In 1998 on a multi-destination (Reno,Tahoe,Laughlin,Vegas) vacation I had nearly gone
through my entire playing bankroll ($3000.00) by the time I got to Vegas. I had stuck to FP
machines (they were much more plentiful then!) everywhere I had gone playing .25c VP ,
but with the luck of the damned. I was staying at what was then The Reserve in Henderson
and had gone through the last of my playing money save for maybe $100.00 before going
to bed. I awoke and remember being depressed and wanting to swear off playing VP ever
again.The truth of the matter was I was getting ready psychologically to begin hitting the
ATM for more playing funds as I still had seven more days to go in Laughlin and in LV. I
had never had had such a dismal losing streak at VP at that point.
I went down to the coffee stall to get an eye-opening cup of java and paid with one of my
last remaining twenties.The casino floor was virtually deserted as it was a weekday and
about 6am. With the change and still half asleep I bought a $10.00 roll of quarters and sat
at a 10X .25c reel machine sipping my coffee. On the third pull I watched as 10-10-10-
clicked into the centre payline. I had no idea what I had won as it made no noise and no
coins came tumbling out.
As I read the machine paytable I saw that on the 3rd coin in 10-10-10 paid a progressive
jackpot. I had to step back from the machine to look at the flashing overhead sign.
$8508.82! I was beside myself with disbelief! I had to leave 30% of it because of being a
Canadian (I did get it back the following year thanks to getting a T.I.N number that same
year and filing with the IRS) but I still went on my merry way with nearly $6000.00!
Suddenly I was flush again and two days later in Laughlin hit a .50c royal at the Flamingo
Hilton and the same again at Caesar's Palace in LV the day before my return home.
There have been many losing and recovery winning streaks since, but the one that remains
the most memorable is that wonderful morning at the Reserve in Henderson.