Random Stories from Vegas: Jason vs. 100 or Nothing

On Monday night (the night before I was to leave), I was walking through the New York New York casino. My goal was to buy some rolls of quarters (for reasons to be explained at a later time). As I was walking to the cage, I came across it.

Mike and I had discussed it before. This was the only slot that Mike would play. Rumor had it that this was a positive EV game, which would make sense only if the expectation is that people would put in a $20 and then lose it. Nonetheless, I decided to play it in honour of Mike. I put in a $100 bill with the intention of playing it until I had won $100, or my $100 was gone.

And so it began. $1, no 7s.
$5, no 7s.
$10, 1 seven had appeared.
$20, I had got a couple of 7-blank-7's, but that's all.
$40, the tease came a couple of times with 7-7-blank.
Finally, after $43, it happened.

No sirens going off, just the digitized "bing bing" of the machine adding 100 credits to my total.

I sat there for a minute, absorbing what had happened. I'm not exactly sure why. It was only a $57 win; I had won more in one shot before. Heck, I had won more in one shot on this trip. But for some reason this win felt bigger. Maybe it was because I was willing to risk $100 to win $100. Maybe it's because it felt like my luck had once again swung to the good side of the ledger. I'm not sure. But for some reason this win had affected me more than any other.

I soon snapped out of it, and walked to the taxi stand to go back to the Venetian, happier than before. The Vegas feeling had come back, and just in time for me to enjoy my last night there.