Dear Frank Scoblete:
I was hoping I might get your comments on my gambling efforts.
I've been a Diamond Level player at Harrah's for the last 11 years.
According to their published info, I need to have $50,000 coin-in every year, to
maintain this status. That means I've played over $550,000 coin-in at various
Harrah's properties over the last 11 years. I only play the dollar and five
dollar slots and lately, I've been wondering, after all this coin-in, why
I've never EVER received not even one top jackpot or an occasional small
hand-pay?
I play until my eyes feel like they are crossed - I move around - when
possible I double my bet on machines (where u can do that) - I take breaks, in
fact, all I ever seem to get are the "near-misses" and after all of this time
playing, I can honestly say that it's just boring me to tears when I only get
the same losing symbols lining up over and over - with all the stops on each
wheel, it seems like the very same losing symbols line up over and over again,
until I can almost always predict the outcome.
My largest ever hand-pay jackpot was $3,000.00 and that was 4 years ago.
Last month I was on a fully comped trip to Harrah's at Lake Tahoe and by the
end of the trip, I played over $16,000 coin-in and as usual, not one single
hand-pay. I did get endless "near-misses" and by the end of the trip, I was
so totally bored with the absolute lack of even a few small "hits," that I
vowed to just get another hobby!
Yes, the gambling experience is exciting, the casino is usually jumping, the
staff are friendly - but getting a "hit" now and then is just so
increasingly rare that I find myself not caring if a new restaurant opened, if
they have down pillows on the pillow-top beds or if I will be a Diamond Level player
this year or not. It was not always like this. Not that many years ago, I
could get some play for my money and every now and then, I could play on the
casino's money. Playing on the casino's money gave me a boost, even though I
always knew that in the end, I would be putting it back in, because that's
why I came to the casino in the first place - to gamble.
Lastly, winning a huge life-changing jackpot is not even among my casino
fantasies. All I really need is an occasional "hit" now and then just to keep
me interested. Unfortunately, after over one half million dollars of coin-in
at Harrah's and 11 years of steady slot machine play, I just can't get a top
jackpot or even an occasional hand-pay! Am I alone or are others
experiencing the same feelings as myself?
Sincerely,
Patrick Davis
Dear Patrick:
You belong to the biggest club on planet Earth - the slot player who loses over and over again but keeps playing in the hopes that he will win some money, some time, and have some fun.
You are not alone. You are not unique. Slot machines are holding anywhere from about 5 percent on dollar machines, to 10 percent on 25-cent machines and all the way up to 15 percent on those giant progressives. Those are very big edges and they are hard to overcome - rather, they are hard to beat even on single nights in the casinos.
Those "hits" you want are few and far between and if you are giving them weekly action then you are on the side of the slot bell curve for those who have lost more than the probability indicates you'll lose. There are some people on the other side of the bell curve who have lost less than they should have. But winning? Getting big hits? Just listen as you play to the sounds of the slot players at those thousands of machines. How many are screaming? You might get one on a night who hit something really worth hitting. Think of those hundreds of thousands of spins and no major winners.
You might consider moving to other games such as craps and blackjack where you can keep the house edge at bay. Personally I think these games have more to offer someone such as yourself.
For your excellent letter I am giving you a free month on my members only private web site at www.goldentouchcraps.com. There are over 5,000 members on this private site.
Enjoy!
All the best in and out of the casinos!
Frank Scoblete
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