It was 30 years ago, on a windy March day in 1984, that a man and a woman arrived in Las Vegas on a plane from Indianapolis, Indiana. It was their first vacation together, and it was only natural that they chose Las Vegas. After all they had met and fallen in love while gambling together at Tonk games at the local Moose Lodge. (The man would always laugh and say he had won the lady in a card game; the lady would explain that he had only won her heart.)
The couple had saved for this vacation, but they looked for the most inexpensive travel arrangements they could find – so they would have more left for gambling. That turned out to be a 3-night air-hotel package purchased through a local travel agent. The hotel in this cheapest package was the very low-scale and tired-looking Landmark, off the Strip near the Convention Center. Their room was Motel-6-basic and the first thing they saw in the casino was a craps table with cement blocks piled up replacing the one missing wooden leg.
But since this couple had never been in another casino before, they didn’t have any expectations of luxury. Just being in a room full of the lights and noises of slot machines and tables full of laughing customers – that was all the excitement they needed to know they were in gambling heaven.
These two people were experienced gamblers. The man had been gambling since he was 5 years old. The woman got a much later start; she hadn’t learned the 4 card suits until she was 35 but was making up time fast with heavy experience at a Tonk table. However, this had all been non-casino gambling. And although the woman was 45 and the man was 52, they were definitely babes-in-the-woods when they walked into that casino.
The woman had read somewhere that casino gamblers who played table games were the smartest. So she sat down at a blackjack table. Although she knew the rules of the game, unfortunately she had never read that the smartest players knew “basic strategy.” So she “hit” or “stood” depending on how she felt about her cards. On the other hand, the man hadn’t read that table games were the choice of smart players. He thought the point of being in a casino was to have fun. So he trotted off to play any slot machine that looked like it would be fun.
After about an hour of their respective gambling activities, the man came back to where the woman was playing, carrying a big bucket of dollar tokens, saying, “I’m going to need bigger buckets.”
The woman was a little ticked off, “I don’t know how you can be winning and I am losing my behind. Everyone says that table players are smarter than dumb slot players.”
That night late when the couple got back to their room, the man emptied his pockets and threw bills all over the bed. “Count this – it’s all of my winnings on the slots.” The woman was happy for the man, but she just couldn’t understand why she had no winnings to contribute to the pile on the bed.
The next day they walked up to the Strip and started visiting other casinos. They watched the free entertainment acts at Circus Circus. At Slot-A-Fun they would share a 75-cent foot-long hot dog or get a free bag of popcorn and share it with the pigeons in front of the casino. But when they found the Westward Ho, they decided that was their “home.” They loved their snack bar, where you could pick up a quick bite for next-to-nothing – mini-breakfasts, barbeque rib meals, hot dogs, and piled-high-with- whipped- cream strawberry shortcake. They found that Vegas was a wonderful place to get cheap food. That meant they would have more of their vacation money for gambling.
They both liked to gamble at the Westward Ho. The man was still hitting the slot machines and coming to the blackjack table to show the woman his big buckets of tokens. The woman still wasn’t winning at blackjack but the dealers and pit bosses were super friendly and she was having fun. In fact, one pit boss asked if she would write down her name and address. She hesitated; she thought he was coming on to her, but he explained that they would put her name on the casino mailing list and she would be getting free offers in the mail. The woman was big on “free” so this sounded like a good idea.
The third day the slots turned against the man when they visited the Silver Slipper – and the woman kept losing at blackjack wherever she played. So by the time they went to the airport the next morning, their vacation money was gone. However, this wasn’t depressing to them. You budget money for a vacation and it is meant to be spent to provide a good time. And they had experienced a wonderful time; in fact, they considered this trip to be the best that either one had ever taken. So the whole flight back to Indy was spent discussing when they would have enough money saved to go back.
And the woman decided that as soon as she got home, she was going to go to the library and do a thorough research on gambling and see if there was any way to be able to enjoy visiting casinos more often by not losing so much money when they were there.
Janis
Of course those people made money. Does that mean they are smart, or just lucky? I can’t think of those slot games being +EV no matter what, unless the progressive was high enough to overcome the drop. Even then on such a big jackpot you’re losing tons of money during the big one. You’re not taking the expected value into consideration.
Although people who think this way keep the casinos going so I thank you for your logic.
[Jean: It is NOT the question of being smart or lucky. Did you read my last blog? It is having different goals – some people are not concerned with EV. I WILL stop the judging here. This is the last comment I will approve where some one says or even implies that someone else is “dumb” for doing what they do in a casino.]
I learned from all the comments. This was a wonderful story about a wonderful couple. Thanks for sharing Jean.
I would like for Kevin Lewis to give us a math lesson on the following event. Last Saturday at Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, Michigan, a gentleman won $176,629.00 on a “Tarzan” penny slot machine. The maximum bet on that machine is $2. Let’s assume for the sake of argument that he put less than $5000 in that machine. Do you think he came out on the plus side seeing as how you think people who play slots are dumb??? Show me any VP machine where you can win that kind of money for $2.00. I have never seen any VP penny machine with that kind of return. On New Year’s eve of 2012, I was there when a man won over $450,000 on a “Wizard of Oz” penny machine. Too bad someone didn’t tell him before he started to play how dumb he was!
How about we accept that everyone has the right to their opinion and to express it, EVEN IF…GASP…Mr. Skallis and others like him don’t approve of it?
(BTW, if you thought my last post was “negative,” you grossly misunderstood it. Maybe it takes the fun out of gambling to view it rationally, but heck–you don’t have to view it in that way if you don’t want to! Ignorance can indeed be bliss!)
BTW, I promise never to start a campaign to ban Mr. Skallis–or anyone else–from this discussion board or any other. He has the right to free speech.
Mr. Lewis is the other side of the coin. (Tails)
His postings are fun to read. Jean is more informative.
We read them both.
The new no dealer Roulette was kind to me in February.
I picked up about $600.00 at the Palms. Just luck! I bet the 0,00, and eight numbers down the middle.
Back to back 00’s. VP, not so good, small wins on deuces wild bonus.
Jean, Mr. Lewis stay well.
How about we all vote to stop posting “Mr I am Negative About Everything Lewis” from your wonderful website. Enough is enough.
I only wish it had been meant in jest 🙁 I’ve found that gambling couples are only successful when both are on the same page regarding the purpose of their gambling. If one cares about getting the best value–or even, God forfend–WINNING(shh! who said that?)–but the other doesn’t, conflict is inevitable. It could also be a matter of differing magnitude of similar approaches: both spouses could enjoy slots as mindless fun but one will blanch at a $100 loss while the other considers $1000 to be reasonable. Or both could be winning players (VP or other +EV games), but one’s risk tolerance is considerably greater or lesser than the other’s. And of course, as with my marriage, if one person is a result merchant, any chance at harmony is doomed; she of the tiny brain couldn’t fathom how a winning VP player nonetheless loses 60% of the time.
What I really meant about understanding math is that the only way to rationally regard a wager is in terms of EV. The spinning of the roulette wheel or the slot reels is all meaningless foofaraw. When you put a dollar bill into a slot machine, it becomes ninety cents, REGARDLESS OF THE ACTUAL RESULT. When you put $100 on Red, it becomes a little less than $95 AS SOON AS THE WHEEL SPINS. Looking at it this way–the only proper way IMHO–takes all of the completely artificial “thrill” out of gambling. I play $1000 through a slot machine, I’ve just turned it into $900. I play the remainder through again, I’ve turned it into $810. Repeat until broke. That my short-term results may differ from expectation is an illusory effect, but it DOES keep people pulling that handle over and over and over. If people truly understood math, therefore, they would never buy something worth $95 (that wager on Red) and pay $100 for it.
Kevin , you write if people would understand the math behind casino games , the casinos would be empty . We all know that the casinos have the edge on all games , even VP with the best of schedules and perfect play , the right cards still have to come your way . For most of us a casino trip is primarily for entertainment . Been to Las Vegas many times , but with resort fees , cheap flights gone and Vegas being so much more expensive than it used to be , we play a bit closer to home now . Yes , we play to win , sometimes we do , other times we don’t , and as long as you stick with your bankroll for a given trip it’s not a big deal . As someone once said ” I went to Disney World and spent $1000.- and left miserable , hot , tired and broke . I went to a casino , spent $1000.- and left happy , comfortable , rested and broke . My next trip will be back to a casino .” Most of us are not professional players and only play with money we would spend if we took any other type of vacation . It’s a fun activity we enjoy about once a month as we live 5 hours away from the closest casino and I think that’s true for a lot of folks . Your comment about your ex wife , “she of the tiny brain”, was hilarious . I hope you meant that to be funny .
Your story reminded my that my now-deceased husband and I stayed at Landmark on our first visit to LV. Like you mentioned, a very cheap hotel and one that fit our budget. Thanks for the memory and looking forward to Part 2.
great story. we loved the westward ho also. thanks for reminding us of our early trips. we have been going to
vegas since 1977 and we still get excited the week before
we go. can’t wait for part 2.
Reminds me of my start with VP. Heard it could be beat and bought strategy charts from the LVA. Did OK with nickles at the Fiesta Rancho when George owned it. I had all of $300 and “thought” I was ready for quarter 101% Jokers at AZ Charlies on Decatur. Hit 3 $1175 royals in less than a week. Then, I found about Bankroll requirements and ROR and realized how lucky I was.
I could have lost it all that first session and never played VP again. However, it has been a great 17 years of fun and profit.
We’ve been following your words of wisdom about 1-2 yrs post our first visit in 2000 and have 3 of your books but never posted to your blog. Our 2nd stay in Vegas was Aug 2001 and we had package deal to WH. Arrived late on Friday night and the key busted upon trying to enter the room! We spent almost an hour chatting w maintenance man while he repaired it and were hooked on local hospitality. Fast forward to comped suites, tournaments and time share (yep, we did it early on…) our philosophy has always been to have a good time. We never ‘lose’ money in Vegas. We ‘spend/entertain’ ourselves on money set aside just for vacation the same as others may spend on what they wish to do (albeit we try to do so as much to advantage as possible). Thanks for all your advice, your hard work in researching deals and honest opinions. Best to your family as well.
Great Part 1
Gets everyone remembering their 1st trip, look forward to Part 2
Still the best looking lovers on the strip!
Bravo!
Best column ever. You put romance into the topic of gambling like nobody else. Brings back a nostalgic part of our lives as well.
Nice story.
I’m interested in hearing how long it took to wean your hubby off the slots, and how you did it. Quite possibly the worst thing that can happen to a gambler is to win at something like slots or keno the first time he/she plays. Slot players are, in fact, dumb: winning for that first time makes most people to whom that happens think they have discovered a contradiction to the laws of the universe. Brad obviously was eventually cured—and I wonder just how impressively the lesson sank in when after two days of winning bucketloads, he put it all back in a single day.
My ex-wife, she of the tiny brain, could never quite comprehend randomness, luck, expected value, etc. and measured the worth of my VP endeavors strictly by how I had done that day. Hit royal, VP good. No hit royal (lose), VP bad. That’s one of several hundred reasons why she’s my ex-wife (an un-love gambling story).
This is fun! We have been following you and Brad since you made the cover of Las Vegas Advisor so we know the story but it is still fun to read. Being from IN and having met you and Brad a few times makes us feel like you are friends.
Your article brings back happy memories of when we first started in Las Vegas… We really appreciate the great stories!!!!!!
Of all the long gone casinos, I remember the Westward Ho
with the fondest of memories. The food, drinks, and buckets of nickels and quarters were just great. Top it all off with invitations and comps and you had a memorable experience. Miss it a great deal.
What a wonderful story! I remember when my hubby and I hit Vegas for the first time ~ we stayed at Bally’s and were slot players like Brad. I can’t remember either of us being very lucky, but we loved it and couldn’t wait to go back! I can remember how thrilled we were when we got our first room comp (Treasure Island) ~ thought we had died and gone to heaven. Needless to say, we’ve been to Vegas 42 times now ~ we have our next trip planned for April 1-8 and you’d think it was our first trip ~ we’re just giddy!!
Love your posts, Jean ~ hope to run into you and Brad again sometime!
Georgi & Gary from Florida
Reminds me of the first trip my wife and I took to Vegas. She was very lucky at the dollar slots and won $300 at six separate casinos. I was very unlucky and by the second day I was broke. I asked my wife to share her winnings, but she politely declined. Only when we entered the plane to go home, was I handled half of her winnings. We both went home winners, I was the bigger winner since I had her. Forty years later we still smile when telling this story.
I LOVE this story!!!!!
I agree with the first response, from Theresa. We came home from our first trip (to Laughlin, actually). I bought your book, and also practiced blackjack on one of those small hand-held games. I’ve learned so much from you through the years…thanks for sharing so many of your experiences! You have helped more people than you can imagine to at least have a fair chance to win while gambling. The tips about comps., points, and other perks from the casinos have helped, too!
Thanks for the memories, especially since we visited the Westward Ho. I remember the free slot tournaments and the free spins out on the strip.
What a great trip report!!!!
MO
Sounds like Chapter 1 of your next book.
Put me down for a copy. Autographed of course.
George
LOVE LOVE LOVE this….. Can’t wait for part 2, reminds me of my and my Dear Hubby’s first trip. We went home and started planning trip #2. We were back within 7 months and I too learned a little (I bought your first book), trip #3 I bought your software and learned to play video poker, hit two quarter Royals in 1 week.