Gambling and Waiting for Godot

Gambling is an activity that involves making a prediction, and trusting this prediction enough to stake something of value on whether or not this prediction is correct. There are a lot of in betweens and a lot of different ways of going about it, but at the bottom of it all, it can be said that gambling involves faith. After all, if you're feeling lucky in a game of poker, even if you have a bad hand, you have to believe that luck exists in the first place.

The play, Waiting for Godot is considered one of the greatest works of modern literature that the western world has produced. Written by Irish writer and playwright, Samuel Beckett, the play depicts two friends, Vladimir and Estragon, waiting at a crossroads for their friend, Godot. While waiting, they encounter a host of strange characters on their own journeys, and question whether or not Godot will arrive at all. At the end of the play, two days have passed, and Godot has yet to arrive. Nonetheless, they continue to wait, certain that Godot will come, even as the lights dim and the curtains close. While Samuel Beckett, the author, did not intend for the play to be an allegory of any sort, the missing character, Godot, is frequently considered to be symbolic of God. The play has been touted as an existentialist -and sometimes absurdist- masterpiece, with themes that raise questions about such issues as the meaning of life, the absurdity of the literary enterprise, and even religion.

Gambling games, whether they involve a thorough knowledge of tactics and strategy -such as with games like Texas Hold'em, blackjack, and other forms of poker- or nothing more than a toss of a little white ball -as with roulette- all depend almost completely controlled by the unpredictable turns of chance. In that sense then, it can be said that casinos are full of Vladimirs and Estragons, all waiting for their luck to arrive. In the play, the ending is inconclusive; the audience doesn't know if Vladimir's and Estragon's waiting has been in vain, but after a round at the slot machine or at the poker table, there is a clear distinction between those whose Godots have arrived, and those who are left to keep on waiting.

Gambling is about luck. It's about believing that a person can win, no matter what. Of course, it is always wise to exercise caution and restraint, especially in ventures that are as frequently risky as gambling, but for those who believe that Godot will come, if they wait long enough, and keep on playing, Godot will eventually arrive.