~ Le Viêt Nam, aujourd'hui. ~
The Vietnam News

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Testing their luck as Tet begins

The Year of the Rooster dawns today, and many Asians believe that games of chance can reveal their coming fortune.

Nervous and down to his last dollar, Wayne Nguyen shook the plastic bowl, then slammed it on a game board. Nguyen, and those around him hollering and waving their fists, believe that the three etched dice in the bowl can forecast their luck for the Year of the Rooster, which begins today. "Three little fishes! Three little fishes! Open up! Open up!" they chanted in Vietnamese. The dice spilled out. One had a deer, the other a chicken, and the third had the fish they had wished for. The crowd had luck on its side, but not Nguyen, who, as the dealer, was betting against the fish. So while the others collected their winnings, he pondered his fate. "I hope I'm not this unlucky the rest of the year," said Nguyen, who lost $10.

Nguyen, 28, of Venice Beach, and the group that gathered in an Anaheim home Sunday are among thousands of Vietnamese gambling for luck — and money — as they observe the Lunar New Year, which will be celebrated through the weekend. They huddle over the Bau Cua game board in homes or play Asian card games in area casinos, believing that the luck they have during the first few days of the new year will follow them all year long. Casinos throughout Southern California anticipate the wave of Lunar New Year gamblers, arranging buffets, dragon dances and special-edition gambling chips ..

Like the Chinese New Year and the Korean Sol, Tet Nguyen Dan for the Vietnamese — known simply as Tet — is the most important cultural and religious holiday of the year. The lunar new year is the same day in all those countries. The importance bestowed on the celebration is comparable to Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's combined.

For the roughly 250,000 Vietnamese living in Southern California, many in central Orange County, it is a time for renewal and family gatherings. Thousands attend Garden Grove's Tet Festival, with its traditional food, cultural exhibits and rides. The celebration also has a more somber note, with people attending temple to pray for ancestors. They also make offerings at homemade shrines to pay respect to those who came before them. But gambling is a big part of the celebration, and many put their hopes on Bau Cua, also known as gourd and crab, an ancient board game that is played only around the first week of the new year. The game has been around for so long that its origins are obscure.

According to legend, the game was invented in northern Vietnam by workers in rice paddies while they waited for the harvest season to start.The game is similar to roulette, but players put money on pictures of a gourd or animals — crab, deer, chicken, fish, shrimp — instead of numbers. And instead of a spinning wheel, the dealer rolls three dice. The player wins when that choice is rolled.

During the celebratory week, gambling isn't relegated to the home. Casinos have seized on the opportunity. Some give active gamblers "lucky" money in red envelopes — red is seen as a lucky color, and giving money in red envelopes is a longtime tradition — add Asian dishes to menus and promote lavish new year programs to draw in crowds. "This is just a great time of year for us," said Kelley O'Hara, marketing director of Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens, which spent $100,000 to promote its new year celebration, which includes lion dances, Chinese acrobat shows and a lavish buffet. "They come here and they love the lion dance. It gets rid of any bad evil and brings in good luck," she said. About 70% of the players at the casino are Asians who like to test their luck playing a card game called pan 9, O'Hara said.

At Hollywood Park Casino in Los Angeles, officials ordered thousands of special-edition chips for the Year of the Rooster. A buffet with rooster ice sculptures will be included in the New Year bash for its high rollers. "It definitely will be busier than normal because of the festivities," said Alyssa Rosen, a casino spokeswoman.

Tonight, players will receive the red envelopes stuffed with either 18 or 88 new "lucky" dollars, arriving from the mint in sequential order, Rosen said. To Chinese, 8 is a lucky number and the 88 is for them. Vietnamese believe 9 brings luck, and the 1 and 8 of 18, adding up to 9, are considered auspicious. "Players are always superstitious, but their superstition and belief in luck is even more so at this time of year," she said.At the Nguyens' Anaheim home, about 40 relatives gathered Sunday, testing their fortune in Bau Cua with pennies and quarters after a three-hour feast.

"You have to scream for the animal to show up," said Trang Vo, 33, of Anaheim as she put down a quarter and chanted for a gourd to appear.Her daughter, Tina Vo, 8, lost all 10 pennies. But by the end of the night, the adults had given their winnings to the children, hoping to hand down the good luck. "The winnings are very small," said John Nguyen's father, David Nguyen, 55, of Anaheim as he stood by the doorway and watched the children high-five and giggle. "But it's all about fun, teaching the kids Vietnamese customs and getting a glimpse of your lucky future."

By Mai Tran - The Los Angeles Times - February 9, 2005