Diamonds, Gold and Snow

What if you were seated in a bar or at a poker table, and someone came up to you and offered your choice of diamonds, gold or snow? Which would you choose?

I had such an item some years ago. It was a good luck piece and it was maid of diamonds, gold and a bit of snow.

The piece came in the form of a miniature crouching cat. I used it to mark my cards in cash games or poker tournaments. I called it my good luck piece.

Sometimes I would joke with cocktail waitresses or female players. I would ask them if they would like a gift of diamonds, gold, or snow. Most of the women said, 'Diamonds!' Some said 'Gold.' But only one or two answered 'Snow.' Those were the ones I found interesting.

When a person is gambling, he sets a goal in his mind on what he wants to win. Sometimes it is diamonds, occasionally it is gold, and sometimes it is snow.

I found my diamond-studded good luck charm at a small gift shop in Phoenix. The girl who sold it to me was spiritual and gave the object a special blessing. She told me it would bring good luck at the tables, and it did.

One night I took a pause from playing poker. I left my chips on the table and went into the lounge for a drink.

A lone woman was seated at the bar. She had the profile of an actress and the body of a lithe dancer. I took a seat near her and ordered a glass of organic chardonnay.

We started talking. The talk got mixed, her recent divorce, mine, children, gambling and life.

I reached into my pocket and fingered the crouched cat and asked her, 'If a perfect stranger offered you your choice of diamonds, gold or snow, what would you take?"

Without hesitation, she answered, "Snow."

I cashed in my chips a short while later. We went to a round of places. She had been an actress and dancer, and was in semi-retirement from the business. But she was still above average in the acting department and could dance beautifully as she proved when we entered an after-hours place that had a live band.

She told me her life's story. That Howard Hughes had tried to date her, that she appeared in several B films that featured jungles and blue lagoons and that could still be viewed in the early morning hours.

She described meeting Johnny Weissmuller on a 'Tarzan' set and how Cheeta, the chimpanzee, had bitten her on a sensitive part of her body.

"I can show you the scar if you'd like," she said, smiling. "But not here."

Our night ended early in the morning. I will expand on it at a later time. She chose snow, by the way, because as she said, "Snow is white. It represents purity and good health. The other ones, gold and diamonds, you can always get. But those are special."

I hope you find your special good luck charm. Make sure it has diamonds, gold and snow as a part of it. Let the games begin.

Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.

(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).