Exonians Bet Big at Abbot Casino
The rattle of chips hitting solo cups and the groans of students lamenting their blackjack losses filled the gym. Students, decked out in suits and velvet dresses, gathered in Love Gymnasium for this year’s Abbot Casino.
Each winter term, the uppers of Abbot Hall host the school-wide formal attire event. The entire dorm gathered hours in advance to start decorating and setting up. Dorm members were scattered throughout the hall, each managing tables of blackjack, Texas hold’em and roulette.
According to Abbot upper Emilio Abelmann, the dorm has a deep commitment to the tradition of the event. “The preparation was about the same as last year. Abbot runs a pretty tight ship when it comes to Abbot Casino and having planned the event for decades, it's about the same thing every year, with slight variations depending on the theme, venue, etc.,” Abelmann said.
To advertise the event, the dorm puts invitations in every student’s Post Office box. The invitations are shaped like dollar bills with a face of an Abbot senior on it.
A major change this year, however, was that the event was hosted in Thompson Gym, as opposed to the previous location of Grainger Auditorium. Because there were no exposed light switches in the gym, unlike previous years, students were not able to enact heist schemes, turning off the lights and stealing chips in the dark.
Abbot Senior Dacha Thurber said that the new location fostered a more laid-back feeling. “This helped a ton to create a more open, relaxed atmosphere and the lights stayed on the whole time!”
There were mixed opinions on this change of venue amongst both Abbot members and other event attendees. Abbot Upper Varun Oberai considered the different factors of physical space and ambience. “The new location was nice because of the extra space. I enjoyed having Abbot Casino in Grainger though; the atmosphere is a little nicer. But I have no major complaints about hosting it in the gym.”
Abelmann discussed the benefit of the location change. “This year's Abbot Casino trumped previous ones and I think that was due to the venue. In Thompson Gym, there is more breathing room for everyone, and thus, we experienced less stealing of chips and other nefarious behaviors.”
Lower Tommy Seidel disagreed. “I liked Grainger better because it seemed less decorated in Thompson, and the vibe was a little off.” However, he noted that the event was relatively well-attended and that people seemed to enjoy themselves.
Even while managing games, the Abbot members found time to enjoy the event. Upper Seth Amofa, in fact, found the night very casual and relaxing. “My favorite part was dealing with a blackjack table. I think this year's casino went by quickly and I liked it that way. It wasn't stressful. It felt like a get in and get out situation.”
Oberai’s recalled his favorite part of the night: “playing craps with Mr. Ibbotson and Principal Rawson.”
Additionally, upper Josh Lum enjoyed the company of his dormmates. “Near the end, I had someone take over my table and went to the front to manage the desk. There, I was able to fool around with some of the other Abboteers and talk with a few of the guests,” Lum recalled.
Abelmann thought the event served as a pick-me-up in the middle of a rough season. “For Abboteers, it is our service to the community to put on a night of fun in the rough, dark, winter term,” he noted.
“The variety of games was really cool, so I could try new games I hadn’t played before,” lower Erik Nystedt added. “I think that while Grainger would set the mood better for a casino night, Thompson is bigger so it can accommodate more people.”
Lower Alexandria Westray said Abbot Casino was her favorite event of the year. “It combines the fun aspect of dressing up with actual activities, so I didn’t feel like I was just going to take a picture,” she said. “I felt like I was going to have a good time.” Like Westray, students found solace in Abbot Casino amidst the long Exeter winter.