Did your parents disapprove of cards, gambling, board games or bridge while you were growing up? And years later, can you confidently say that they were wrong?

My father’s official stance while I was growing up was, “We don’t gamble.” End of. Even as a child, I was always a little baffled by the inclusion of everyone in the family under the umbrella of non-gambling. 

Asked for a reason, he would usually quote something out of the Bible, which was probably from Leviticus in retrospect.

We argued on a few of the other Biblical rules and commandments. Thou shalt not this and that – and we never saw eye to eye on any of these things. If we met today, I don’t think we would agree on any of them now. This is not the column to say what the worst of these disagreements were, but I think the fact that we’re completely alienated today should be a clue.

Now, sometimes I’d visit my aunt for a weekend or a few months during the holidays. (Everyone else who had a family member or friend to visit away from home might already see where this story is headed…)

My aunt’s house had a few of the same rules, with one big difference: The rules could be bent a little.

Sometimes this would result in movie marathons where we’d watch all of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies in a row (for bonus points, because the grounds of her workplace would get very, very eerie in the middle of the night), while other times it involved bending the “no gambling” rule just a little to the left.

I’d show her how to install Tetris on her Nokia and in return, we’d go out and stop for take-out at one of the local convenience stores.

Every now and then, we’d buy a lottery ticket. If you’re wondering, other times would involve a brief round or two of Street Fighter and Contra while she waited in line or poured vinegar over the fries. 

National lottery draws were on Wednesdays and Fridays, presented on late-night TV during the ad break of the 16-rated horror and action movies I didn’t get a chance to watch at home.

Of course, there was a carefully worked-out agreement involved before the buying of every single ticket. We’d split the money and she’d retire as a rich chef with an ocean house, and I’d invest the money and become a rich boy genius.

My exposure to gambling didn’t turn me into a gambling addict, a heretic or a criminal like my parents would have thought. Instead, it taught me a unique sense of responsibility that I didn’t get from my parents.

Having the opportunity to see what happened when you put money on chance – usually my own – also gave me the chance to experience the excitement of winning once or twice, losing most of the time and learning when the right time is to walk away.

It was far more helpful than it could have been harmful I realize looking back.

I cultivated a long-term love for cards and chance that would lead to the process of writing this column – eventually and years later.

What disagreements, arguments or bonding experiences did anyone have with their families over gambling, lottery, cards and bridge? I’d like to hear a few more!