I was beginning my play at the South Point for their July “Spin 2 Win” promotion, playing, for variety, the 25¢ Good Times Pay version of NSU Deuces Wild. This is a Triple Play game where you get multipliers from 1x to 7x on each of the three lines (averaging exactly 2x). This uses the same strategy and has the same EV as regular NSU. Although it is slower to play than the $2 single line version that I would play were I in more of in a hurry, in my opinion it is more enjoyable to play. At least sometimes.
Two machines over (the one between us was turned off for social distancing reasons) was an Ultimate X machine that goes up to 25¢ Triple Play. The 9/6 Double Double Bonus version of that game has basically the same return as NSU and is much more difficult to play correctly, but is far more exciting.
A player, Sam, whom I didn’t recognize, greeted me, and said he and his mother met me six years ago in Lake Tahoe. My standard response at a moment like that is “Sorry I don’t remember that, but I do believe you.”
Sam had a few questions about his game over the next hour, and on the third one I told him I would answer this last question but that I needed to concentrate on my game — so he left me alone after that.
Sam was an excitable guy. Every time he was dealt a full house (yielding 12x multipliers on all three lines for the next hand), he wanted to tell somebody that this might be good. Same with being dealt trip 2s, 3s, 4s, or aces. Fortunately, he found somebody not too far away who would come over and look at his machine every time he was called over. Whether they knew each other or not beforehand, I don’t know.
His big hand of the night was a dealt royal for $6,000. I murmured, “Nice hand,” and kept playing my game. He explained to probably ten people who walked by how many dealt royals he had received in his life and how the 4x multiplier on the middle line made it $6,000 rather than just $3,000. Had I shown the least bit of interest, he would have regaled me with any number of his past successes. But I didn’t, and I heard a few of them second hand.
Casinos are basically designed for people who get excited about jackpots. Sam was playing a much stronger game than most players who get as excited as he does. He was playing a game with a good pay schedule and was making an attempt at playing it accurately.
Sam wasn’t playing close to perfectly (he was using the Wizard of Odds Ten Play one-strategy-for-all-multiplier-levels strategy for the game, but was making several mistakes), but he wasn’t terrible. Including the slot club and the free room he was getting (he’s an out-of-towner), with possibly some meals thrown in, he was doing okay. His $6,000 jackpot probably put him ahead for the trip. Maybe. It’s a pretty volatile game.
Still, he was having a blast. And he’ll be sharing his dealt royal story for years. Meanwhile, I’m sitting two seats down, grinding away, generating my EV and then leaving. I get a small jolt of energy from jackpots (that morning I hit one for $1,500+ when I hit four deuces on a 6x line), but not a big jolt. I’ve been through so many winning streaks and losing streaks and don’t get too caught up in my daily scores.
Sam appeared a bit disappointed that I wasn’t into sharing his excitement with him, but he respected my wishes not to be included. For that I thank him.
I don’t envy his excitement, nor do I condemn it. It’s his way and I have my own way.