1 Alea Ludo Prologue

Before taking part in any form of gambling, one must always ask themselves, how much are they willing to risk—to lose—to sacrifice—to achieve their goal and win? Or, is it even worth it?

The answers vary from person to person, but one thing's for sure—people want to win. Winning is a beautiful thing. It often enhances a person's feelings of self-worth. It makes them feel dominant—superior over the ones that have lost.

When it comes to gambling, that feeling of dominance is overwhelming. People say that it's an addiction.

They're right.

It's one of the easiest things to get hooked on. Who could resist the call of winning large sums of money when the opportunity is presented to them by chance? Gamblers are often misguided under the ridiculous notion that they have the power to control chance.

That's all gambling is — chance.

One or two lucky wins gives people a sense of euphoria, thus driving them to continue taking risky chances to win despite the consequences. They're always under the belief that their skills or smarts will increase their chances of victory. But every gambler soon realizes that they're never in complete control.

The odds are stacked against them.

The house always has the advantage. Is it possible to win against the house? Definitely. But the chances are slim. Not to mention the stress and damage it can cause to a person after losing so much.

Losing's never a good thing. Not after someone invests so much with the hopes of winning, only to have it snatched away. In all my life, I've known nothing but the bitter taste of defeat. I've grown accustomed and numb to it. Call it selfish, but even if it's just once—only once—I'd like to know victory.

So, when presented with the opportunity of a lifetime by the devil's advocate—I accepted. Take the chance of risking my life for an opportunity to win one million dollars? Who was I to refuse?

A million dollars was a lot of money. And my life was of little consequence anyway. So, in all fairness, it was a cheap gamble. Sure, the odds weren't in my favor, but when were they ever? Something as minuscule as that wouldn't deter me in the slightest. No matter what I had to do, no matter how much I had to sacrifice—I wouldn't waste the chance—especially when I had everything to lose.