Twenty-one and Ready to Gamble

By Delilah Scrudato

          As soon as one enters college, this day can’t come soon enough. For DJ Picinich, he had been waiting for this day since he was 17 years old.  High school was easy for DJ.  It seemed like he had it all: grades, goals, girls and guy friends.  Being popular and attending all of the coolest “bangers” (as DJ and his friends call their parties) was the best, said DJ. The only problem was not being 21. DJ rolls his eyes and says casually, “our friends would always have to get us beer and it was always such a hassle.”
          DJ’s “problem” finally went away on October 22, 2011 when he turned 21. When asked, were you looking forward to becoming 21? DJ’s eyes lit up and he said, “Yes! I was ecstatic.” At midnight that night, DJ went to a local bar in Hillside, NJ with a few of his friends to have his first legal drink. He let out a deep sigh of relief as he said, “It was absolutely exhilarating. It was nice to actually legally drink as opposed to worrying about getting caught.”
          The next day DJ took a trip with his girlfriend, Delilah, to Atlantic City, NJ, where they met his sister Michele and her husband, Jamie.  They stayed and played at the Showboat Casino. The first thing DJ did was play roulette. He had long anticipated this moment, where he could sit down, gamble and have a drink. The question of, “is roulette your favorite game?” strikes DJ in a good way. With a smirk on his face he turns to me and says, “Yes. I like the odds. It’s a fun game to play and I love when I’m winning.” DJ wins often, betting one hundred dollars at a time. The most he was up was one thousand dollars, and it was his first time! Beginners luck? Not necessarily, DJ says, “I try to play smart. I only bet the money I’m up with and pocket the rest, this way I always come out ahead.” He certainly did come out ahead, traveling home with an extra three hundred dollars in his pocket.
          “Gambling and winning is always fun,” remarks DJ. He goes on to say, “I had an exceptional time.” Although a majority of his time was spent on the roulette table, he also experienced Atlantic City in other ways. DJ, Delilah, Michele, and Jamie all walked the boardwalk, went out for dinner and drinks, and took plenty of pictures. “I was with my family and the one I love. They showed me an amazing time and it wouldn’t have been the same without them,” DJ comments. Wondering if DJ would go back, without hesitation he says, “Yes. To relive what I had experienced all over again.” His expression was priceless when he answers this question, “Can you finally believe you're 21?” DJ glances at me and says “yes!” with a broad smile on his face.