Feature by Winnie Grand

The Dream Deal
Learning a lesson the hard way

From the moment we arrived at the Peppermill in Reno, the weather was stormy. Sheets of rain hammered against the windows of our room and loud clashes of thunder rolled across the city. But deep inside the cocoon of the casino, it was business as usual with my husband, R.J., and me. We had brought extra bankroll this trip because we planned to tackle the 10/7 Double Bonus Triple Play machines for the firsttime. Only a few short months ago, we’d made the switch to playing exclusively dollars, so this new risk was pretty exciting. We weren’t sure how the volatility would be affected at this level. From what we had been able to find in the gaming literature, the bankroll requirements would be at least one fourth more, and could be even higher.

We located the Triple Play machines. They have lots of these at the Peppermill, some of them in the High Limit area and some in front of the sunken bar at the center of the casino.

We started pouring the money in–a one hundred-dollar bill can be sucked up very quickly when you’re playing 15 dollars a hand. No excitement; just a steady stream of two-pair hands with the occasional straight or flush to keep us going. Our mood began to match the weather outside. Pretty soon, we each retreated into silence as we concentrated on trying to will the machine to give up its treasures.

We’d noticed dollar Fifty Play machines that included 10/7 Double Bonus in the high roller area. During a break, I checked them out and discovered that you didn’t have to play 50 hands; you can play anywhere from one to 50. These machines were the "lean over" kind, and very comfortable to play, so we decided to move to them.

On this game, you’re dealt a large hand at the bottom and 49 tiny little hands are lined up above it. The number of hands you choose to play fill in when you punch "deal." Since we were still interested in playing at the "Triple Play" level, we had one large hand and two microscopic hands each time we hit the button. If you’re dealt a winner, the machine makes a little popping sound as they’re displayed–a little pop on the deal and two more when the deal button was punched.

Not much was happening on these machines, either, and our spirits were dwindling. To make matters worse, everyone in the high roller area but us seemed to be on a never-ending winning streak. Smiling attendants were rushing here and there handing out big stacks of hundred-dollar bills. They never looked our way as they hurried by. They were used to our glum faces and our quiet machines.

I looked over at R.J. and made some wry comment about the activity around us as I punched the button on the machine. Just as I did, I realized in horror that I had punched the "max deal" button. That meant that all 50 little hands would be played at five dollars a hand, for a total of $250! Bob Dancer might be able to afford this on a regular basis, but we can’t. Then the unexpected happened. The scene in the high roller area seemed to shift into slow motion as I heard "pop! pop! pop!"–on and on until 50 little pops had sounded. I looked in disbelief at my dealt royal! The machine locked up and the attendants swung their heads my way with surprised looks on their faces. They came over expecting to make a payout of a few thousand dollars and were shocked at what they found. I was still trying to figure out the total of 50 times $4,000. My brain suddenly seemed frozen. When I caught my breath, I realized that total was $200,000!

A win like this is not paid out automatically by the slot personnel. The machine is shut down and a slot mechanic brought in to check that it’s functioning properly. It seems like every employee in the building wearing a business suit has to come by to look at the machine. The slot attendants are always very happy. They could smell "Big Tip," and made sure our every need was met. The shift manager, however, was not happy that this big hit happened on his watch, but he was polite. After all, he wanted us to keep playing so we could give it back!

Finally, after a half-hour or so, the big payout came. R. J. and I were relieved to see a check arrive, rather than a wheelbarrow with 2,000 hundred-dollar bills. I made a silent vow to pay more attention to my play in the future, since I had gotten by with a big mistake.

Then I thought, "With this huge win, I can play these Fifty Plays for real."

And that’s what I did!

And Now, the Truth…

Okay. So the dealt royal only happened in my daydreams.

Don’t you dream about those hands, too?

In truth, the weather was beautiful. Our luck was average. I did accidentally punch the deal button and was dealt two unrelated high cards. Of course, I held them. I got back $65 of my $250 bet.

I was sick at my careless mistake. The moral of the story is to always pay attention, no matter what stakes you’re playing for. These things happen, but you have to stay focused on what you’re doing. Sure, in the instant between hitting the wrong button and seeing the cards, you can dream all you want that your mistake will be rewarded. But, sadly, it will probably result in little more than that–a dream. And, like me, what you’ll wake up to is an expensive, disappointing lesson learned.