OP
OP
I dunno…going on a shopping spree with the casino’s money feels pretty darn good lol
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My favorite gambling stories (that I have been directly involved in) (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter TheJestyr
- Start date
OP
OP
Story Six: The first time and last time a game ever really got out of hand
This story sucks. I feel icky, naive, dumb, and a bunch of other negative adjectives just thinking about it, and especially reliving it and writing it out. But it was part of my journey and a truly pivotal lesson in my gambling backstory.
I had played poker all my life, and up through high school, it was almost exclusively cash games where you’d pay as you bought chips. (This was before PayPal or Venmo was the norm.) Ran out of money? A friend may loan you a little, but there was no book or anything. Basically most times if you ran out of cash, you retired for the night.
In college, when we were playing with the same players every few days, we were ok carrying small balances here and there. We were mostly playing $1/$2 in dorms and at guys’ houses, and could win or lose a few hundred bucks. Never anything super crazy, but still a lot of money, especially to a bunch of relatively broke college students.
As games have a tendency to do over time, our game crept up. We sometimes would play $1/$2/$3 blinds, or even $2/$2/$5 occasionally with the right lineup. Balances were getting into the thousands, but we never had a worry since we all were friends and no one ever welched on a debt.
The summer between my sophomore and junior year, some of the regular players went back home to wherever they came from, and we found other players (friends from high school mostly) who’d fill in. We’d play a couple times a week, and never had a problem.
But the games were getting bigger, and one week in particular, things got crazy.
It was early August when I hosted a small game at my parents’ house (they were out of town, so having the house to myself, I figured cards were a great way to spend a night). One of my high school friends (we’ll call him “S”) played in several of our games, and brought a guest (we’ll call the guest “R”). I had known S for over ten years and he was always good for his debts, so when he vouched for R, we figured all was good.
S ended up winning a little, R ended up losing a little, players got paid out at end of the night, and R ended up owing S a couple hundred bucks or so. OK, nothing out of the ordinary so far.
Except R really wanted to play again, and soon. I made some calls and we got a game going the next night. Pretty much the same lineup but we added in another player or two. Again, nothing out of the ordinary.
But as we started to play, the game was bigger. Preflop raises weren’t 3-4x anymore, they were 10-15x. We had all-ins seemingly every other hand. And due to the speed of how fast chips were needed, we stopped collecting cash and just starting writing down who owes what. R was pushing the action hard. Stacks were getting deep, and I decided I was going to buy in larger. I was already in for about two grand when I lost an all-in, and decided to pull out a thousand in chips. Guys were giving me crap, starting to call it “monopoly money,” but I assured them I could pay every cent I’d owe at the end of the night (which still at this point was true).
Luckily within a few orbits I was not only even, I was back up a little. I tightened up a bit, figuring the game would break soon since it was later in the night.
We played for about an hour more, but the game felt different. It felt as if some of these guys didn’t believe they’d ever need to actually pay for the chips they had bought.
S and R were both in for a few thousand when the game broke. They protested adamantly, but the other players, including myself, called it quits.
S and R didn’t have enough on them to pay, but assured the table they’d bring cash to square things up. One guy (we’ll call him “J”) who also went to high school with S, ended up being owed the full outstanding balance. He was a little uneasy but mostly just excited about how much he had won, and was confident he’d be made whole.
We went to bed around 2 or 3am, and sure enough, next morning I’m getting calls from S and R that they want to play some more. I told them that I wasn’t sure I could get a game since they owed so much already.
Both guys told me that if we could get a game together, they’d bring cash to square up their debts. So again, I start calling around, get a group of about 7 of us, including J (who was eager to collect his winnings from the previous night).
*I feel like it’s important to clarify a couple things. This was a pass the deal game with no rake or anything. Sure the game was at my house and I played the role of banker for these nights, but the game often rotated, and we all believed were all gatekeepers of the game. I never felt it was my duty to cut a player off as I wasn’t intimately aware of their financial situations, so we trusted players to cut themselves off, and traditionally the table would speak up if we felt truly uncomfortable with someone getting more chips.
So now we begin night three. S and R show up with cash. But not enough. I don’t remember the exact amount they owed, but it was something like $8k collectively, and they showed up with $2k.
In hindsight we should have stopped right there. But they wanted to play, swore they had more money, and J was happy to collect the couple thousand these guys had on them and float the rest of what he was owed. Some of the other players were uneasy with the situation, but since we were already all together, we figured we’d play.
I’m sure you know where this is going…it was a train wreck. The game was playing huge right from the rip. Within an hour or two, I was in for around $10k (which admittedly I COULDN’T cover in full that night), as was S. But we both were up a bit. Several of the other players quit, realizing this game was off the rails.
R was in deep. Over $30k.
And he had just went bust, wanting to rebuy for another $10k, swearing that he had the money.
I pulled J aside and told him that I was ready to quit until R made good on what he owed currently. J agreed. I vocalized my stance and started racking up my chips.
S spoke up, doubling down on vouching for R. After a little back and forth, J felt like that was good enough for him to keep playing. So I sat back down, as did one other player (he’s irrelevant to the story other than just the detail that it was 5 handed). I told everyone at the table that I’m uncomfortable with what’s going on, but if they want to keep playing, I’d sit back down, but I’m washing my hands of any financial responsibility other than my own. At that point I basically checked out of the game and folded almost every hand pre.
R went in deeper and deeper. I hadn’t seen anything like it. Miraculously he ended up making some small comebacks and almost got back to even in an absolutely insane hand where J had pocket J’s and R had AsQs. The board came out Ks, Js, 10s, and the turn was another jack (if I didn’t deal it personally, I would have sworn it was a set up).
But none of it mattered. R punted it all back. By the end of the night, R was in a couple hundred thousand. His speech changed from “I have the money” to talking about how he’s going to have to sell his house to pay this off. He was dejected and on the verge of tears. As the dust settled, we realized this guy had just ruined his life, and we all started feeling guilty that we played a part in it.
When all was said and done, S won around $50k, I lost a couple thousand, and J won the rest. Around $200k or something insane.
Again, in hindsight I know this was clearly extremely stupid. But when it’s your first time dealing with something like this and you trust your friends, you can’t fathom a situation where a friend would screw you or where they’d act in such destructive ways. I was raised that if you owe someone something, you make good on it. Or at least do your best to rectify the situation so that all involved are content. And up to this point, the guys I played with seemed to believe the same thing.
The game broke around 8am when some of the players had to go to work. S and R said they’d give me a call in a day or so after getting some sleep.
Funny enough, S was in touch soon after, but only to try to collect the couple thousand that I had lost. I was flabbergasted. I told him I was giving my losses to J, and that he could collect from R. I also told him that since he vouched for R, it was his obligation to make sure J got made whole first before he got paid. He tried to back out of vouching for R, but I told him that was simply unacceptable. R never responded to me. Never answered my calls. Several of us left voicemails and gave messages for S to pass along. We even tried offering a deal where he’d just need to pay 10% of his losses (J was obviously disappointed, but still happy to be getting over $20k)….R still never responded. S eventually went dark too.
In the end, I gave J about $10k out of my own pocket over the next couple of years. J and I are still friends now, but I’ll never forget this experience.
Gambling is weird. I’ve met some really great, standup people because of gambling. I’ve also experienced some of the scummiest filth ever. I don’t think R was/is a bad guy (not even sure if he’s alive anymore). But he was blinded by the dollar signs in his eyes, and none of us stepped in to stop him. Had he been one of the regulars or a close friend, I don’t think I would have hesitated to speak up. But it doesn’t matter now. It took me years to realize my role and responsibility in this story. Not just to my friends/players around the table, but to R and to myself.
Less than a year later, there was one other night where things started to go off the rails, but I stopped the game almost immediately. It sucks cutting people off when everyone is having a seemingly good time, and especially when you think you can make a lot of money in a given night. But I wasn’t going to let it happen again.
Since then, I’ve seen guys get hurt gambling and destroy their lives. I’ve seen them do illegal things to make good on debts, and then to just keep gambling.
I know there’s people out there who can keep it healthy, but unfortunately the destructive ones blend in pretty easily. And without knowing each others’ limits, it’s hard to differentiate who’s who.
Thanks for letting me relive this one. Luckily it didn’t end in violence or anything truly long lasting, but it’s still a powerful lesson. And one I’ll never forget.
Till next time…
This story sucks. I feel icky, naive, dumb, and a bunch of other negative adjectives just thinking about it, and especially reliving it and writing it out. But it was part of my journey and a truly pivotal lesson in my gambling backstory.
I had played poker all my life, and up through high school, it was almost exclusively cash games where you’d pay as you bought chips. (This was before PayPal or Venmo was the norm.) Ran out of money? A friend may loan you a little, but there was no book or anything. Basically most times if you ran out of cash, you retired for the night.
In college, when we were playing with the same players every few days, we were ok carrying small balances here and there. We were mostly playing $1/$2 in dorms and at guys’ houses, and could win or lose a few hundred bucks. Never anything super crazy, but still a lot of money, especially to a bunch of relatively broke college students.
As games have a tendency to do over time, our game crept up. We sometimes would play $1/$2/$3 blinds, or even $2/$2/$5 occasionally with the right lineup. Balances were getting into the thousands, but we never had a worry since we all were friends and no one ever welched on a debt.
The summer between my sophomore and junior year, some of the regular players went back home to wherever they came from, and we found other players (friends from high school mostly) who’d fill in. We’d play a couple times a week, and never had a problem.
But the games were getting bigger, and one week in particular, things got crazy.
It was early August when I hosted a small game at my parents’ house (they were out of town, so having the house to myself, I figured cards were a great way to spend a night). One of my high school friends (we’ll call him “S”) played in several of our games, and brought a guest (we’ll call the guest “R”). I had known S for over ten years and he was always good for his debts, so when he vouched for R, we figured all was good.
S ended up winning a little, R ended up losing a little, players got paid out at end of the night, and R ended up owing S a couple hundred bucks or so. OK, nothing out of the ordinary so far.
Except R really wanted to play again, and soon. I made some calls and we got a game going the next night. Pretty much the same lineup but we added in another player or two. Again, nothing out of the ordinary.
But as we started to play, the game was bigger. Preflop raises weren’t 3-4x anymore, they were 10-15x. We had all-ins seemingly every other hand. And due to the speed of how fast chips were needed, we stopped collecting cash and just starting writing down who owes what. R was pushing the action hard. Stacks were getting deep, and I decided I was going to buy in larger. I was already in for about two grand when I lost an all-in, and decided to pull out a thousand in chips. Guys were giving me crap, starting to call it “monopoly money,” but I assured them I could pay every cent I’d owe at the end of the night (which still at this point was true).
Luckily within a few orbits I was not only even, I was back up a little. I tightened up a bit, figuring the game would break soon since it was later in the night.
We played for about an hour more, but the game felt different. It felt as if some of these guys didn’t believe they’d ever need to actually pay for the chips they had bought.
S and R were both in for a few thousand when the game broke. They protested adamantly, but the other players, including myself, called it quits.
S and R didn’t have enough on them to pay, but assured the table they’d bring cash to square things up. One guy (we’ll call him “J”) who also went to high school with S, ended up being owed the full outstanding balance. He was a little uneasy but mostly just excited about how much he had won, and was confident he’d be made whole.
We went to bed around 2 or 3am, and sure enough, next morning I’m getting calls from S and R that they want to play some more. I told them that I wasn’t sure I could get a game since they owed so much already.
Both guys told me that if we could get a game together, they’d bring cash to square up their debts. So again, I start calling around, get a group of about 7 of us, including J (who was eager to collect his winnings from the previous night).
*I feel like it’s important to clarify a couple things. This was a pass the deal game with no rake or anything. Sure the game was at my house and I played the role of banker for these nights, but the game often rotated, and we all believed were all gatekeepers of the game. I never felt it was my duty to cut a player off as I wasn’t intimately aware of their financial situations, so we trusted players to cut themselves off, and traditionally the table would speak up if we felt truly uncomfortable with someone getting more chips.
So now we begin night three. S and R show up with cash. But not enough. I don’t remember the exact amount they owed, but it was something like $8k collectively, and they showed up with $2k.
In hindsight we should have stopped right there. But they wanted to play, swore they had more money, and J was happy to collect the couple thousand these guys had on them and float the rest of what he was owed. Some of the other players were uneasy with the situation, but since we were already all together, we figured we’d play.
I’m sure you know where this is going…it was a train wreck. The game was playing huge right from the rip. Within an hour or two, I was in for around $10k (which admittedly I COULDN’T cover in full that night), as was S. But we both were up a bit. Several of the other players quit, realizing this game was off the rails.
R was in deep. Over $30k.
And he had just went bust, wanting to rebuy for another $10k, swearing that he had the money.
I pulled J aside and told him that I was ready to quit until R made good on what he owed currently. J agreed. I vocalized my stance and started racking up my chips.
S spoke up, doubling down on vouching for R. After a little back and forth, J felt like that was good enough for him to keep playing. So I sat back down, as did one other player (he’s irrelevant to the story other than just the detail that it was 5 handed). I told everyone at the table that I’m uncomfortable with what’s going on, but if they want to keep playing, I’d sit back down, but I’m washing my hands of any financial responsibility other than my own. At that point I basically checked out of the game and folded almost every hand pre.
R went in deeper and deeper. I hadn’t seen anything like it. Miraculously he ended up making some small comebacks and almost got back to even in an absolutely insane hand where J had pocket J’s and R had AsQs. The board came out Ks, Js, 10s, and the turn was another jack (if I didn’t deal it personally, I would have sworn it was a set up).
But none of it mattered. R punted it all back. By the end of the night, R was in a couple hundred thousand. His speech changed from “I have the money” to talking about how he’s going to have to sell his house to pay this off. He was dejected and on the verge of tears. As the dust settled, we realized this guy had just ruined his life, and we all started feeling guilty that we played a part in it.
When all was said and done, S won around $50k, I lost a couple thousand, and J won the rest. Around $200k or something insane.
Again, in hindsight I know this was clearly extremely stupid. But when it’s your first time dealing with something like this and you trust your friends, you can’t fathom a situation where a friend would screw you or where they’d act in such destructive ways. I was raised that if you owe someone something, you make good on it. Or at least do your best to rectify the situation so that all involved are content. And up to this point, the guys I played with seemed to believe the same thing.
The game broke around 8am when some of the players had to go to work. S and R said they’d give me a call in a day or so after getting some sleep.
Funny enough, S was in touch soon after, but only to try to collect the couple thousand that I had lost. I was flabbergasted. I told him I was giving my losses to J, and that he could collect from R. I also told him that since he vouched for R, it was his obligation to make sure J got made whole first before he got paid. He tried to back out of vouching for R, but I told him that was simply unacceptable. R never responded to me. Never answered my calls. Several of us left voicemails and gave messages for S to pass along. We even tried offering a deal where he’d just need to pay 10% of his losses (J was obviously disappointed, but still happy to be getting over $20k)….R still never responded. S eventually went dark too.
In the end, I gave J about $10k out of my own pocket over the next couple of years. J and I are still friends now, but I’ll never forget this experience.
Gambling is weird. I’ve met some really great, standup people because of gambling. I’ve also experienced some of the scummiest filth ever. I don’t think R was/is a bad guy (not even sure if he’s alive anymore). But he was blinded by the dollar signs in his eyes, and none of us stepped in to stop him. Had he been one of the regulars or a close friend, I don’t think I would have hesitated to speak up. But it doesn’t matter now. It took me years to realize my role and responsibility in this story. Not just to my friends/players around the table, but to R and to myself.
Less than a year later, there was one other night where things started to go off the rails, but I stopped the game almost immediately. It sucks cutting people off when everyone is having a seemingly good time, and especially when you think you can make a lot of money in a given night. But I wasn’t going to let it happen again.
Since then, I’ve seen guys get hurt gambling and destroy their lives. I’ve seen them do illegal things to make good on debts, and then to just keep gambling.
I know there’s people out there who can keep it healthy, but unfortunately the destructive ones blend in pretty easily. And without knowing each others’ limits, it’s hard to differentiate who’s who.
Thanks for letting me relive this one. Luckily it didn’t end in violence or anything truly long lasting, but it’s still a powerful lesson. And one I’ll never forget.
Till next time…
ekricket
Royal Flush
The orbits I run in- if it gets more than a car’s worth of debt it’s cutoff time, no matter who you are!!!
TheYeti
Two Pair
Where in the hell do college kids get that kind of disposable income?? Trust funds, or what?
OP
OP
We had several friends who played a lot of online poker and some were incredibly successful. We just assumed that he either had money online or came from a family with money or something. I personally had friends win hundreds of thousands in online tournaments…it didn’t seem quite as completely preposterous at the time that he might have a bunch of money somehow…
*sigh*
“I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger”
I feel like I'm reading Penthouse Forum. I can't believe this shit is true! (Not doubting you at all but it's literally unbelievable)
I remember my neighbor’s brother in law lost around $600 playing in between on the eve of his honeymoon. I was there for that and I thought that was crazy! He was given debt relief lol, but he didn’t owe me.
Student loans!
Munchies11
High Hand
I’m engaged now myself and grounded I guess you can say ! I do miss the days of being single and gambling and going to the casino with the boys!!! But I also tell you I don’t miss losing which happened more often than none. I do gamble but not as much before and tell you the truth…ITS FOR THE BETTER!!!
OP
OP
Story Seven: my first REAL big win
I’ve been around cards and gambling my entire life. I grew up playing a bunch of card games with my family, lived out in Nevada for a couple years when I was in junior high, frequently played poker throughout high school, and went to casinos a bunch (mostly to play poker) throughout college.
But even when in casinos, I rarely veered away from the poker table. Sure I’d dabble with some casino games, but mostly I was there to play poker.
When I was 22, I lost my brother in a car accident. A few months later I lost my mom to surprise cancer. And then shortly after lost my uncle (who was like a second father to me) also to cancer. I was devastated, and while I didn’t drink or do drugs, I did find myself self-medicating by throwing myself into poker (this was when I started playing in private games several nights a week.)
I’d win or a lose a couple thousand each week, but all in all, was fairly break even. Hanging around with these degens (I say that lovingly) would take me to different cities to play cards or golf or gamble. Up to this point, I had a couple casino wins around $5-$10k, but never anything larger.
Then when I was about 24, I took $3k to Vegas to mostly play poker. While I was there, ended up playing a fair amount of blackjack and turned it into just a hair over $10k.
When I would finally sit down at a poker table and tried to be patient, I found it impossible after the action at blackjack and how quickly I made money. I realized I needed to step away from the poker table and take a little break to breath.
I would end up trying to sit back down and play, but realized I was going to punt off my stack. So after giving a little back, staying away from the poker tables and trying to just enjoy my winnings and being away from home.
….until a few days later when my buddy and I went to Greektown in Detroit, but this time just to play blackjack. I brought my $10k with me from the other night, and over the course of a few hours, turned that $10k into $30k. This was the first time I had ever won anything this substantial, and I was PUMPED!! I had never held over $20k in my hands before, let alone $30k. I got a hotel room, ordered some food, and basically just kept counting the cash over and over again while replaying hands in my head.
I wasn’t able to sleep that night, so I waited till about 6am, got some breakfast, and drove home with my cash buckled in in the front seat next to me.
I wanted more. A few days later, I drove up to MGM Detroit with a different buddy of mine, and we had a wonderful dinner before hitting high limit blackjack. I brought my full $30k with me, and proceeded to play 2 hands, eventually getting up to the table max of $2,500 each spot (So $5,000 total each hand). I sat for a few hours enjoying a good run of cards, and laughing with my buddy, as a pile of gray chips ($5k’s) grew in front of me. I knew I was up a bit, but in between shoes, I started to count, realizing I had over $175k in front of me.
HOLY. F#&K!!!!
Just a few days ago I had never held $20k cash in my hands, and now I’m holding $175k worth of chips?!?
I stood up, stretched my legs for a minute, and then said “If I get back to $150k, I’m quitting”….
I played a few more hands, ultimately giving back $30k (yes, I went below my stopping point, but I had some doubles and splits on my last hand causing me to drop below $150k) and walked away with $145k
Basically over about a 10 day period I turned 3k into $145k. WOW.
I went to the cage, and then it dawned on me that I’m in inner city Detroit, and about to walk through the casino and a crapload of cash on me. I didn’t have backpack or anything. And then I got a wonderful piece of gambling wisdom.
An older security guard says, “get a souvenir bag, like for a t-shirt. No one wants to steal a t-shirt. Everyone wants to steal a purse or a backpack or briefcase”
So I did just that. I got a leftovers bag from one of the restaurants in the casino, went back to the cage, shoved my cash in there, and proceeded to walk to my hotel room. (Incidentally, $145k is not NEARLY as impressive as you’d think it would look. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still incredible to see, but I thought it was going to be this HUGE pile of money…not exactly how it looks in the movies)
I ended up coming home, putting a bunch of it in a safe at my parents’ house, put some in a safety deposit box, and kept some scraps on me.
The icing on the cake was that I ended up going to Mountaineer the very next day (taking money BACK out of the safety deposit box) and won another $25k that night.
My dad, who’s a bit of a gambler himself, told me to try to not think about the money or about gambling for a few days. Cool off. Let it sink in how much money this really is. And then when you’re in a more clear state of mind, you can allow yourself to think about gambling again.
That money was my bankroll for a bunch of crazy Vegas trips, poker games, and more a few investments. But that two weeks was the second craziest run I ever experienced…I’ll talk about my most insane run in a future post
Till next time…
I’ve been around cards and gambling my entire life. I grew up playing a bunch of card games with my family, lived out in Nevada for a couple years when I was in junior high, frequently played poker throughout high school, and went to casinos a bunch (mostly to play poker) throughout college.
But even when in casinos, I rarely veered away from the poker table. Sure I’d dabble with some casino games, but mostly I was there to play poker.
When I was 22, I lost my brother in a car accident. A few months later I lost my mom to surprise cancer. And then shortly after lost my uncle (who was like a second father to me) also to cancer. I was devastated, and while I didn’t drink or do drugs, I did find myself self-medicating by throwing myself into poker (this was when I started playing in private games several nights a week.)
I’d win or a lose a couple thousand each week, but all in all, was fairly break even. Hanging around with these degens (I say that lovingly) would take me to different cities to play cards or golf or gamble. Up to this point, I had a couple casino wins around $5-$10k, but never anything larger.
Then when I was about 24, I took $3k to Vegas to mostly play poker. While I was there, ended up playing a fair amount of blackjack and turned it into just a hair over $10k.
When I would finally sit down at a poker table and tried to be patient, I found it impossible after the action at blackjack and how quickly I made money. I realized I needed to step away from the poker table and take a little break to breath.
I would end up trying to sit back down and play, but realized I was going to punt off my stack. So after giving a little back, staying away from the poker tables and trying to just enjoy my winnings and being away from home.
….until a few days later when my buddy and I went to Greektown in Detroit, but this time just to play blackjack. I brought my $10k with me from the other night, and over the course of a few hours, turned that $10k into $30k. This was the first time I had ever won anything this substantial, and I was PUMPED!! I had never held over $20k in my hands before, let alone $30k. I got a hotel room, ordered some food, and basically just kept counting the cash over and over again while replaying hands in my head.
I wasn’t able to sleep that night, so I waited till about 6am, got some breakfast, and drove home with my cash buckled in in the front seat next to me.
I wanted more. A few days later, I drove up to MGM Detroit with a different buddy of mine, and we had a wonderful dinner before hitting high limit blackjack. I brought my full $30k with me, and proceeded to play 2 hands, eventually getting up to the table max of $2,500 each spot (So $5,000 total each hand). I sat for a few hours enjoying a good run of cards, and laughing with my buddy, as a pile of gray chips ($5k’s) grew in front of me. I knew I was up a bit, but in between shoes, I started to count, realizing I had over $175k in front of me.
HOLY. F#&K!!!!
Just a few days ago I had never held $20k cash in my hands, and now I’m holding $175k worth of chips?!?
I stood up, stretched my legs for a minute, and then said “If I get back to $150k, I’m quitting”….
I played a few more hands, ultimately giving back $30k (yes, I went below my stopping point, but I had some doubles and splits on my last hand causing me to drop below $150k) and walked away with $145k
Basically over about a 10 day period I turned 3k into $145k. WOW.
I went to the cage, and then it dawned on me that I’m in inner city Detroit, and about to walk through the casino and a crapload of cash on me. I didn’t have backpack or anything. And then I got a wonderful piece of gambling wisdom.
An older security guard says, “get a souvenir bag, like for a t-shirt. No one wants to steal a t-shirt. Everyone wants to steal a purse or a backpack or briefcase”
So I did just that. I got a leftovers bag from one of the restaurants in the casino, went back to the cage, shoved my cash in there, and proceeded to walk to my hotel room. (Incidentally, $145k is not NEARLY as impressive as you’d think it would look. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still incredible to see, but I thought it was going to be this HUGE pile of money…not exactly how it looks in the movies)
I ended up coming home, putting a bunch of it in a safe at my parents’ house, put some in a safety deposit box, and kept some scraps on me.
The icing on the cake was that I ended up going to Mountaineer the very next day (taking money BACK out of the safety deposit box) and won another $25k that night.
My dad, who’s a bit of a gambler himself, told me to try to not think about the money or about gambling for a few days. Cool off. Let it sink in how much money this really is. And then when you’re in a more clear state of mind, you can allow yourself to think about gambling again.
That money was my bankroll for a bunch of crazy Vegas trips, poker games, and more a few investments. But that two weeks was the second craziest run I ever experienced…I’ll talk about my most insane run in a future post
Till next time…
Last edited:
OP
OP
Edited the story above, I realized that I won the 10k in Vegas, not at Greektown as I originally stated. The 30k at Greektown and the 145k at MGM both were accurate, but after posting, I realized that I misspoke about how I got the 10k originally. Sorry!!
NotRealNameNoSir
4 of a Kind
You better be sorry, now my goddamned daydream is wrong now. I gotta start from the beginning.
OP
OP
Stories on deck:
My Number One all time favorite gambling story (it actually involves golfing and sadly not crazy high stakes, but still my fav)
My antics at the Atlantis (being broke, even in paradise, sucks)
The silly crap I’ve bought from gambling/poker winnings (from watches to sunglasses to purses to music equipment to cars, I’ve bought interested stuff)
The most insane run ever (for 6 months I could do no wrong)
Lessons learned from a handful of times I’ve been screwed (even if only over 50 cents)
Two stupid Vegas strip club stories. (I’ve only been to a handful of strip clubs in my life, but there’s a couple stories worth telling)
My single biggest winning session (may combine with my insane run since it was part of it)
Why I don’t sports bet (seriously, I’m so bad)
(This list is more for myself to keep track of what’s next)
My Number One all time favorite gambling story (it actually involves golfing and sadly not crazy high stakes, but still my fav)
My antics at the Atlantis (being broke, even in paradise, sucks)
The silly crap I’ve bought from gambling/poker winnings (from watches to sunglasses to purses to music equipment to cars, I’ve bought interested stuff)
The most insane run ever (for 6 months I could do no wrong)
Lessons learned from a handful of times I’ve been screwed (even if only over 50 cents)
Two stupid Vegas strip club stories. (I’ve only been to a handful of strip clubs in my life, but there’s a couple stories worth telling)
My single biggest winning session (may combine with my insane run since it was part of it)
Why I don’t sports bet (seriously, I’m so bad)
(This list is more for myself to keep track of what’s next)
GetUrShineBox
Flush
This story is the definition of "off the rails"
Holy shit!!!
Munchies11
High Hand
Fuck I’m jealous ! Congrats on the heater . I hope story #8 you didn’t give it up lol
WedgeRock
Royal Flush
Standard Greektown.
You probably could have bought a house with those winnings, right?
EastCoastCali
3 of a Kind
Patiently waiting…
OP
OP
Story eight: Black Friday edition: the list of crap I’ve purchased during, because of, or immediately following a big win:
This is in no particular order and there won’t be much detail. Just more a list and the circumstances surrounding the item(s) purchased.
Sunglasses. I had never owned a pair of sunglasses that cost more than about $20, but when Iron Man came out, I loved Tony Stark’s selection of eye wear. So for about six months, whenever I’d win a decent amount, I’d put money towards a pair or two. The most memorable sunglasses purchase was at The Mirage. I was there for a couple days already, and was up something like $90k. It was our last night, so I put away $50k profit to bring home, and figured I’d try to turn the remaining $40k into a couple hundred thousand (or go broke trying). But before playing, I went on a little shopping spree and bought a few pairs of sunglasses, including one pair from Bvlgari (see attached image - I’m almost positive this is the EXACT same model of glasses). On that trip, I spent almost $5k on sunglasses, $1,500 of which on the Bvlgaris alone. Oh, and that remaining $35k I took to the tables? Yeah, straight down. It lasted like 8 minutes. (Slight epilogue: I only wore those Bvlgaris like twice…they weren’t for me. I eventually just gave them away.)
Suits. I have bought suits after big wins a couple times, but the most memorable was the first time. I took myself on a shopping spree to buy some really nice, high end suits (at least what I defined as “nice, high end” at the time). I ended up with two Armani suits, a few pairs of shoes, belts, ties, dress shirts, etc. Spent around $15k total over a couple days, but the funniest part was that my credit card only had like a $7,000 limit, so at one store where I had almost a $11k bill, I just paid in cash. Mind you, I was a punk kid. I had Mohawks, died hair, played loud and fast rock music…so my salesperson was so confused and skeptical of me buying nice suits in cash. I think she thought she was being pranked or that I was trying to pass counterfeit bills.
Watches. I already wrote about winning a Rolex (Sea Dweller) from Planet Hollywood, but on top of that I purchased two watches over the years in Vegas after big wins. One was a used A. Lange Saxonia, which was actually part gift from a couple buddies (they chipped in about $2k, I chipped in about $13k), and the other was a Breitling that I purchased for a friend who I backed in poker tournaments, and in this particular instance, finished 50th in the WSOP main event for $138k, so we walked over to the watch store at The Mirage and got him a nice piece.
Pens. I love pens. I love the way they dance across a fine piece of paper, unveiling a story as if it was hidden in plain sight, just waiting for this vessel to bring it to life. I own a few nice fountain pens, roller balls, and felt tips, but admittedly I mostly just use free pens from businesses around me. But after a decent sized win in Vegas, I went to the Montblanc store and bought three new, really nice, really expensive pens. I spent around $2k on these pens and refills…and it was such a waste. One of the pens kept breaking (literally, the plastic tube of the pen just kept cracking), and the other two just felt meh. I was extremely disappointed and will never buy another Montblanc.
iPads. When the iPad first came out, I thought it was the dumbest thing ever. To me, it was just a bigger, clunkier phone, that couldn’t do as much as a laptop. I love tech, but I just couldn’t figure out what these things were good for. So naturally, I bought two. I kept one for myself and gave my wife the other. Over the years, I’ve bought different versions, and I have to admit that the latest versions are pretty cool and finally feel like a really useful tool to draw on or throw in a little bag and take on the road. But other than a neat novelty, those first two I bought were such a waste of money.
Video game systems/gaming PCs. I purchased PlayStation, Xbox’s, Wiis, gaming PCs, and loads of games immediately following big wins. I’m a pretty big nerd at heart and love gaming.
Magic: the Gathering cards. No real story here. I love M:tG and would buy lots of cards following a decent win.
Purses. There was a time I was going out to Vegas around 10 times per year. I was married, but no kiddos yet. Sometimes my wife would come with me, most times not. So I’d get her a purse almost every time I went. She loved Coach, so I’d prolly get her a dozen or so purses each year for a few years. Sometimes I’d get her a more expensive brand name, sometimes I’d come home with just a picture of a purse and a promise that I’ll buy it sometime in the future for her, but I always wanted to get her a little something. We still have about a dozen or two purses shoved in drawers and closets around our house. Many unused.
Cars. I debated on adding this category, since technically these weren’t solely bought because I won a bunch of money. I was already contemplating getting a new car within a year or so of these purchases, but having a bunch of extra cash just made it easier to pull the trigger on the exact car I wanted without hesitation. The first one was an Audi S5 (the last year they made it 8 cylinder, and manual. It was a pretty fun car). The second was a Durango Hellcat (still my current car). Because of my line of work (entertainment industry, live music, etc) plus having three kids, I needed a three row SUV or minivan. I gotta say, the hellcat is my dream car. She’s fast and fun, but still large and practical. And since I had a bunch of casino winnings when I bought her, I purchased all the warranties and such that the dealership offered, guaranteeing she’ll be running in great shape for years to come.
Music equipment. I own a couple music studios in Ohio and love investing in equipment. Instruments, amps, outboard gear, etc. My personal studio is affectionately called “The Candy Shoppe” because artists I work with can come in and pick any guitar off the wall, plug into any amp I have, hook up any pedals, and mess around for hours searching for a great tone or a magical moment of inspiration. The music industry is changing with the rise of AI and other technology, but there’s still something special about connecting with vintage gear. I won’t go into great detail here, but I own a lot of cool music crap
Poker chips. I couldn't leave these off this list. Whenever I had a big score, I’d add to my poker chip collection. I’ve paired down over the past few months, but I accumulated most of my chips after large winning sessions.
Other gifts I’ve gotten from casinos. While these things aren’t technically cash purchases from winnings, they were given to me based on my play, or I used my comp dollars to buy them. These items include two MacBook pros, two Apple pro display XDRs, three iPads, two Apple Watches, a bunch of iPhones, big screen TVs, plus a bunch of nice cigars, liquor, glassware, etc. Most stuff I get from casinos I just give away. But almost all the stuff mentioned above still gets used today.
“Friends.” This is a depressing one, and sorry to leave you on a low note, but it’s worth talking about. When things are going well and you’re winning heaps, everyone wants to be your friend. They’ll travel with you, eat your food, play with your toys, but when the money runs out, you see who your true friends are. I’ve been blessed enough to never go truly broke, but I’ve definitely been in tight financial situations where it’s not all fun and games. And you find out that those “friends” who swore they loved you for you, really were just rented. And when you don’t continue to pay rent, they disappear.
I’m sure I’m missing a few things, (nothing major, no houses or boats or anything), and if I think of them I’ll edit this post and add them. I know some of this stuff gets convoluted because one could argue that if I lost $50k one trip, then won $50k the next trip and bought something nice, I can’t really say casino winnings paid for that since I really just broke even. (Or worse yet, if I lost 100k one trip, then only won 50k the next)
But for now, I’m not going to overthink it. I’ll just say this: it sure is fun shopping with won money.
Till next time
This is in no particular order and there won’t be much detail. Just more a list and the circumstances surrounding the item(s) purchased.
Sunglasses. I had never owned a pair of sunglasses that cost more than about $20, but when Iron Man came out, I loved Tony Stark’s selection of eye wear. So for about six months, whenever I’d win a decent amount, I’d put money towards a pair or two. The most memorable sunglasses purchase was at The Mirage. I was there for a couple days already, and was up something like $90k. It was our last night, so I put away $50k profit to bring home, and figured I’d try to turn the remaining $40k into a couple hundred thousand (or go broke trying). But before playing, I went on a little shopping spree and bought a few pairs of sunglasses, including one pair from Bvlgari (see attached image - I’m almost positive this is the EXACT same model of glasses). On that trip, I spent almost $5k on sunglasses, $1,500 of which on the Bvlgaris alone. Oh, and that remaining $35k I took to the tables? Yeah, straight down. It lasted like 8 minutes. (Slight epilogue: I only wore those Bvlgaris like twice…they weren’t for me. I eventually just gave them away.)
Suits. I have bought suits after big wins a couple times, but the most memorable was the first time. I took myself on a shopping spree to buy some really nice, high end suits (at least what I defined as “nice, high end” at the time). I ended up with two Armani suits, a few pairs of shoes, belts, ties, dress shirts, etc. Spent around $15k total over a couple days, but the funniest part was that my credit card only had like a $7,000 limit, so at one store where I had almost a $11k bill, I just paid in cash. Mind you, I was a punk kid. I had Mohawks, died hair, played loud and fast rock music…so my salesperson was so confused and skeptical of me buying nice suits in cash. I think she thought she was being pranked or that I was trying to pass counterfeit bills.
Watches. I already wrote about winning a Rolex (Sea Dweller) from Planet Hollywood, but on top of that I purchased two watches over the years in Vegas after big wins. One was a used A. Lange Saxonia, which was actually part gift from a couple buddies (they chipped in about $2k, I chipped in about $13k), and the other was a Breitling that I purchased for a friend who I backed in poker tournaments, and in this particular instance, finished 50th in the WSOP main event for $138k, so we walked over to the watch store at The Mirage and got him a nice piece.
Pens. I love pens. I love the way they dance across a fine piece of paper, unveiling a story as if it was hidden in plain sight, just waiting for this vessel to bring it to life. I own a few nice fountain pens, roller balls, and felt tips, but admittedly I mostly just use free pens from businesses around me. But after a decent sized win in Vegas, I went to the Montblanc store and bought three new, really nice, really expensive pens. I spent around $2k on these pens and refills…and it was such a waste. One of the pens kept breaking (literally, the plastic tube of the pen just kept cracking), and the other two just felt meh. I was extremely disappointed and will never buy another Montblanc.
iPads. When the iPad first came out, I thought it was the dumbest thing ever. To me, it was just a bigger, clunkier phone, that couldn’t do as much as a laptop. I love tech, but I just couldn’t figure out what these things were good for. So naturally, I bought two. I kept one for myself and gave my wife the other. Over the years, I’ve bought different versions, and I have to admit that the latest versions are pretty cool and finally feel like a really useful tool to draw on or throw in a little bag and take on the road. But other than a neat novelty, those first two I bought were such a waste of money.
Video game systems/gaming PCs. I purchased PlayStation, Xbox’s, Wiis, gaming PCs, and loads of games immediately following big wins. I’m a pretty big nerd at heart and love gaming.
Magic: the Gathering cards. No real story here. I love M:tG and would buy lots of cards following a decent win.
Purses. There was a time I was going out to Vegas around 10 times per year. I was married, but no kiddos yet. Sometimes my wife would come with me, most times not. So I’d get her a purse almost every time I went. She loved Coach, so I’d prolly get her a dozen or so purses each year for a few years. Sometimes I’d get her a more expensive brand name, sometimes I’d come home with just a picture of a purse and a promise that I’ll buy it sometime in the future for her, but I always wanted to get her a little something. We still have about a dozen or two purses shoved in drawers and closets around our house. Many unused.
Cars. I debated on adding this category, since technically these weren’t solely bought because I won a bunch of money. I was already contemplating getting a new car within a year or so of these purchases, but having a bunch of extra cash just made it easier to pull the trigger on the exact car I wanted without hesitation. The first one was an Audi S5 (the last year they made it 8 cylinder, and manual. It was a pretty fun car). The second was a Durango Hellcat (still my current car). Because of my line of work (entertainment industry, live music, etc) plus having three kids, I needed a three row SUV or minivan. I gotta say, the hellcat is my dream car. She’s fast and fun, but still large and practical. And since I had a bunch of casino winnings when I bought her, I purchased all the warranties and such that the dealership offered, guaranteeing she’ll be running in great shape for years to come.
Music equipment. I own a couple music studios in Ohio and love investing in equipment. Instruments, amps, outboard gear, etc. My personal studio is affectionately called “The Candy Shoppe” because artists I work with can come in and pick any guitar off the wall, plug into any amp I have, hook up any pedals, and mess around for hours searching for a great tone or a magical moment of inspiration. The music industry is changing with the rise of AI and other technology, but there’s still something special about connecting with vintage gear. I won’t go into great detail here, but I own a lot of cool music crap
Poker chips. I couldn't leave these off this list. Whenever I had a big score, I’d add to my poker chip collection. I’ve paired down over the past few months, but I accumulated most of my chips after large winning sessions.
Other gifts I’ve gotten from casinos. While these things aren’t technically cash purchases from winnings, they were given to me based on my play, or I used my comp dollars to buy them. These items include two MacBook pros, two Apple pro display XDRs, three iPads, two Apple Watches, a bunch of iPhones, big screen TVs, plus a bunch of nice cigars, liquor, glassware, etc. Most stuff I get from casinos I just give away. But almost all the stuff mentioned above still gets used today.
“Friends.” This is a depressing one, and sorry to leave you on a low note, but it’s worth talking about. When things are going well and you’re winning heaps, everyone wants to be your friend. They’ll travel with you, eat your food, play with your toys, but when the money runs out, you see who your true friends are. I’ve been blessed enough to never go truly broke, but I’ve definitely been in tight financial situations where it’s not all fun and games. And you find out that those “friends” who swore they loved you for you, really were just rented. And when you don’t continue to pay rent, they disappear.
I’m sure I’m missing a few things, (nothing major, no houses or boats or anything), and if I think of them I’ll edit this post and add them. I know some of this stuff gets convoluted because one could argue that if I lost $50k one trip, then won $50k the next trip and bought something nice, I can’t really say casino winnings paid for that since I really just broke even. (Or worse yet, if I lost 100k one trip, then only won 50k the next)
But for now, I’m not going to overthink it. I’ll just say this: it sure is fun shopping with won money.
Till next time
Attachments
wuffle
3 of a Kind
Wow awesome stories to keep me occupied on a Saturday afternoon. Keep them coming!
Man I had the same experience
About 10 years ago or so I saw these Black Red and White Uptempos (I think people call them Scottie Pippens) walking around the Miracle Mile shops around Planet Hollywood and decided that if I won enough, I would buy those and it didn't take long for me to cash out and pick those up.
Couldn't have said it any better.it sure is fun shopping with won money.
Your life seems epic dude, keep up the stories, they should make a documentary about you.
moose
4 of a Kind
Excuse me, It's spelled bettor......
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