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Saturday. Fifty-hour work week complete. Three-hour drive from DC to AC (Atlantic City). Five hours at the same table with the boss, who's on a roll. He's up about $1,500, and I'm now his sponsor, having gotten out with the amount of winnings I had set as a goal at the beginning of a day of blackjack.   Standing behind him, watching an amazing run of luck unfold, I tugged at his elbow. Time to go, I advised. A sponsor has to smell the end of a streak before it happens, and the dealer was starting to stink. Regression toward the mean was at hand.

His response, Another drink! 

He'd been stiffing the waitress all night, and I, again as a responsible sponsor should, offered advice, saying, Keep the peace. Tip generously. The drink was delivered, and my boss parted with a $25 chip. Her smile said, Its about freakin' time.

Okay, it was really time to go now. Things were going to turn bad soon and the dream would be over. But just as I was about to grab his chips and run, I heard bells and screaming nearby. I looked around, quickly forgetting my role as sponsor, and found the source of the commotion. Guadalupe Lopez had just won $2.4 million playing The Wheel of Fortune slots here at the Borgata, Atlantic City's latest and best attempt to mimic Vegas flavor.  How the hell did I know this crazy, shrieking, jubilant woman was Guadalupe Lopez? I didn't. I found out the following Monday morning when I read online that J. Lo's mom had won a casino jackpot. Some families are blessed.

Time to go, my boss said to me, bringing my focus back. Maybe it was my lack of attention, or maybe he, like I, realized that lady luck had moved on in a big way to a divas mom. Either way, it indeed was time to go.  Perhaps next time, I'll drop a few dollar coins into the Wheel of Fortune machine!

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