Reviews🏪 경마장.

Last February, while walking around and sightseeing, I ended up at the tip of Angeles' Richmond Pen Street, by the Abacan River. Out of curiosity I looked under the bridge and saw people gathered, so I went over. People were clustered together inside a Sari-sari store, and there was a small, old-style arcade machine. People were watching it.

Looking at it myself, several horses were racing vigorously inside the game machine, and people were cheering for the horses they had bet on.

Just as I was wondering, "Why are they cheering for this??", I found out the reason.

Five or six men were placing bets. Since they had put their own money on the line, they had no choice but to cheer..

Watching them cheer, shouting Tagalog I couldn't understand over and over, their faces turning red as if their own destiny were riding on it, as if it were a Korea–Japan match deciding the final World Cup qualifying spot, I couldn't help feeling curious myself.

I asked the people around me and used a translation app to roughly learn the rules, and when I said I'd like to try a little, they readily made room for me. Looking closely, it was almost the same as the real thing. One game costs 1 peso (about 21.5 won)... But you can also bet more than once on the same game, bet on multiple horses, and bet 10 or 20 pesos on a single horse. You can even bet different amounts on multiple horses... This is really horse racing!!! It's exhilarating!

Now I placed bets too and played several rounds. In total I spent about 10–20 pesos. I lost, but I saw someone win and sweep away several dozen pesos. His expression was triumphant, the face of an arrogant conqueror. He looked confident, as if declaring himself the ruler of this area.

I congratulated him, and at the same time I messaged a friend saying there was horse racing going on here and that we should do a life-reversal together. But he doubted whether a life-reversal was possible with 1-peso bets.

Then this July, while looking around the Abacan River again, I got off at a Sari-sari store, and by chance that horse racing machine was there. While the two of us were watching the horse racing game, sharing Empirador and red hole chicharon with the shop owner and talking, three young girls and a young man came over.

I told the young girls I'd buy them ice cream, and rather than politely refusing out of Filipino humility even once, they chose the most expensive cup ice cream. Seeing that, I thought, "Wow!! This is really amazing!! How is this even possible??" I wanted to ask, but they were too young, so I couldn't. Still wondering about the cultural differences between East Asia and Southeast Asia, I handed one of them a game machine and quietly told them to play it beside me. Then I looked at the young man: he had collected dozens of 1-peso coins, resolved himself, and started playing the horse racing game.

Seeing him keep losing money, I thought that gambling always ends with the house winning, when the jackpot hit, and dozens of 1-peso coins, maybe over a hundred, came pouring out and began piling up in the box beneath the machine.

Even at a glance, it seemed he had won more than 50 pesos.

I said to my friend, "Look at this. We're watching a live scene of someone hitting the lottery!" But my friend still had a pessimistic look, as if this couldn't lead to a lottery win or a life reversal.

The young man who had made a big win stood up straight and went somewhere.

He's probably at home counting the winnings..

I'll buy a Candy Palace with this too!

I put in 10 pesos. The result was a donation..

I remember concluding that if you lose, you shouldn't cling to recovering your stake, but should quit without regret. I immediately quit the game and, feeling down, chain-smoked cigarettes.

Thinking it over, I've seen this game three times, and every time it was at the Sari-sari store in the slum village under the Abacan River bridge. It seemed to be the last recreation and entertainment for the people here, who have almost nothing they can do, and for the lower-class people of this area. I think it's like a local lottery concept called "Wetting."

Next time I visit, I'll definitely buy a Candy Palace!

This isn't a food review, it's a game review. No rating.