Can Never Ever Win at That Casino – It’s Fixed!

No matter what game I play, what strategy I use, the bottom line is I can’t win to save my life at certain casinos! I know I’m not alone and over the years reading members posts and comments, many have been in the same boat. It seems illogical and against all odds to consistently lose at one place. Our irrational thinking can only conclude one thing – the casino crooked as the day is long! Hmm, but if that is the case how come some people DO win on a regular basis?

I am going to share a personal gambling experience or rather I should say long journey that happened to me a few years back that defies logic. In fact, it would be a good question for the Ask the Wizard column.

A Non-Stop Losing Streak Journey

My mom rest her soul loved to gamble and you know what they say, “the apple doesn’t fall from the tree”. Her favorite spot was Harrah’s Joliet. Twice a week we would make that 45-minute hike to Joliet for an entire year before she moved. I was new to the casino scene but it wasn’t long before I knew my way around and learned all the ins and outs. I was in school at the time so it was a lean time for me, therefore she would always flip me some cash to play.

She strictly played $1 progressive video poker and it was a single hand only. Once I learned the ropes I tried to convince her to have a go on the multi-hand games, but she wouldn’t have any part of it. Nevertheless, this woman won like nothing I ever saw.

A Small Sampling of Sheer Luck at Harrah’s

I sat across from her, our backs to each other and not more than ten minutes later I hear “pst, pst”. I turn around and she says I just hit the royal flush. At a dollar machine that equals a $4,000 jackpot. Her machine locked and that dream message appeared across the screen “Call Attendant” for a hand payout. I jump out of my seat and said to her here we go the never-ending roll for mom and gave her a great big hug!

The slot host comes over to pay her and unlock her machine. Again, I hear “pst” “pst” I turn around once more and she says “ I hit it again”. No way, I’m thinking she’s pulling my leg, right? I look at the screen and as God is my witness this woman lands back to back royals!

Another time we stayed for the weekend, because she had a reputation for winning tons of moohla, the casino was anxious to get it back, therefore rooms were comped. There were so many signers for her during our overnight stay I couldn’t keep up with how much she won and to be honest she didn’t know either.

Once we arrive home the following evening, I make some lemonade and we sit out on the porch for what I remember was a gorgeous summer evening. Mom lugs her heavy purse outside, pulls out this wad of cash and begins counting it, which I thought would never end. The total? I about fell off my chair - $28,000!

Folks trust me there was no end to her luck and me, how did I do? Absolutely nothing, every machine I touched was cursed. The moral of this story to make my point, it wasn’t that the casino “sucked” was “rigged” “fixed” or “tight”, I was just doomed.

At the end of that year I printed out the win/loss statement and her wins totaled 6 figures. Ha, mine wins total was ZERO, that’s right a big fat zero after playing a couple times a week for a year solid I didn’t win a single red penny on the win side of my statement.

Why, Why, Why

Which brings me right back to where I started, how is it possible that one person wins constantly at a particular casino and yet for another, it is the worst luck ever? I played video poker, slots and roulette at the tables. I played min bets, max bets and even brought a lucky charm I kept in my purse and still nada, week after week. Shhh, mums the word, but I even pulled my players card in and out of the machine hoping it would make a difference! My starting bankroll was always decent and not far off from what mom’s was. Did I give in to my unlucky streak with a mindset I was going to lose therefore did. Maybe there is something to the book “Secrets” or was I just plain cursed!

Once my mom moved I refused to go back there again. The other casinos in the area were much kinder and not as cruel as Harrah’s! After three years or so I decided to go back and give it a fighting chance after all the curse couldn’t still be alive and well, or was it? I went with a good friend of mine and she did fairly well, as for me it was the same dance routine all over again. I went with $300 in my purse and walked out with $5 to tip the valet.

Although I want to stomp my feet, scream, condemn the casino, call them every name in the book, I know in reality it is not their fault at all. But it sure does feel good to rant, blame them as I say to myself “how dare you!”

Did someone steal a strand of my hair and make a voodoo doll and stick pins in it so that every time I entered that ONE casino I would forever lose. I just don’t know what it is, do you?