He was there at the table,
Bets out, hand played.
He closed the day with a victory,
A glass of champagne.

He was a betting man,
A Gambler.

Day after day he took his investment;
He rolled, he spun, he cranked, he smiled;
Whether he won or lost, he smiled.
It was about the game.

Day after day the owner would watch;
He rigged, he plotted, he schemed, he smiled;
Whether he won or lost, he smiled.
It was about the game.

One day he played his hand.
Some say he bet the farm, the fortune.
He raised his eyebrows, he lowered his gaze.
"Rase 50! Raise 100!" he shouted; screamed.

Heavy was his game and heavier still his breath;
Which smelled of malt liquor and cheap scotch.
The day was waning and his eyes grew tired.
One man and the house.

"Time to call! Time to call!
You'll lose it all
For sure," they said.
But he had to win.

He was the betting man.
The Gambler.

He took his glass, raised it one last time;
Drank what was left, finished with a gasp.
"Let's see your cards," said the dealer.
He smiled; so did the Gambler.

With a short speech and a few drunken words,
He upturned his.
Then the dealer.
Then all was silent.

Each had a glint in his eye.
They exchanged glances.
With a smug grin and parched lips,
The betting man replaced his hat.

I saw him again the next day.
And I joined him for a drink.
I asked him what had gone wrong;
What had he missed?

He sat with a puzzled look on his face for a moment,
Turned, then he began:

"The game, sir, the game.
I've done it a hundred times.
It's not about who plays,
Who gets played;
It's not the win or the lose.
It's not about any of that anymore."

He stopped and stared for a moment,
And as he did so I thought ...
I thought I saw him wink.
He abruptly continued:

"The house has you.
You know it from the minute you walk in.
But you can't let go because if you do ...
If you do ..."

His eyes glazed over,
He trailed off and muttered something;
I couldn't understand it.
He simply got up, and smiled.

Some say he moved on,
Some say he took his own life;
The owner believed he was an angel.
I never saw him again.