My Family Gambles Part 8 “Hot Tip” written by Mom some years back
I never gambled much years ago because I had no money. My first gambling experience was around 1964. My girlfriend Bobbi and her husband used to call in horse bets to a bookie. One day she called me to see if I wanted to make a bet and I told her no way, I had no money. She told me I could make some money. I couldn’t take the chance. The next day she called me to tell me she won, did I want to make a bet? I told her the same thing as the day before. The 3rd day same thing. She won money, did I want to make a bet? They were on fire and had another hot tip.
I learned that day there is no such thing as a hot tip. I said ok and bet $10.00 on a horse. Now $10.00 in those days was like $300.00. WELL I LOST. I was sick all day and night. There wasn’t even anywhere I could get the money. I couldn’t tell Shell. He wasn’t even betting the horses at the time. So I had to go to my mother. I had to tell her the truth so she wouldnt say anything in front of Shell.
Well she pitched a fit but gave me the money. It was some years before I ever bet a horse again. I lived on Smith St in Vailsburg then.
My second experience with gambling was a few years later. Still lived on Smith St. The pick 3 lottery was fairly new. Shell bought his first new car. 1970 Valiant. The license plate was 775. Well that only cost 50 cents, so I could afford that. I wheeled it for $1.50. Aunt Norma, who lived across the street, heard me say I was gonna play the new license plate so she gave me $1.50 for her.
When I get to the store, I thought to myself, with my luck 774 or 776 will come out, so I played both of them wheeled for another $3.00. Well lo and behold 776 came out and I won something like $150.00 which was like $1,000 at the time. Shell was so excited.
Well Aunt Norma heard I won and thought she won also. When I told her what I did, she was so mad and said why didn’t I tell her I was playing the other numbers, she would have played them also. I told her I did it the last minute at the store.
So now I thought this was great, so easy to win the numbers. So for a week I played and lost about $20.00. I was sick. It was many years before I played the numbers again.
Elaine Smith
