom. The previous Casino Night was held in McNair. The event lasted from 8 p.m. until midnight, and attendees were free to come and go as they pleased.
As soon as the front door to DHH was opened, the babble and scuffle of voices filtered through the air. The people working the front check-in area of the ballroom quickly swiped across the new attendees’ hands with a black Sharpie and handed over a bag full of poker chips.
Strewn over the tables and chairs with games and party-goers were plenty of papers that explained how much each type of poker chip was worth. It was free to get in and the money was all fake. The chips ranged from 5 to 1000 in value. It cost 100 to receive one ticket, which could be deposited in a bowl in front of several different prizes.
The winners for these prizes were drawn at midnight. The main door prize, which everyone was automatically entered into, was a brand new Xbox 1S. The smaller prizes ranged from a new Xbox controller to a French coffee press, coffee beans included. Each player started out with 400 dollars worth of chips in a little plastic baggie, which they were free to play as they desired. Tables were laid out and people flocked around them chattering loudly and watching intensely as they gambled away their fake money.
Along one wall there were rows and rows of complimentary sandwiches and desserts for the attendees to enjoy. Adjacent to these tables was a beverages table with two-liters of soda and a big water cooler. The air was warm and people were happy and relaxed, socializing freely. Some people who had to leave early chose to give their chips and door prize tickets away instead of redeeming them and casting their bets.
As the night drew to a close, quite a few people were left milling about and adding to their piles of chips. There were enough people around that the room never got too quiet or felt uncomfortable. The people running the Casino Night read off the numbers for the winning prizes, giving away a new hammock and backpack, a gift card to the Mineshack, a new poker chip set, and more.
Not everyone was a winner, and most people that had made a lot in chips were just as likely as anyone else to receive a prize in the end. Attendees were only allowed to win once, and if they were not there to claim the prize, another ticket was drawn. Josh Hanson, a first year Mechanical Engineering student attended the last Casino Night in McNair as well as this past one in DHH. He explained, “I liked the first one better. They had more options for prizes and you had a better chance at winning.”
Although he did not win anything the last two times, Hanson intends to go to the next Casino Night because it is a good way to pass the time. The fun of the night was really in playing the games or betting with friends. Many people played ridiculous odds trying to win just so they could use up their chips before they left, not expecting to win anything in the end. If you are planning to attend the next Casino night, keep an eye out for fliers and table tents and make sure you bring a friend to join in the fun.
