The people in the story were lucky their gambling didn't lead to more serious losses than just funds. So many others end up forfeiting everything to gambling addiction -- their homes and even their marriages.

I thank my dad that I have never fallen prey to the sparkling flash and tinkling dice that can lead to compulsive gambling.

I am a good blackjack player, but better yet, I am a smart blackjack player -- with the help of my father.

Now being a smart gambler doesn't just mean knowing the game you're playing. It means knowing when to quit. And perhaps more importantly, it means knowing when not to start at all.

"You never gamble money you can't afford to lose," I can still hear my father advising me whenever I set out to a casino.

When I took my first trek to Vegas (we didn't have casinos here then), my dad made sure I was prepared for the temptation to come.

"If you're going to go to Vegas, you're going to know what you're doing," he told me.

Your chances of walking away a winner are slim enough otherwise.

First, he taught me the correct way to play blackjack. We practised over and over again until my moves became automatic. Then he taught me how to manage my gambling money.

"You get a safety deposit box at the hotel and put your gambling money in it, say $100 a day," he said. "Then each day, you take out $100 and if you lose it, that's it. You don't go back for more. Find something else to do."

He also taught me that when you win, walk away. Don't give it back.

I had great, enjoyable trips to Vegas that way. If I lost, it was only money I had set aside for gambling. I never had to worry about not having enough funds for meals, shopping or shows.

Who knows how many others could have avoided hardship if they'd had someone give them instruction on smart gambling right from the start.

While casinos warn you to "know your limit," you won't find advice like my father's posted on the wall. Maybe it should be.

Karen Miceli can be reached at kmiceli@miltoncanadianchampion.com.