My mom’s side of the family are what I would call “casino people.” They’d go a couple times a month. My grandpa had his casino money built into his budget. When he did well, he’d never say a word, but if he did poorly, he’d say, “I bought the Indians some moccasins.” Bear in mind, he lived in an area where all the casinos were owned by Native American tribes, so his nod to the heritage was an affectionate one. No matter whether he won or lost, he always felt like he got his money’s worth and he was ok with losing because he was supporting the local tribe by visiting.
I was in my 20s when my grandpa passed away. Because he and I lived in different states, I only got to go “buy moccasins” with him a couple of times, but I noticed he and I were drawn to the same kinds of games: slots. I’ve tried video poker before. I think it was black jack, but I really can’t recall. What I do know, however, was that the other people who were playing at the same time as me were about to lynch me after a round or two. Lol So, I stick to the slots, play solo, and just enjoy the game for what it is. I also tend to visit the online casino more than the regular ones… there are people when you go to a brick-and-mortar one. People. *shudders*
When my grandpa passed away, I flew home for the funeral. I was young and broke, and I had to spend my mortgage payment to go, but it was one of those things I felt I had to do. We were all sitting around Grandpa’s house, staring at his empty recliner, listening to his grandmother clock tick, unsure of what we were supposed to do with ourselves. Someone suggested that we all head out to Grandpa’s favorite casino, and away we all went.
I only had about $20 in my pocket that I could spend, so I wandered around for a while trying to pick the right game. Eventually, I stumbled upon a Munster’s slot. My grandpa loved that show. We grew up watching it with him, and so it seemed fitting that in our trip to honor his memory, that I would play the game. I kind of zoned out for a while… watching the characters roll past me on the screen, thinking about Grandpa and wondering if he, too, had played on the very same machine. My bets were initially very low. I just wanted to extend the time. In a way, I kind of felt like he was there beside me. I’m not entirely sure what changed my mind, because I’ve always been a cautious better. I’m not a gambler at heart, but for whatever reason, I decided to max out my bet, figuring I’d spend the last of my money in one shot and walk away… only I won. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to put me back in the game, so I decided to play some more, and I won again, and again, and again. When I walked away from the machine, I had won enough to pay for my entire trip, plus a little bit more. I thanked my grandpa and left the casino.
I haven’t been back to that one since, but sometimes I play online slots. Being in the United States, my online casino choices are slim for legal reasons, but I can often find games to play in demo mode, so I’m not gambling with real money and it’s free… plus that whole not being illegal thing is a bonus. In a funny way, it still makes me feel like I’m connected with my grandpa.
Today, I came across a Buzz quiz called “What Casino Game are You?” It’s here if you want to take it: https://www.playbuzz.com/adrankone10/what-casino-game-are-you Not surprisingly, I got slots.
