The Gambler
On a rainy spring day I rode into town.
I turned from side to side, looking all around.
I had six months worth of pay on my bod.
I was planning to gamble with this wad.
Learner’s Saloon: Cards – Music – Drinks.
This looks like the place—I think.
I entered, brushing off the rain and mud.
I saw him in the back, sitting, dealing stud.
It was a gambler all dressed in black.
Sitting in the corner, the wall at his back.
“May I join in?” I asked those playing.
The gambler nodded yes without so saying.
It took me an hour to get warmed up.
I saw the gambler was not a man to bluff.
After a few hours, the others dropped out.
Just the gambler and I continued our bout.
The chips shifted from me to him.
Then they shifted back again.
When it came to the final draw.
I knew one of us would win it all.
He raised high and I called his bluff.
Then, I found I didn’t have enough.
He said “Put up the cash or you have to fold.”
At that point I was feeling mighty old.
I dug deep into my stash.
I barely came up with enough cash.
I said, “You’ve been called.” And I showed four nines.
He put A, K, Q, J, of diamonds—The next blew my mind.
It was the 10 of hearts—I HAD WON!!
But, celebrating was over before it had begun.
The gambler didn’t say a thing.
The silence was thick, like in a dream.
“You did good; you’ve won the pot” he said.
“It’s late. I think I’ll head for bed.”
“I sure wouldn’t mind another drink.”
“But, you’ve won all my money—I think.”
“Have one on me.” As I tossed him a chip.
He said “Thanks.” “Why are you doing this bit?”
I said “What do you mean by that?”
He said “Gambling and all this crap.”
“I wanna settle down. So I took a chance.”
“I have a gal. I’m gonna buy a ranch.”
He said “If you do then stay out of town,
or your ranch will no longer be around.”
“You have gambling in your blood, son.”
“Your feeling good because you won.”
“But, a gambler won’t always win.”
“Why do you think they call it a sin?”
With that said, he stood up to go.
I said “If I’m asked to gamble, I’ll say no!!”
He said “It doesn’t work that way .”
There was nothing else for me to say.
Deep inside I knew he was right.
I knelt and said a prayer that night.
“Lord, what the gambler said was true.”
“Keep this Lord between me and you.”
“Help me never to gamble again.”
“Don’t let me ever commit that sin.”
—– 0 —–
Years later, at the ranch with my wife and kids,
I thanked the Lord . All this was really his.
I also thanked the gambler a lot.
For giving me more than just the pot.——–R. W. Johnson—–(2005)
It sums it all up in the Gamblers prayer answered.
Not being a gambler by nature, however, curiosity got the best of him that evening, and he decided to try his luck with the six month of money he had on his bod. To his astonishment, he hit the jack pot and won enough for the ranch he yearned for. But as the initial thrill began to fade, he felt a deep sense of unease—how gambling had destroyed lives and torn apart relationships.
The words of the Gambler echoed in his mind, “You have gambling in your blood, son.” and he realized the truth: gambling was in his blood, and the temptation would always be there.
In that moment of clarity, he did something that surprised everyone, including himself. He bowed his head and whispered a prayer: “Lord, thank you for this blessing, but please help me to never gamble again.”
He took his winnings and left Learner’s Saloon. He used the money to secure his family’s future. But he never stepped foot in a gambling establishment again. He knew that while luck had favored him this once, wisdom had taught him a valuable lesson: sometimes the greatest victory is knowing when to walk away.
An excellent summary of the poem “The Gambler” The Lord guided his life after that, and he continued to walk in the light. Thanks for the pleasant comment.