High School is the Craps of the dating generation. Most people who play craps don't often know what they are doing, where to put their bets, or their odds of scoring a big pot. Once in a while a beginner will get lucky, but that is the exception to the rule. In fact, if you don't bet wisely you can be knocked out of the game within one roll of the dice. Dating in high school falls under the exact same predications. As a freshman or a younger student you have not dated much and are not too sure of how to ask someone who you played Operation with for the last ten years to play doctor with you instead. In fact, picking a girl to ask out is as important as where you place your bet. Pick the wrong girl or do something bad on a date (I would say not opening a door would be inappropriate, but in today's age it seems not showing a girl your wang on the first date constitutes chivalry) and no one may ever date you again, allowing other players to gamble at your spot. In addition the rewards when I was in high school were not that high. Yeah, you may get 1:1 or 2:1 but being a novice you won't make the high odds bets. One bad date can ruin your reputation for four years, and if it goes well what do you get, to hold her hand and give her a little peck. Whoop de friggin doo. As you can see, you may be able to win, but you'll never win big.
College on the other hand is more like roulette. You have an idea what you're going to do, you have an idea where the ball has landed recently, and you can get the best odds if you bet a number. In college, equipped with your own car, your own money, and most important your own dorm room, betting often on a number can finally allow you to score. While people do talk to each other in college, if you were smart enough to go to a big school (which naturally, I was not) there is a good chance your reputation will never be fully tarnished whereas you can never get another date. Worst case you go off campus to a neighboring school, unless it was Wellesley College. Roulette also allows you to make cheaper bets, instead of having to plunk down five or ten dollars per hand you could bet a buck on any number and hope to get your 30:1 payout. College allowed those that were a little more experienced, and even those that weren't the chance to eventually win. Yeah, you may go broke once in a while but if you go back to the Casino enough you're bound to hit your number eventually, the same with women, which is where you get the term giving it the good ld old college try.
Finally we leave the cushy confines of schoolyards and campuses and find the harsh real world awaiting us. Just like a game of blackjack, sometimes you are up, sometimes you are down, but it's hard to ever really be out, the casino will always string you along just a bit longer. Blackjack, like life after college requires everyone at the table to accurately read situation, help each other, and not hit against a 16 (yeah, that means you). These are the same services a wingman provides you when you cruise the bars. He helps you read the situation, sometimes he'll pull the bust card for you, and hopefully in the end one of you walks away the big winner. After playing at the casino for so long, games completely of chance like Craps and Roulette lose their appeal. The desire to play is more of the driving force then looking for a big score. Granted, if you win a big one then great, if not then you still got to enjoy the experience. So is life as an adult. Sometimes you'll date girls that you like, sometimes you'll date girls you don't. Unless you're on Viagra (one of our sponsors) or Cialis, there is a good chance your sex drive has started to slow a bit and it's all about the game and remaining viable for the long term and not looking for a quick score. I have learned to appreciate the game, and I guess at this point in my life as I remain stuck in the suburbs, I'm lucky I enjoy playing blackjack and know eventually I'll win big again. But I'm in no rush to do so.