All Bets Are Off

All Bets Are Off
         
         
         Dabney loved to socialize with whoever was near him. When he was in school, teachers would have a terrible time keeping Dabney from talking during lessons or when someone else was speaking. It got so bad that Dabney was placed in the front row by himself. Dabney's talking intensified as he grew older, and teachers didn't want him in their classes.



         "Why am I always in the Resource Room? I don't need extra help. I get high marks on all my assignments and tests. There is no one to talk with except you; you only talk about class stuff. It isn't like when I was in the classroom with everyone. I had friends there, and they always wanted to talk with me about school, books, and facts about science and history. The teachers don't want to hear what I am sharing. Why is that Mrs. Hardacre?"



         "It is because you interrupt people when they are speaking, you disrupt the class by talking while the teachers are, you answer all the questions even when another student has been called, and you have been told not to get out of your seat to talk to someone in a different row."



         "I need to go over to them because the teacher is talking too loud for me to whisper. Can't they wait until I'm done talking? That would solve that problem."
         "You have asked that question before, and the answer is still no. You aren't supposed to be talking in this class, either. Have you completed your assignments?"



         "No, I haven't even started them yet. I needed to talk with you about my being here alone. Are you sure some other students shouldn't be here, too? Having five students would be much more productive than just me. I can give the names of those who should be here with me. Jerry, Mike, Ryan-not Ryan Coltter, Ryan Drew, Paige, and Cathy. They would be perfect in here with me."



         Frustrated, Mrs. Hardacre removes her glasses and puts them on her desk. She then rubs her temples in a circular motion. "Dabney, we have been through this. There will be no other student placed in this class with you. You need to stop talking."



         Under Mrs. Hardacre's breath, she quietly whispers, "Someday, your excessive talking will be your undoing."



         Dabney worked as a Customer Service Agent for a mortgage company at age thirty-five. His call volume was the lowest of all other representatives. However, his time on calls exceeded thirty to forty minutes per call. He was coached on handling calls more efficiently during his bi-monthly reviews.



         "Dabney, we need to discuss the length of your calls again. You need to be on a call for no more than eight minutes. Your last fifteen inbound calls were over thirty minutes apiece. That is more than three times over your allowed time. I have listened to your calls, and I am at a loss as to why you take so long to either resolve an issue or promise a callback. You waste the customer's time with idle conversation before the problem is resolved or keeping them on the line well after managing the situation. In both events, your conversation is unwarranted. You need to stop this behavior or face disciplinary actions, up to and including termination."



         "Can I hear those conversations, Sharel? I want to hear how I wasted their time talking about their issues. I tried to demonstrate my concern for their problem by making them comfortable discussing their life events. If you are referring to the customer who became upset while talking with me, she reacted to my suggested solution."



         That night, Dabney had nothing to occupy his time. He tried to call people he knew, but they must have been away from their phones because no one answered. He decided to visit a casino inside a giant paddle boat. He wasn't much of a gambler; he wanted to meet new people. When he arrived, the table with most people attracted his attention. It was the Blackjack table. After purchasing his chips, he went right to the table.



         "The minimum bet is $25.00. That is the green chip. You can raise it after the second card is placed."



         "I'll bet $50.00. That is a good amount to bet."



         Dabney, facing the woman on his immediate right, said, "Hello, my name is Dabney. What is your name? Have you been playing here long? I mean at this table. This is my first time playing. I know how to play; I have seen it played on TV. How much have you won?."



         The woman looked at him disgusted and switched places with a muscular man beside her. The man glanced at Dabney and turned sideways so his back was to Dabney.



         After a thorough shuffle, the dealer dealt the cards to the four people playing. Dabney noticed two face cards were dealt to the two players; one ace was handed to the woman next to him, and Dabney received a ten. The dealer then dealt one card to each player face down.



         "Sir, you can either bet again or fold." Looking around the table, the dealer announced that those still playing should place their bets.



         Dabney saw everyone placing bets with either green or black chips. Dabney placed his two black chips on the table to fit in and stated, "I am going to go for broke.." Dabney thought he was betting $50.00 without knowing the black chips represented $100.00 apiece. He was about to ask the man next to him what he bet; however, the dealer flipped over his card, had an eighteen, and could not draw another.



         The two men flipped their cards over in disgust. The man next to Dabney flipped his over and stated he had nineteen. When the dealer asked Dabney to flip his over, he reached over and flipped the card.



         There was a groan from the man beside Dabney.



         "Twenty-one. Player wins $225.00."



Words: 994
Prompt: Go For Broke
Use the phrase: "go for broke."