I'm not much of a gambler, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate stories about risking disaster and defying the odds. In honor of the World Series of Poker and Kenny Rogers, your prompt is to write a story in which your main character takes part in a life-changing gamble. Though you're welcome to set your tales in a casino or an old-West saloon, keep in mind that not all high-stakes games are played with cards or dice.

Genre isn't a concern, save that submitting erotica wouldn't be a gamble so much as suicide. All entries must, however, be stories, with a beginning, a middle, an end, and some sort of narrative arc. No poetry. Vegas, that means you!

For those who care to take a dare, flash rules are available from the judges upon request.