All proceeds from tickets, which cost $5 if purchased ahead of time and $8 at the door, went to the foundation. Students at the event were also encouraged to donate their winnings as well, either to Educate! or to Hurricane Katrina relief.
All of the tables in Valentine from West to the entrance to the servery were devoted to cards and roulette, while the Annex was converted to a dance floor, the province of student jazz ensemble The Blue Nomads.
Each table was constantly ringed with players bearing fistfuls of chips. Texas Hold 'Em Poker proved the most popular game of the night, although blackjack also drew a considerable following. Refreshments were abundant as well.
The mezzanine was reserved as a champagne room, and the first 150 arrivals over the age of 21 received the beverage free. An ice cream bar also proved popular, allowing participants to replenish their energy in between games.
Eric Glustrom '07, head of Educate! and the event's organizer, was pleased with the festivities. "Casino Night used to have a great tradition at Amherst," he said. "There were years when the turnout was 1,500 and it made tens of thousands of dollars, but the last few years, attendance had really dropped. We really advertised it this year, offered free food and champagne and brought professors back as dealers."
Although this year's Casino Night did not reach the peaks of past years, Glustrom claimed the turnout was still gratifying. "We don't have an official count yet, but we think the attendance was around 350 and we made about $5,000," he said. "That's definitely more than we were expecting."