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The Final Chapter (and ooooh, I'm bummin'...)
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Mammothgambler



Joined: 25 Dec 2005
Posts: 619

PostPosted: Nov Mon 04, 2013 11:53 pm    Post subject: The Final Chapter (and ooooh, I'm bummin'...) Reply with quote

Hi everyone!

I've pretty much been compiling this trip report for the past few months, so sorry about the delay.

The good news: My last trip report was a wicked run, one of the best I've ever had, especially that "10 progressives in 72 hours" part. Even though a huge chunk of it was donated to the hospital as a result of "The Salmonella Incident," late/missing unemployment checks, and God knows what else, it's been a pretty phenomenal summer.

The not so good news: For those of you who haven't heard, my time here in Reno is done. I've unfortunately had no luck whatsoever finding a full time job, even with the 328+ resumes I've sent out in all fields of work since last July (yes, I even applied at McDonald's, a dog kennel, Super WalMart, all the casinos, a few restaurants, and let's not forget the graphic and web design jobs too!) I even took it upon myself to get registered for gaming and alcohol awareness cards and took some classes to maybe up the chances of landing an entry-level slot technician position somewhere, but no dice (or reels!) What's even worse is that out of all these positions I've applied for, only about three or four of them have been full time. I've given this place my all, and tried harder here probably more than anywhere else I've ever lived, and although it's been quite an experience, I guess it just wasn't meant to happen. Unemployment benefits ended for good almost three months ago, and after a whopping 200-some-odd hotel check-ins, and thousands of dollars still floating in outer space for incidental holds, there's still no full time job, and still no apartment, so it's time to go. I'm heading back to North Carolina for the time being, where I grew up (we only have Harrah's Cherokee there, and it's a tribal property, so something's telling me I might be jumping on the junket in the distant future to another destination - the airport's only half an hour down the road!)

I'm not, by any means, talking down on this awesome city that will always hold a special place in my heart, but I just want to issue some friendly advice to anyone (or anyone who knows anyone) that's thinking of moving here with the intention of finding a full time job, based on my experiences here this past year and three months: TREAD CAREFULLY! Have a job lined up ahead of time. Or two, or three. Be prepared to have some inside connections with people that already live here that can get you into the workforce, and maybe even be prepared to switch careers. I had none of these things and rode it out solo, and gotta admit that Reno wasn't exactly somewhere I had intentionally planned on moving to, but after my experiences in Mammoth between getting the layoff call and dealing with a condemned apartment complex last year, and all the comps and perks here, it was pretty much just a 3 hour bus ride across the border in an attempt to keep my west coast excursion of almost 6 years alive. I just kinda landed here. And oh, what fun! But, like I said, TREAD CAREFULLY!

I'm saying this because I've heard the same story from many, many people I've talked with during my time here, in every profession and walk of life, from the crackheads to the lawyers: this city, as big as it is, is extremely notorious for the job scene being all about networking, and who knows who, very similar to a small-town mentality (I guess that's why they call Reno "The Biggest LITTLE CITY in the World!") And obviously, if you're not in the network, consider yourself done.

One of my friends here that's a frequent visitor to the Cal Neva put it best. He was telling me a story about when he and his friend were attempting to get their first jobs here, way back in the day, when they were only 15 years old:

Hiring Manager: "Who's your uncle?"
Friend: "He's so and so from Reno that knows so and so's cousin's sister's brother."
Hiring Manager: "OK, you're in. You can start tomorrow."

Hiring Manager: "What's your father do?"
Friend of Friend: "He's a construction worker from Sacramento."
Hiring Manager: "OK, you're out! Go away!"

Enough said. I've seen this scenario around here time and time again.

If you're lucky enough to get in, expect a reduction as far as wages go, in comparison to where you might have moved from. The few temporary freelance gigs I've landed here have been a bit on the low paying side, although still better than nothing, but man, it seems like there's a lot of business owners here that are either down on their luck, or trying to get something for nothing. I've bumped into many people that have literally taken their retirement packages early to avoid having to deal with looking for another job around here. It's kinda crazy how I've traded the money factor for the fun factor by living in the most remote of surf and snowboard towns these past 20+ years, having the chance to combine my passions and personal interests with my professional career, and go figure, I get to this big gigantic city, the biggest place I've ever lived, hoping for a miracle, and can't find squat for work!

I kid you not. The Reno Gazette Journal's Careerbuilder section brings no good news. And don't even get me started on all the scammers on Craigslist. There are dozens of help wanted ads that I've seen that reappear every three months or so. They're either fake, or the people posting them must be getting burned really badly with the people they are hiring. Jeez, don't ever move to an area where you gotta rely on finding a job through Craigslist! You'd be better off talking to a wall. Just a friendly reminder to tread carefully on Craigslist too, in any city - it gets to a point where there's so much repetition, unanswered emails, and outright scams, I seriously wonder sometimes who's been getting all my personal information and work history on the other end of that blind email.

Lots of people in and out of the casinos are telling me to stay and just be a gambler, but maybe I'll come back and do that after I retire - without a money funnel coming in, it only takes one time to get down on your luck, and it's all over. A few staff members at the Cal Neva and Harrah's are still all shaking their heads in disbelief: "The dude that plays the Rams (and Blazing Sevens) is leaving us?!?!?!?! Just stay and make a paycheck out of it, son!" Still tempted, but maybe someday.

OK, enough about the job scene. Every aspect of this journey has been awesome! I've told a lot of people that my past year and three months here have been very similar to being on Dead Tour again, only Tessa and I have been doing it 5 star (well, along with the Motel 6, which is still okay,) instead of camping out under picnic tables and trees (we fortunately only had to do that once this year, over Memorial Day weekend, when the entire city was completely sold out of hotels!) No job, no permanent place to live, no car, and no set schedule, just a dog, a backpack, a laptop, and a suitcase. And a lifetime of memories for sure. I'm just worried now that she's gotten too dependent on those organic dog biscuits Harrah's has provided every three days to spoil her more rotten than she already was!

So, picking up where I left off last trip report: on with the jackpots! Here's everything I was able to accomplish, from mid-July up until a couple of weeks ago, in addition to the massive amounts of mainstream $200 and $300 hits. I'm gonna miss this place. NOTE: Some scrolling may be required, and I apologize ahead of time if the sound quality of the video clips is up and down.

JULY 2013

Harrah's Reno
07/10/13
$1,507.24








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Awesome hitting a lower amount progressive every now and again (the Blazing Sevens at Harrah's reset at $1500.)

Cal Neva
07/10/13
$1,107.88








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

The IGT Nevadan on the outer circle did it again!

Harrah's Reno
07/10/13
$1,503.84








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Another lower amount progressive. And three in one day. No complaints here!

Cal Neva
07/24/13
$259.70








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Apparently, the quarter Nevadans hit too.

Cal Neva
07/25/13
$1,047.05








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Rams.

Cal Neva
07/25/13
$1,029.17








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

This is the machine in the corner of the midwall. It's silent, but has a bell every time there's a winning combination on the board, along with the counter. Bells and counters are good!

Cal Neva
07/26/13
$1,233.43








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Hey, it's the ice cream truck song again, Cal Neva style! And my first jackpot of 1-2-3-4!

Eldorado
07/28/13
$1,212.97








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

This one was classic. A mere $49 in.

Eldorado
07/28/13
$2,161.31








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

This one, however, was even more classic - immediately to the left of the one I had just hit. An elderly woman with a ribbon-wrapped walking cane, who literally kept a reserved sign on the machine for five days straight - ya know, one of those rude types - completely lost her bankroll and finally got up to use the restroom. A few people stood up and clapped as she left…goes to show how many people play "jackpot meter monitor" besides myself at the Eldorado! After a couple of mixed $200 hits, it hit the progressive jackpot. This was definitely another one of those "100% profit" jackpots! Then, she had the audacity to come back, just up and out accused me of stealing her jackpot, and literally hit me on the shins a good 6-7 times with her cane! I think what made me go completely postal was the fact that she was a spittin' image of a former coworker of mine who was very problematic. Security asked me if I wanted to file a report or press charges, to which I said no, but they wound up 86ing her permanently. In your travels on the gaming corridor, watch out for some crazy Saudi Arabian lady named Edith!

Cal Neva
07/29/13
$277.76








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Yes, the quarter Nevadans definitely hit too.

Eldorado
07/29/13
$1,031.20








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

This one hit after only $44 in, with a low progressive jackpot for a change. Let's just say that this is one of the machines at the Eldorado that's repeatedly taken me this past year, so this was much appreciated.

Cal Neva
07/29/13
$1,118.06








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Another "reserved sign on the machine for a week where somebody finally lost their ass and left" jackpot. I've found that looking out for these is key. I decided to blitz this one and it hit after about an hour, with several $200 and $300 hits along the way to keep pushing it.

Another three in a day. Again, no complaints!

Cal Neva
07/30/13
$1,003.28








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Just goes to show that the Nevadans are known to double up. This was the same machine I had hit just a day earlier.

Harrah's Reno
07/30/13
$1,504.63








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Another lower amount progressive at Harrah's Reno.

Eldorado
07/30/13
$1,052.84








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Another lower amount progressive at the Eldo…and another three in a day!

Eldorado
07/31/13
$1,524.73








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

The old-skool machine upstairs at the Eldorado pulled through for me again, with a mere $13 investment. Jeez, I need more of those. The song played again...

So, that was THREE three-in-a days in July. No complaints. Enter August!

AUGUST 2013

Eldorado
08/01/13
$2,707.87








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

I got really lucky on this one during "the blitz." A few $200 and $300 hits in the beginning, followed by about a grand of nothing. This is the third "this machine has gotten my ass this past year" machines at the Eldorado, and by the time it hit, had about $1000 in remaining credits, about what I put into it. Another 100% profit jackpot. I was tempted to blitz it the day before, but the jackpot meter had jumped from $1800 to $2400 overnight, so I'm glad I waited. With this particular meter type, that means someone probably cycled through around 5K.

Cal Neva
08/01/13
$1,078.86








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

The IGT model Nevadan on the outer circle pulled through for me again.

Harrah's Reno
08/02/13
$1,038.85








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Three spins in, and the lower progressive hit on the Double Blazing Sevens at Harrah's Reno. Little did I know the very next machine was going to hit in a similar fashion only nine minutes later...

Harrah's Reno
08/02/13
$1,017.06








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

…yes, that's correct. Another three spins in on the machine to the left, another lower progressive, and another hand pay, not even nine minutes later! This was the same "sick bell" machine I hit this past winter, and again beforehand on Thanksgiving Day in 2009. I love it when the slot attendants call into their walkie-talkies, it's music to my ears (especially with a sick bell!): "Can I get a verifier at zero-five-delta?"

Eldorado
08/05/13
$2,255.89








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

This one took a little bit of effort, but was definitely worth it. This is one of those machines at the Eldorado that's always been good about spitting out $200 and $300 hits, and one that seems to hit the jackpot seconds after you walk away from it. I recall getting skunked on it when I attempted "the blitz" back in November. Glad I finally got a chance to conquer it.

Harrah's Reno
08/07/13
$1,511.75








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

This is that machine in the back of the kiosk at Harrah's Reno that I was able to hit earlier in the year. It stands out a bit, because the bell takes a few minutes to get going, and instead of displaying a dollar amount, the credit display just says "PROG JP." I got me another "PROG JP!"

Cal Neva
08/10/13
$1,158.20








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

This one was a little slow going, but put out a lot of $200 and $300 hits throughout the week.

Cal Neva
08/11/13
$1,006.77








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Another double up. This one had just hit the night before.

Cal Neva
08/11/13
$1,006.23








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Okay, the machine right beside the previous one gave out another $1,007 jackpot. 1007 was the lucky number that day.

Cal Neva
08/28/13
$1,077.30








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Damn, I love those Rams...

Cal Neva
08/30/13
$1,015.59








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Not bad, August. Enter September.

SEPTEMBER 2013

Cal Neva
09/01/13
$258.49








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Quarter Rams!

Cal Neva
09/01/13
$1,079.95








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Dollar Rams!

What happened the next day was the most awesome Labor Day ever. I entered the Cal Neva at about 6 am, on a mission.

Cal Neva
09/02/13
$1,222.74








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding…that machine on the outer circle did it again! Little did I know that three more were coming…

Cal Neva
09/02/13
$1,044.60








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Cal Neva
09/02/13
$1,015.92






(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Cal Neva
09/02/13
$1,021.85








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

THANKS AS ALWAYS, CAL NEVA!

Eldorado
09/02/13
$1,590.54








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

This was something I hadn't experienced in a while, being another one of those machines that's taken me big time in the past. It hit on the very first spin! Only a $3 investment. Like I said, gotta have more of those.

Eldorado
09/02/13
$1,143.75








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Six progressives in 24 hours is my all time record breaker. On Labor Day. Oh, what fun it was to labor, chasing those rams and bobcats around...

Harrah's Reno
09/28/13
$378.31








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Just a few spins in, and the quarter Blazing Sevens pulled through for me again.

Cal Neva
09/28/13
$1,012.00






Got lucky on this one. All I remember is that some shady character in the Cal Neva came and sat down beside my machine, babbling, asking for money, and not really going anywhere, so unfortunately couldn't score a video clip. Fortunately, Lady Luck pulled through a couple of minutes later and I didn't have to deal with it for any extended period of time.

Cal Neva
09/29/13
$1,307.43








(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

I stopped back in a couple of hours later (fortunately, the shady character was gone!) and noticed that the previous player that was on this machine for quite some time earlier unfortunately didn't pull off hitting the jackpot. The machine was finally available. As previously mentioned, these are things I constantly look for. Right place, right time!

Thanks, September. Enter October.

OCTOBER 2013

GSR
10/14/13
$263.50






(Click on the image to view the video clip.)

Thank you again, GSR. Once again, your measly $5 weekly free play credit brought me another miracle. That's the fourth one since April. Keep 'em coming. And oh, as a German Shepherd owner, Tessa and I once again salute you for your "MEAN BREED" dog ban...





On top of all the jackpots, Baccarat crystal, and gift card giveaways at Harrah's, the Summer of Slots tournament that was ongoing in July and August really did me right. It was free and was held each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday through the end of August, with all prizes issued in free play. There were a few sessions where I placed and fell in the $75 category.



However, the ultimate session was in August, where I placed first with a top prize of $500. 13,280 points in ten minutes on a tournament model Red White and Blue isn't going to happen for me again anytime soon, I almost guarantee it. But it was awesome getting to experience it at least once!



What made it even better is that I got a call from one of the promotion attendants while I was on an overnighter in Mammoth the first of last month, who notified me that I came in 8th out of 10th for the overall qualifier. I got a whopping $1500 in free play, and wound up getting about $1500 in cash off that. No top jackpots, but lots of sevens and winning combinations.





And let's not forget the never-a-dull-moment scenery downtown. Hot August Nights was awesome, with these girls that were hanging outside of Harrah's for the entire event. Yes, they were literally dressed in poodle skirts, hula hooping, and ripping out a wicked version of "Old McDonald Had a Farm" on their fiddles, all at the same time!



Dozens of passersby: "Where are your parents?"
Little girls: "Oh, they're in the car show, so we just decided to come out and make some money!"

They had the right idea. There were easily a few hundred dollars in that wad in that fiddle case! The next day, they got their two brothers outside of the Nugget for a quartet performance - not to mention that they spread their money out in the fiddle case to attract more attention. Classic!

And let's not forget all the awesome vehicles rolling into town. Hard to believe some of these cost more than people's homes. One older man was telling me that he and his wife drove here, all the way from North Dakota, in a '33 Chevy with a bad cylinder head. Diehards for sure!







On another evening, there was this lady I saw at the sky bar in the Cal Neva one night when I was hanging out with John and JD, who came up with the most interesting reserved sign for her bartop video poker machine - a bar towel. Thank God it wasn't Edith!

So, like I said, it's been a phenomenal summer, and a phenomenal year and three months. Big thanks to Harrah's Reno, and the various Motel 6 locations around town, for putting up with us. And most importantly, big thanks to John and all the board members for being here. I first joined this board almost a decade ago, and you all have taught me everything I know!

Maybe someday I'll hit a Megabucks jackpot and be able to come back here without having to worry about finding a job. Until then, I'll still be alive on the board, and wherever I wind up down the road, I have a feeling that part of my soul is forever going to be wandering the casinos downtown, checking out those progressive meters.


Farewell, Reno. You rule!

Mammothgambler
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JD



Joined: 18 Dec 2005
Posts: 956

PostPosted: Nov Tue 05, 2013 1:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

WOW!!

Best Trip Report, EVER. I shoulda sent more e mails.

Keep in touch.

JD
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stan_allen



Joined: 19 Dec 2005
Posts: 1129

PostPosted: Nov Tue 05, 2013 11:52 am    Post subject: "That's ALL, folks" Reply with quote

A beautiful closing tribute! Amazing what those feisty old-lady slot players are capable of...

Sorry your Reno residence project didn't work out - it's often occurred to me that if you want to live in Reno, you're probably better off having started out there. Your story offers support for that theory, so I'll bear that in mind if I find myself pondering professional relocation anytime soon, whereupon I'm likely to say, "Hey, living in Reno would mean Reno-level fun ALL THE TIME!".

Look at it this way: Next time you're back, it will be purely in a vacationing status, and probably more enjoyable.

Hope your new home base works out better, but do remain an active member of our board, and stay in touch!
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mycran



Joined: 18 Apr 2013
Posts: 38

PostPosted: Nov Tue 05, 2013 5:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sad day indeed.

I will bet you as soon as you get settled in back east the phone is going to ring with a job offer from Reno. That's my luck anyways.

good luck and keep us posted on your ventures at any harrahs or like spot.
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Mammothgambler



Joined: 25 Dec 2005
Posts: 619

PostPosted: Nov Tue 05, 2013 6:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Right on, thanks everybody!

JD: You can continue with the emails whenever you see fit! (For those who don't know, JD and I had a private little inside joke going on over the summer. We were communicating via email for his upcoming trips here, and it seemed like EVERY SINGLE TIME he would send me an email, I would hit a jackpot somewhere, usually within 24 hours before or after, and usually at the Cal Neva. That's actually where a lot of these came from!)

Mycran: Yeah, go figure it would be just my luck for something like that to happen! I did have an interview a couple of weeks back with a commercial printer in Sparks, but like the case usually is with the three other walk-in interviews I've managed to land during my time here, it's always been, "Oh, we've got several other applicants lined up, and we're not sure if we're actually hiring next week, next month, or next year!" The ONLY thing I haven't tried yet is just walking in somewhere going, "Hi. I'm a trust fund kid. I never went to college. Everything that I know has been totally self-taught, and I don't even care about getting paid." You just never know...

It was the funniest, because my last bout with unemployment was back in 2002 when I was living in Florida, and fortunately, it only lasted six months. At the time, I was offered a six month temporary Art Director position at People and People en Español Magazines, at the Time building in Manhattan. I was going to go live at my grandmother's house in Yonkers, just outside the city, work the gig, and probably come back loaded. Right when I was getting the U-Haul trailer lined up, I got a call from the surf magazine, and the rest was history - I stayed! I keep B-S-ing myself that something like that will happen here, but it's getting to a point where I'm not thinking so, unfortunately. Plus, this whole moving around every 3 days business is starting to take its toll on us, I believe. But you all know me - forever the optimist!

Right now, we're hanging out waiting on United Airlines to have a flight track available for Tessa, since she's technically being shipped in the cargo department, which is going to be a riot in itself! The problem is that there are only about three flights in their entire fleet that can take a crate of her size, and it's going to involve about 3 or 4 connecting flights/layovers, not to mention that once the vet health certificate is issued, there's only a 10 day time duration available before it expires. Careful planning involved, for sure.

The up side is that I did land an ongoing freelance (although extremely low paying) design and production with a senior citizens lifestyle magazine back east last month, which can pretty much be done from anywhere in the event a miracle happens tomorrow (although I've been saying that since we got here last year!) Gotta admit that it's awesome just being able to sit quietly and concentrate on just design, without having to worry about all the corporate office politics. That's been the one awesome thing I've experienced since I got the layoff call last March, so it's been a nice breather.

I'll keep everyone in the loop, and yeah, it just dawned on me that I've been a board member here in three different states: Florida, California, and Nevada. I wonder what my next screen name should be? NorthCarolinaGambler? Naaaah, I can't support the tribal casinos Cool

Mammothgambler
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PEB



Joined: 26 Dec 2005
Posts: 97
Location: California

PostPosted: Nov Wed 06, 2013 3:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Awesome trip report MG! All those wonderful blazing 7's....Wow! You do have the Midas touch Smile Sorry a job didn't come through for you but I do wish you all the best in NC and hope to see future posts from you here on the forum. Also hope that you and Tessa have a safe trip.
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CaSwede



Joined: 28 Feb 2006
Posts: 866

PostPosted: Nov Fri 08, 2013 10:23 am    Post subject: good luck on your next adventure Reply with quote

That is quite a collection of jackpots for sure. Well, you certainly gave Reno a chance and I am surprised you didn't move on earlier. I have totally been amazed at your life style and how you have been able to survive in the casino environment- and with a dog! This is the type of life story that you have to tell your grandchildren someday.

Good luck on the next chapter in your life. Don't go away from the board totally.
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BC Dave
Site Admin


Joined: 18 Dec 2005
Posts: 1592

PostPosted: Nov Tue 12, 2013 5:52 pm    Post subject: Thanks Mammoth Reply with quote

Thanks for the mammoth report Mammoth! Best of luck to you in all your future ventures.
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Mammothgambler



Joined: 25 Dec 2005
Posts: 619

PostPosted: Nov Mon 18, 2013 3:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks again everyone! We just arrived back in North Carolina on Friday night after fortunately getting a rather short-notice call from the airlines stating that a dog-friendly flight was available on Friday, so we jumped on it. Got a chance to head downtown and give one last round of goodbyes to all the awesome casino staff members at Harrah's and the Cal Neva beforehand.

Another tidbit of info I'd like to share with everyone for those traveling to/from Reno with dogs: the Reno/Tahoe International Airport isn't the best airport to fly out of with larger breeds, I'm guessing due to the size of the hopper planes vs. the mainstream ones. I was notified with literally a half-day notice that the crate I had already purchased for Tessa was too large for them to accommodate, so I had to run down to Petco to get a last-minute swap-out with literally seconds to spare - I guess it was better finding out that way rather than at the airport! A little bit of a tight squeeze, but she made it!



Stay in touch everyone!

Mammothgambler
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stan_allen



Joined: 19 Dec 2005
Posts: 1129

PostPosted: Nov Mon 18, 2013 9:34 am    Post subject: Box Voyage! Reply with quote

Glad to see that the transport issue worked out.

I was half-expecting a trip report involving a blazing 7s machine right near the gate of your flight, but it sounds like the timing didn't quite work out!

Best of luck...
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mycran



Joined: 18 Apr 2013
Posts: 38

PostPosted: Nov Wed 20, 2013 8:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

With your skill as a writer I see a book here, maybe you could ghost write for Tessa. Adventures of Tessa in Reno
and how I keep my pet Mammouth on a short leash.

good luck to you both ,Wynn.
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Shooty



Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 182

PostPosted: Nov Thu 21, 2013 4:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Amazing.

Best of luck.
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dfens



Joined: 19 Jul 2012
Posts: 59

PostPosted: Mar Sun 16, 2014 9:16 am    Post subject: Holy cow!!! Reply with quote

Your phone must hate you for taking all those jackpot pics!!! I haven't seen so many progressive photos in my life!

Your stay in Reno was epic! I keep telling people about how your story and most don't believe me.

Keep us updated with your future adventures..and of course progressive chasing!
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Mammothgambler



Joined: 25 Dec 2005
Posts: 619

PostPosted: Mar Wed 19, 2014 9:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, great seeing everybody! Well, the past few months have spun by pretty fast, and have definitely brought on some new adventures.

It's crazy how mycran mentioned something about getting a job offer call just after bailing. Go figure, I got not one, but TWO callbacks from Reno within 12 days after I returned to NC. One of ‘em was pretty big. Unfortunately neither one could pay relocation, or wait for me jump on a plane and come back. The same thing pretty much happened with another opportunity back in Mammoth over Christmas. Sad

HICCUP HICCUP HICCUP! Embarassed Embarassed Embarassed But, I guess it was all a sign.

Although it was awesome hanging out with the family for the holidays, North Carolina unfortunately brought no good holiday tidings with the job market there, either. Plus, it became innundated over the years with what we call “sweepstakes parlors” - ya know, little internet cafés where you walk in and "buy time," which is really a codeword for “fire that tight multiline computer slot game up!” I’m talkin’ like, on EVERY street corner. I had never seen so many in the most off the wall places - in the grocery store shopping centers, out on the country roads, you name it. As I was sure there were no computerized Blazing Sevens, and learned just how much sweepstakes software differs (usually not in your favor) from anything with a random number generator in it in class last year, I skipped ‘em. Probably a good thing, as the new year pretty much spelled an early demise for many of them.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/11/29/4507060/sweepstakes-parlors-face-shutdown.html#.Uyp7X9wow6I

So, I took another leap of faith.

Before I moved to Mammoth, I was contemplating checking out Colorado, but got my calling in California instead. Well, everyplace else is now travelled and done, so I did it. I live in Colorado now. Denver Metro, to be precise! Moved into an awesome house complete with a fenced in backyard and a Saint Bernard. Turns out the owner and I have a mutual friend who’s also from Mammoth. Small world! I’ve been freelancing with a creative agency I worked with in Florida that has a branch here, and just landed a gig at a commercial printer a couple weeks back. Kinda cool not having to worry about switching hotels every three days anymore, although I really miss Harrah's.

I haven’t checked it out in great detail yet, but I did recently find out that there’s a little gambling mecca just outside of Denver in the mountains in the middle of nowhere: Black Hawk, Colorado. Twenty one casinos packed in an area of just about a couple of square miles. Crazy! Plus, it’s non-tribal and regulated (although they have a maximum bet of $100 for any game you’re playing, it used to be $5 back in the day and that’s why the Harrah’s properties left years back - darn), and, there’s Blazing Sevens. Looks like a couple of properties are owned by the same parent company as the Gold Dust West, while a couple of others are owned by Affinity Gaming. Looks like the Atlantis’ sister property, the Monarch, is also there. The setup seems ideal, as nobody actually lives there, so it's probably a different vibe than Reno or Vegas. I’ll keep everybody informed, although I think Reno is going to be hard to top as far as gaming goes.

http://www.blackhawkcolorado.com

So, slowly but surely normalizing. And that much closer in miles to the awesome day when I can return to Reno as a visitor. I have a feeling I'm going to be running from the tax man here shortly though with all of last year's jackpot taxes, so, in the meantime, can someone stop by the Cal Neva and spin the Rams for me? Oh, some Top Deck Prime Rib shipped via dry ice wouldn’t be a bad idea either…

Mammothgambler (now in Colorado!)
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stan_allen



Joined: 19 Dec 2005
Posts: 1129

PostPosted: Mar Thu 20, 2014 11:17 am    Post subject: The Colorado Colo... Reply with quote

Thanks for the update, and good to hear from you.

It seems like there's no state left in the union that doesn't have some sort of gambling option, even though they largely can't hold a candle to Reno.

Welcome to the brave new Colorado, where "Rocky Mountain High" has apparently taken on vast new meaning as of late.

If you go to that local casino area, make sure to take some pictures; it would be interesting to see what the environment there is like...

Take care!
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