There are thirty six outcomes when you roll dice and in craps you can bet them all.  “New shooter, place your bets,” said the stickman as he expertly slid the dice to me. Across the table an old man stared at me. “First time shooter?” he asked. I nodded.  The old man leaned over and with effort put two big stacks of black one hundred dollar chips on the table. “Six or eight don’t care how you roll em,” said the old man. I placed my ten dollar bet on the table and grabbed the dice with a trembling hand. “No seven, no seven, no seven” I thought as I tossed the dice. My heart was doing a drum roll, my stomach turned to stone, and my lungs were going to collapse. I was at the top of a rollercoaster right before the drop.

 The pair of red squares took a bounce on the smooth green felt before crashing into the jagged wall and coming to a rest. “Hard six” yelled the stickman.  A wave of relief swept through me. I smiled at the old man who gazed back emotionless. The old man signaled the dealer to leave his bets on the table. The dice were pushed towards me. Once again I was climbing the tracks to the top. I let go of the dice, “Easy eight,” yelled the stickman. I could do no wrong. “Hard eight, hard six, easy six,” yelled the stickman. The old man could not help but smile.

 A small crowd gathered. “The table is hot, shooter’s on fire, get your bets in” urged the stickman. There were a dozen men at the table placing their chips on the felt. Adrenaline was streaming through my veins. Every roll was followed by a cheer from the crowd. I was a celebrity, getting my fifteen minutes of fame.

 “Seven, craps,” yelled the stickman. Murmurs of displeasure came from the crowd. The dealers quickly gathered the chips on the felt. “New shooter, place your bets!” yelled the stickman as he slid the dice to the man on my left .The old man across the table, who by now amassed a small fortune, stacked his winnings. “For the shooter,” said the old man as he dropped a black chip. The dealer handed me the black chip, and as I looked across the table, the old man was gone.

 I scanned the casino and saw the old man shuffling towards the elevators. I quickly racked my chips and raced after him. “Excuse me, Excuse me sir!” I panted. The old man stopped. I lifted the black chip and said “thank you very much but I can’t take this.” The old man stood motionless. “How old are you boy?” he asked. “Eighteen.” I replied. “Is there a girl you like?” he asked. Baffled I responded “yeah, there is.” The old man reached into his pocket and handed me another black chip. “I can’t” I argued. “Don’t be foolish boy” urged the old man. I hesitated, and then took the chip.

 “Listen carefully” said the old man. “Take those chips of yours to the jeweler and buy something for that girl you like.” The old man paused and looked down at a gold band wrapped around his index finger. “The casino will always be here boy, but that girl won’t”. The elevator doors opened and the old man stepped on. The old man looked lost in thought as the elevator took him to the top floor.

 I left the casino and signaled for a cab. “To the jewelers” I told the driver. We stopped in front of an old antique shop. “This it?” I asked with uncertainty. “Best jeweler on the island.” said the driver. I entered the store and was greeted by a woman “Hello sir, what can I get for you today,” I placed my black chips on the counter and said “a ring please”. “Looks like you were lucky and I believe I have a lucky ring just for you” said the woman as she disappeared to the back of the store. “Found it” yelled the woman and she hastily returned to the counter. She handed me a beautiful gold ring with a pair of square cut rubies at the center. “This is one of a kind” said the woman. I stared at the pair of rubies as I recalled the day’s events. “It’s perfect,” I replied.