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Lady Luck - Please Stay Put!

 
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Mammothgambler



Joined: 25 Dec 2005
Posts: 619

PostPosted: Oct Thu 11, 2012 9:11 pm    Post subject: Lady Luck - Please Stay Put! Reply with quote

Hi everyone! Seems like I've been busy as sin this past month, but in reality, I think I'm just taking what seems like an extra-slow-extended-vacation checking out all the new sights in this awesome town!

I couldn't quite remember where I left off, but it looks like it was at the beginning of September, right when the 7's weren't really Blazing so well. Tessa and I are still jumping around between Harrah's, GSR and the various Motel 6 locations around town. I managed to score a couple of freelance design gigs on top of my part-timer here, which is still going well. Still sending out resumes like a madman in search of a full-timer, and got hit with some good news last week - my Tier 1 Federal Unemployment extension kicked in without a problem, so at least I'm funded for a few more months. I wound up not having to re-file in Nevada, and more importantly, my benefit amounts were not decreased as a result of my move.

Well, it got to a point where I couldn't really keep track of what happened where, so this trip report is divided up into three sections: small jackpots, BIG jackpots, and random lifestyle shots. So here goes!

It seemed like a losing streak began right after I posted my last report, but Lady Luck came back with bells on. I hope she stays put for a while. So here they are, in no certain order or casino: my hits from the beginning of September until now.















































































































As I had suspected, the Grand Sierra Resort minimized my comps from four nights a month to two days per six weeks, and my $200 of free play a month to $15 every six weeks. Dirtbags! I will give the casino manager kudos, though; after a long night there with a few too many Tecates under the belt at the bowling alley, I cashed out $580 in tickets which were dispensed in $20 bills. At about 5 am, I got a call from the casino manager, who let me know that a $100 bill got stuck in the ATM and was supposed to be in that pile of $20s, but wasn't. They actually brought it to lost and found for me, and I was able to pick it up the next day! That's customer service you don't often see or hear of these days. Tessa and I have still been doing the "3 days in, 2 days out" visit to Harrah's religiously, and are really liking living next to the Peppermill at the Motel 6 during the off days. Just so everyone knows, the Virginia/Plumb location is the only one in town that has weekly rates, and it's super cheap - not to mention tons safer than the various motor lodges downtown.

Last week had to be the most comical and exciting week ever at the Peppermill. There was an older man, about 72, here on vacation from France. His name was Nicholas. I kid you not, in his 8 days here, he did not leave the Blazing 7s kiosk for more than one hour per day. He hit a Double for just over 10 grand, and in all seriousness, cleaned out the Peppermill, leaving up about $25 grand off of those six Blazing 7s machines! He was like the icon of the place last week and got quickly known. He mentioned right off the bat that the exchange rate was going to put him over the top and that his winnings were the dream of a lifetime. Good for him!

On Wednesday, I happened to go in to the Pep early in the day, and noticed that one of the progressives was running really high - about $1900 - on one of the Blazing 7s, so I decided to perform the "blitz" method - pretty much play until you hit it. I've been burned a few times, like everyone has, when they get tight, but still, this was unreal for a $1 model that resets its jackpot at $1000 (vs. $1500 like the models at the Silver Legacy and Harrah's.)

I started out with $200, and after a few minutes, I was getting $200 and $300 hits left and right, building the credits in the machine to well over $1100 - something that doesn't happen that often. Something told me to just keep playing. Meanwhile, a visitor from CA jumped on the $1 Diamond Line Frenzy next to it and actually got 2 Blazing 7s and 2 Diamond Wild Symbols for a total win of $3000. Good knowing those things can actually hit big, because although they're a favorite, I've never been able to get above $500.































THREE HOURS LATER (yup, I was getting pretty nervous at this point!), about $200 more of my own cash, and I heard a familiar ringing bell and a saw a lineup I hadn't quite seen since the end of April:



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

BOOM! $2,024 - the biggest jackpot I've ever had on a Blazing 7s! She was obviously stuck for a bit with the jackpot being that high, but such is life.













Next day, I decided to go back and try my luck again. As mentioned, Nicholas was still perched at the kiosk and it was getting to a point where people were watching his every move and playing behind him - myself included. A few minutes later, an open seat came up on the machine at the end. A couple of $200 mixed hits.





Then, lightning struck twice. $1,082!



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







Between the Pep and Atlantis that weekend, it was up-down-up-down, and I actually saw the one remaining $1 Blazing 7s machine that Nicholas hadn't played for a while, which at the time was up to about $1200. I went back an hour later and he was sitting there smiling - AGAIN - yeah, he hit that one too!

Hope the good luck keeps up. Gotta admit that it's been awesome being away from downtown for a while. Hopefully things will stay ahead when we're back at Harrah's tomorrow.

Here's a few random shots from some of the other events that have been going on around town for the past month or so. In the news, it appears there was an attempted armed robbery at the Atlantis, where the suspect was caught in the parking lot, in addition to an attempted suicide by a young person who tried to jump off of a higher floor of the Eldorado. Never a dull moment around these parts! The views of the balloon races were great as we were staying by the Livestock Center on Wells at the time. I thought I died and went to heaven when I found the China Diner downtown on West Street - http://renochinadinerdowntown.com/ - I hadn't had any authentic Chinese in me in close to six years. Except for my one and only pair of shoes getting stolen, Street Vibrations was awesome. The Mansion at the Silver Legacy has been giving awesome prizes like this spray bottle of hand sanitizer. Looks like someone lost a very unusual, unique hat at the bus station a couple of weeks ago. Oh, and Tessa? Let's just say she's taking advantage of our current living situation and is getting spoiled pure rotten. We sat outside of Harrah's for about an hour on Labor Day, waiting to check in. She scored seven pats on the head and collected a total of $2.85 in the empty Rockstar can (no, we weren't panhandling by any means, and were even telling people so, but we seem to fit the homeless bum profile quite well downtown, so we're fitting right in! ha!) I'm having to stash my food on top of the armoires at Harrah's because she seems to get into anything that resembles food lately thinking it's her puppy biscuits. Such was the case here with my footlong BMT from Subway!

















Oh, what an adventure...

Mammothgambler
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Shooty



Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 182

PostPosted: Oct Fri 12, 2012 11:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

As much as I love Reno, this lifestyle holds no appeal for me. There are many ways to live, and I don't judge, because I know that there are many good ways to live that would not suit me. Just because it's not for me doesn't mean it's bad.

I do hope you find something meaningful and worthwhile in this phase of your life, I look at that dog and don't think happy thoughts. But I do wish you well, and hope you can find fulfillment in what you're doing.
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JD



Joined: 18 Dec 2005
Posts: 956

PostPosted: Oct Fri 12, 2012 3:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Tessa.... did YOU eat that leftover burrito? Did YOU? Are you a BAD DOG?" "Don't look at me like that. Did you do that?"
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BC Dave
Site Admin


Joined: 18 Dec 2005
Posts: 1592

PostPosted: Oct Fri 12, 2012 3:40 pm    Post subject: Good goin'! Reply with quote

Keep 'er up Mammoth. All those 7s made me dizzy. Wishing you continued good fortune both in and especially out (job wise) of the casinos.
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Mammothgambler



Joined: 25 Dec 2005
Posts: 619

PostPosted: Oct Thu 18, 2012 10:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks - ALMOST everybody!

JD - oh yes, she's got "the look" down pat! And she's getting so used to her delivery of the pet amenity package upon each check-in and greeting the housekeepers at Harrah's, her ultimate goal is to devour anything in cellophane. It must be those homemade organic wheat berry dog biscuits they keep bringing her. If I didn't know any better, they could easily pass for Mrs. Fields oatmeal cookies. For those who don't know, Tessa is a rescue dog that was badly mistreated and severly underfed to a point where her growth got stunted by two different owners before I found her back in 2006. Although a smaller Shepherd, she's gone from hell to the beach to the snow to city concrete since I've had her, and has adapted very well. She's already made a few friends with the K9 force at the police department, and it's been awesome bumping into so many people on our walks.

For those travelling to Reno with pets, just a quick heads up that downtown is really limited on grassy areas for dog walking. You can be fined for walking a dog on the huge lawn at the Freight House District (they have signs everywhere, but they are very tiny). Not sure what the lowdown is on the big grassy area next to CommRow, but it's hectic being right under the arch. The best place we've found is a huge covered soft gravel pit a couple of blocks down Lake St., in between the train tracks and police department, across from the bus station. No noise, no glass on the sidewalks, and no annoying panhandlers. There are a couple of parks nearby, but the only dog-friendly one I've encountered is the park at Virginia Lake, closer to the Peppermill.

BCDave - yes, hope the good luck continues for sure! I have very positive hopes of finding a good full-timer here, and can't get over how much better the salary ranges are here. I've seen it not only with the freelance gigs I've landed, but the full-time listings I've responded to as well. Jeez, someone was advertising an INTERN graphic/web design position that was paying a good $8-$10 more per hour than the management positions I've held in CA and FL! I guess moving to a city of 225,000+ people has its advantages. Hoping for the best, and like I mentioned earlier, there's no need to be locked down in an apartment lease (or anything too permanent) when you're without a full-timer, so thank God for comps (and the Motel 6!) It's awesome being free!

Back off to the GSR for a couple of days tomorrow. Probably won't play there, but a comp's a comp. I have about 1700 tier credits to go before I roll over to Diamond Status at Harrah's, so hoping I'll be able to achieve that by December 31st so I don't lose them.

Like I mentioned, Lady Luck - don't go anywhere for a while! Smile

Mammothgambler
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