We walked in and it smelled like a casino, smokey. It sounded like a normal casino, with the slots making their sounds and the announcements being made for departing buses. Ahh, but this is no ordinary casino. This casino is nice to me!

My mom gave me some playing money, and I ended up only using ten of it. I only played on one machine because Mom only wanted to be there an hour, I figured I wouldn't be machine hopping or anything. I sat down at a nickel machine. Like I usually start out, nothing fancy. The simple five line, nickel slots with a wild symbol that doubles the winning pay line. My favorite. No video, no nine line, no single line, no 5 reels. Just the simple, easy to understand slots. That's me.

Unfortunately, I sat down next to a smoker. But, during the entire time I was there, she only smoked one cigarette, and she held it in her opposite hand and she puffed her smoke away from me. Very considerate smoker, if you ask me. But a smoker, nonetheless. I don't think this next part was a cause and effect sorta thing, but you never know... hehe... ok. it wasn't, but sometimes it's fun to pretend.

After she lit up her smoke, I hit a relatively high payout. Then she hit one. Then I hit another. She hit a lower one, but still a substanial one. At this point, I figured she would be staying at that machine for quite some time and be smoking some more, so I was kinda leery about sitting around there. Nevertheless, I hit another relatively high payout.

At this point, I had 700 credits and was excited! That's money! Real money! Woo-hoo! I decided that no matter what, I was not going to let the amount get lower than 600, so I just played and played. I kept it above 600 for a long time. I finally remembered that I was supposed to meet my mom at a certain time, so I checked my watch and it was past that time. I decided to cash out right then.

I walked to find Mom. She wasn't done with her playing yet either. So, I sat down next to her to ask her how she did. She said she made some money too! I went to go cash my nickels. We ate and then as we were walking out, my mom saw a machine that she had never seen before. She threw a bill in it and played it all off. Then we walked closer to the door and she saw ANOTHER machine she'd never played before. Again, another bill thrown away. No winning. I told her we should go... told her to stop throwing her money away.

That's how the casinos get you. If you win some, you think you will will again and again. My mom has fallen victim to that rule time and time again. Overall, she lost all the money she put in after our dinner, but walked out the door with more money than when she came in. I think she would have broke even if not went in the hole if it weren't for me telling her we should go. Not that I really wanted to leave either, but I'd rather have a little money gained and walk away wanting to play some more than to walk away with less money and have been "entertained" longer.

So, we drove home, stinking of smoke, but having our wallets slightly more padded. All in all, it was a good day.

Carisa