Gamblin' The Night Away

Grainger Auditorium bustled with excitement and well-dressed Exonians as Abbot Hall residents hosted their annual Abbot Casino last Saturday, where students gambled fake poker chips in blackjack, roulette and Texas hold ‘em. The winning prize is a $20 Las Olas gift card and will be given to the student who has the raffle number 575908, who has not yet been identified.“It was a great stress reliever in these cold, harsh winter months,” prep Jesus Rivera said. “It was just great to be able to dress up and enjoy a night out with all my friends.”At Abbot Casino, students took a night off from studying and mingled with peers. “I really enjoyed the atmosphere,” lower Hannah Elwell said. “It was nice seeing everyone that you would normally see around campus all dressed up and to have the opportunity to take pictures with them.”Many found the event a rare occasion to flaunt their style. “I sure hope everyone had a good time,” prep Jack Farrell said. “It's always fun when you get to dress up and gamble.”

Lower Lauren Karr echoed Farrell’s comments. “I really enjoyed getting ready with all my friends and then actually playing Blackjack. I feel like we don’t have enough dress up events during fall and winter term, so I really enjoyed all the suits and dresses,” she said.Other students believed that Abbot Casino was more appreciated because there aren’t many opportunities to dress classily on campus. “People love our casino, most don't even play cards they just go to walk around and be well dressed, it's a major part of the fun,” Will Haering, a lower in Abbot Hall, said.Some students complained about the steaminess and crowdedness of Grainger during the event. “Abbot Casino is not for everyone,” lower Josh Hemintakoon said. “The environment can get hot, crowded and possibly boring for those who aren't playing at a table or those who lost all their chips.”The auditorium became increasingly crowded as the night went on. “Grainger with all those people was pretty packed, and a few people told me that they were frustrated at how hard it was to get around,” Elwell said.Although there were a few complaints, most students were impressed. For a student-organized casino, one can only applaud the hard work and dedication Abbot put forth. “It’s an event we set up and run entirely by ourselves.” Haering said. “We all love to do it because we get to give people a good time and also have fun ourselves dealing and running the event.”Hemintakoon, who also lives in Abbot, agreed with Haering. “Abbot Casino is special to the dorm because it is a testament to the work that we put in as a whole. The event itself is a classy and well visited one so we pride ourselves in putting together casino,” he said.Fashionistas, poker experts, photobombers and more enjoyed the event. Excitement caused large crowds and some waits, but in the end, students were pleased with the experience. For days to come, Facebook will be littered with photos captioned “Abbot Casino 2014” as students eagerly recall the glorious gambling, impressive outfits and the flurry of the classiest event of the year.