Talkative guy goes silent on big winner

By John G

Two to four times a year, I find myself in Las Vegas. It’s mostly business – and I’ve even convinced my wife of that – but I make a little time to play. And in the interest of getting the best blackjack rules and best video poker pay tables, I take my play away from the Strip, to places where the locals play.

A couple months ago, I settled in at Sam’s Town, several miles east of the Strip, on Boulder Highway. It’s one of the last bastions of full-pay Deuces Wild, which returns 100.8 percent with expert play. Most don’t play at expert level, and the games make money for the casino besides serving as an attraction to customers who pay attention to such things.

The deuces weren’t kind to me, and when the 2s aren’t coming, you don’t win. So I took a little walk and settled in at 8-5 ACES Bonus Poker. Each Ace has a letter, and if you get four Aces in the right order so they spell ACES, it’s a same 4,000-coin jackpot. At 99.4 percent with expert play, it’s a step down from full-pay Deuces, but still a strong play once you figure in comps and free play along with direct mail and online offers.

To my left, a 50-ish gent with graying blond hair, wearing glasses, was playing rapidly in spurts, but chatting up the cocktail waitress she passed, and making conversation with those around him. Sometimes he’d give a play-by-play:

“Three 3s – can I get the fourth?” he’d ask. “No, not this time.” Then, after a few minutes of rapid play, “First time I’ve been dealt two pair in a while. Come on, fill it … Nope. Well, I’ll take the two pair.”

But there was no play-by-play when the really big hand came up. I just happened to look up as he drew a Jack of clubs to complete a royal flush. Before I could say, “Congratulations,” it was gone. No celebration, no commentary. Just 4,000 credits on the meter and on to the next hand.

He saw me looking, put a finger to his lips and said, “Shhhhh.” I smiled, nodded and went back to my game.

“Hey, I’m sorry to shhh you,” he said after a few more hands. “I know you just wanted to congratulate me, and I can appreciate that. But you know, one of the things I really like about the ticket pays is the privacy on a big jackpot.”

I told him I understood, but noted that he liked to have his fun talking about the smaller pays.

“Oh yeah, I’m mostly a sociable guy. But when it comes to something like a royal flush, I like to keep that to myself. No one needs to know I’m carrying around a thousand dollars, or a ticket worth a thousand dollars.”

Not that he minded the attention when there was no other option.

“Back when most of the payoffs came by coins and you were carrying those buckets around, and when the royals were paid by hand, the attention never bothered me. I LIKED it. One woman who was sitting next to me when I drew a royal said, ‘You don’t seem very excited.’ And I said, ARE YOU KIDDING! My insides are jumping!’ And then I jumped up and down a few times, just to get her laughing. But now that it can be more private, I celebrate the small stuff instead. For big stuff, privacy …”

That’s the ticket, I suggested.

“You said that, not me,” he laughed. “And I wish you hadn’t.”

- John Grochowski has covered the casino industry for 15 years in newspapers and magazines, and is the author of six books on casino games. Readers can email him at casinoanswerman@casinoanswerman.com.