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A short time before home video games crashed our living rooms and seized control of an entire generation, there was this nifty little board game that captivated families from one coast to the other.

Over the past quarter century, the gambling industry has morphed into a global juggernaut. From the dunes of Las Vegas to the hills of Monte Carlo, thousands have flocked to their favorite grind houses in pursuit of gaming euphoria.

Some folks refer to them as “casino rats,” the seemingly unemployed, unattached, and unhoused. They’re a permanent fixture upon the backdrop of flipping cards and clicking chips, serving little purpose other than to ingest the surrounding madness.

Baccarat, the perfect platform for mindless, adventurous gaming – outside of a one-armed bandit, of course. Whereas many offerings like poker and blackjack remain dependent upon skills and/or strategies, baccarat success relies solely on uncontrolled luck.

We’re going to jump-rope right over all the stale Rocky clichés – the egg-slurping Yo, Adrians and iconic stair sprints – and cut straight to the punch. Like a blistering uppercut, Rocky (Redemption or The Man, The Myth) delivers a wallop for slot lovers and Balboa fans alike.

Dissolving into a sea of 2,500 slots and video poker machines, boredom is hardly an adversary in these vibrant settings. Penny slots are in abundance for low rollers, while the High Limit sector delivers an array of $1,000 machines with payoffs in the upwards of a half-million buckaroos. Rollers of MGM’s progressive slots have been known to pull down gargantuan scores, as jackpots have stretched into the seven-figure variety.

Few activities within casino walls can provide the rush you’ll experience at the 12-foot craps table. Oftentimes a wild, unpredictable endeavor, craps is both painfully frustrating and highly exhilarating.

Endeared for its utter simplicity, roulette is reminiscent of the prize wheel at the county fair. Only here, we swap that stuffed kangaroo for mounds of colored chip stacks.

Yes, for those among us living in exile, there is indeed a thing called blackjack, and it was created by the gaming gods in 18th century France to the delight of casino owners and gamblers alike.

Pai Gow poker would seem the perfect indulgence for the casino passerby who desires the slow, methodical pace of a soccer game, chess match, or M. Night Shyamalan movie. It’s a true exercise in patience and persistence.

As the Babbitt boys waltz over the horizon in all their card-counting glory, that ten-minute shot of nitro is perhaps the single finest slice of gambling in cinematic history – and among the very finest of Cruise’s sensational career. Not even Tom’s need for speed or handling of the truth can trump this 1988 dandy. In fact, an Oscar triumph secures Cooperstown status for this gem of yesteryear.

Speculation abounded in Denver last Saturday when iffy calls came in rapid-fire succession and sent the Buffalo Bills into hibernation.