Thursday, November 15, 2007

How I made 25 grand in 5 hours with two dollars




Yes, I really did. Two years ago in Vegas. Lady Luck embraced me and didn't let go. It was the ride of my life!

I was in Las Vegas for a convention. My parents were along for the fun. We were staying at the Bellagio. My husband was at home working and dog sitting our 4 legged kids.

I'd spent a long day at the convention and was ready to rock and roll in the casino. My work friends decided to go see Thunder From Down Under at the Excalibur.
I did my best to ditch my parents who were freaking out that I was alone in the casino. Yeah, I was alone with thousands of cameras trained on me, I'll be fine.

I lost all the money I had except for two bucks. I couldn't hit up the cash machine for another 12 or so hours so I had nothing to do but go to bed. As I was wandering through the casino, I decided to go to bed flat broke. I put my two bucks into a Venice nickel machine and son of a gun, I got free games, then more free games, then more until I was up to like $250. Whoo hoo.

So off to bed, I think, but the $5 Top Dollar machines called my name. Put in a twenty. First pull, top dollar...for $3200! OMG! So while I was sitting there with my hands shaking waiting for my payoff, I put a $20 in the next machine...top dollar again, $1450 another tax form. And so it went. $1200 here, a thousand there.
OMG..this can't really be happening to ME. Am I a shill?

One of the slot hosts from the high roller lounge started following me around. He was a cutie, early 20's eager to please and kept offering me food or drinks. Since it was like 3AM and I'm a lousy drinker, I declined. His name was Jason and he kept telling me to enjoy the ride, because it won't happen like this next time. (Note..it hasn't!)

So I grab my loot and decide to head to my room, when one of the floor slot staff said to me to put a $20 in the $5 pinball machine because its been paying off all night long. So I did. Pinball on the first pull for $500. Pinball on the third pull for $750. I figured I'd play a few more dollars when the symbols on the machine lined up. Double Diamond, Double Diamond, Double Diamond for $8000. This was too much, I totally freaked out. I've never hit a jackpot across, ever. I was shaking, called my husband who thought I was joking. I put Jason on the phone to confirm my win. All my husband cared about was what I was doing calling him in the middle of the night with a guy. Bruce is not a jealous man, he just couldn't wake up enough to figure it out. He heard the 8 grand part!! This time the casino brought me champagne. I tipped everyone lavishly and had a security guard escort me upstairs. I've never had so much cash in my life at one time that was MINE.

I was so excited I couldn't sleep! I counted and counted the money...I had more than 25 grand in cash. Then I added up my tax forms and found out that I had blown about 4 grand to get the 25 grand, but what the heck?

I didn't sleep a wink. I kept checking the safe to see if it had really happened. I was meeting the parents for breakfast, I was bouncing around and ready to burst. I wasn't in the mood to hit the convention that early. I gave each of them a thousand dollars and we hit the $5 machines. And a weird thing happened, the machines that were so good to me just hours before wouldn't give up a nickel. The ride was over! But what a ride!!

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