Sometimes you just know it’s going to be a good night. When the invitations came out for Rachel’s 30th there was no doubt this was going to be night to remember, and when it finally rolled round on Saturday it didn’t disappoint.
The event was named Trente Casino which is French for 30 (not to be confused with Frente Casino which is Australian for weird 90’s pop music) and it was a no-holds- barred formal dress wearing, cocktail drinking, high rolling ripsnorter of a night. Rachel’s husband Robin had organised a casino grade blackjack table and roulette wheel, complete with dealers, to give it a genuine casino feel but due to those fat cats in Canberra and their pesky gaming laws we weren’t allowed to gamble with real money (probably a good thing in hindsight as I would have ended up several thousand dollars in the hole). Punters were issued with a $2000 voucher to use on either game, but the $2000 was only good for 7 hands of blackjack or 7 spins of the roulette wheel; at the end of the 7 rounds you had to add up your winnings, return your chips to the dealer, and if you’d made enough cash your name and winnings were noted on the official leader board. At the end of the night the top 7 money winners played off on the final table for the “Trente Casino High Roller Award”.
After you’d had your seven rounds you could find Robin and request another $2000 voucher, the idea was to get the highest score in any given 7 rounds rather than a cumulative total over the course of the night. For this reason I was in no rush to hit the tables immediately, I was adamant I could step up to the plate at any given moment and walk away with a fortune. I decided to take a few photos of the action to try and capture the essence of the night. Then I had a cocktail. Then I played a few hands. Then I had a cocktail. Then I ate some food. Then I had a cocktail. Then I had a chat to some friends. Then I had a cocktail. Finally, I was ready to really hit the tables hard. I remarked to the person next to me “As soon as I finish this cupcake I’m going to go HARDCORE on the roulette wheel”. I’m pretty sure it was the first time in history anyone had used the words “cupcake” and “hardcore” in the same sentence, but that’s how I roll. Anyway, it turned out that somewhere in the course of all those cocktails the night had slipped away and I was too late for a last run at the final table – c’est la vie (the official language of Trente Casino is French FYI).
The final table was comprised of the seven hardest gamblers this side of Vegas. These guys ALL knew when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em, they also knew to never count your money while you’re sitting at the table as there’ll be time enough for counting when the dealing’s done. There was sibling rivalry from the Frieds, a hot shot Sydney lawyer with a troubled past and nothing left to lose who’d swooped into town in his private jet for the weekend, plus a handful of Star City regulars who love to let it ride. In the end the cream rose to the top and David “Barney” Barnden walked away with the coveted trophy, the honour that goes with it, and one of Robin’s limited edition prints which would actually be an awesome prize to win.
Rachel and Robin – thanks for organising and executing such an amazing night, I’ll get the photos to you some time soon!
