Casino Handpay

 I've been a casino whore since 2011.   I blame a former acquaintance who I bowled with for taking me down that road.   I was part of a gay bowling league that met once a month on the 1st Saturday of the month.   Mick and I bowled on the same team.   Hemingway one cold evening in January 2011, Mick invited me and another team member to head out to a local Indiana casino called Majestic casino.  I may have spent $40 there that night.   

Prior to that night, I used to only frequent the casinos on my birthday.    But for some reason that night woke up the casino bug in me and I started going more frequently.    I would go with Mick a few more times before he finally kicked the casino bug.

I even joined a few slot forums and befriended other casino whores.   I've gone to several meet and greets where I got to meet some of them.

One of the things that's always alluded me was something that is called a handpay.  A handpay is when you win more than $1200 (though it's $500 in some places) on a single spin in any game.  In the slot forums and later on Youtube, I would see folks who seemingly would win multiple handpays.   A lot of times though the bets to achieve this were much higher than I could afford.   But there have been folks who won it betting lower bets like I do.

So it's always been a goal of mine to get this distinction.  The one sucky part of that equation though is that when you get a handpay, the casino takes taxes out of it.   If you win the minimum $1200 amount, taking 25% tax would cost you $300 and you'd only get to keep $900.   It's almost better to win under $1200 so you can keep all the money.   There have been people who have played their ticket to have more than $1200 and that doesn't get taxed because they may have won $500 here and $400 there and $400 in another spin.   Since those were won in different spins, even though the total is $1300, you do not get taxed.

The closest I've gotten to getting a handpay was in October 2017 when I visited a casino called Blue Chip.   I remember I was playing a Cleopatra 2 game.   I was playing fewer lines but a high bet.   The cost of my bet was 45 cents (9 lines times 5X bet) which was basically 5 cents a line.   So I wound up getting the maximum 5 scatters.   That win was 450 times my bet.   So my win was 45 cents times 450 times 5 (since I was doing a 5X bet) which totaled $1012.50.   The bonus itself netted me another $100 something and I remember my grand total was $1176 which was a bit under a handpay.

My second highest win was at one of Four Winds Casinos in New Buffalo, MI where I won over $1000 getting again another max 5 scatter win.   This time it was on a Buffalo Revolution game and it happened sometime in 2023.

So this time I was minding my business, making a quick pitstop at Firekeepers.   The machine this time was one of those Dollar Storm games.   It was on the Ninja Moon version of Dollar Storm.   The Dollar Storm is one of the many, many incantations of the Aristocrat game where you have to land 6 balls with dollar amounts to be eligible for winning a grand jackpot, which can be over $10K.   There are options to win MINI, MINOR, and MAJOR jackpots along the way if a ball with those words appear.  

I've played various versions of these games over the years and once in a rare moon, I may win a couple hundred dollars.   But I've never achieved getting the MAJOR ball let alone winning the GRAND, which happens if you fill the screen with 15 balls.   The distinction that the Dollar Storm games have is that they give you the option to get a ball that's called the SUPER GRAND ball.   The SUPER GRAND jackpot can be anywhere from $50K to well over $200K or more depending on the denomination of the machine.

Getting the SUPER GRAND ball gives you a shot at the huge jackpot but usually you get a minimum of $1000 win, though there are videos of folks that have hit the SUPER GRAND.  I've gotten the SUPER GRAND ball once or twice in the past but as I've said earlier, you have to land 6 balls to be able to play.  I would only get two or three balls including the SUPER GRAND so it would be just a tease.

So I made my pitstop to Firekeepers on Thanksgiving Day on my way to visiting my sisters in Detroit.  The Ninja Moon was the second game that I played there.   I decided to use my $10 free play and of course didn't win anything (par the course).   I continued to play the machine but wasn't really expecting to get anything big.

So imagine my shock when this happened:

The SUPER GRAND ball appeared on the very last reel and thankfully bought a friend which gave me the minimum 6 balls needed to play for the GRAND.   I was in total shock when it happened but I quickly snapped a photo of the moment before proceeding to play the bonus game.   Of course I had no illusions that I would get all 15 balls or that the MAJOR ball would make an appearance.   I wound up collecting 13 balls by the time the game was over.

So the next thing to do was to push the SUPER GRAND chance ball which would reveal whether you won the SUPER GRAND jackpot which was $70,000+ or the minimum of $1000.   I pretty much knew I would get the minimum and I would be happy with that.   I wound up getting slightly more at $1500 which put me in handpay territory and had me making history.

Of course there was one guy who immediately recognized the win and congratulated me along with his wife.   There were others that walked by to see since the machine was playing the saloon music that symbolizes that you achieved a handpay.

So it didn't take long for the slot attendant to appear to begin the process of collecting my information.  There was a slot manager who appeared moments later as well to officiate the process.   The attendant was asking me for my social security number but the slot manager stopped him and said they only needed my last four.   So the slot manager took a photo of my driver's license and got my last four digits and then asked me for an email to send a W2.   She also later gave me a paper copy.

Before paying me out she gave me the option to take taxes out of the winning or to collect the full amount.  I decided it would be better to take the taxes up front which wound up being 25%.   That reduced the winning amount which was $1520 by $380 which netted me $1140.

So finally the reason they call it a handpay took place.   The slot attendant told me to take out my hand as he proceeded to count the money in my hand.   It's customary to give the attendant a tip so I gave him $20 (I'm not sure if that was enough but oh well).   Then before they left, I was asked to spin the machine one more time since I still had money in the machine.   I spun it and then they left.

I immediately messaged Dom who told me I needed to leave now.  *LOL*.  I still felt like I was being watched so I played my machine for a little longer.   The guy who congratulated me earlier played the machine next to me hoping to reproduce some magic.   But like 99.94% of the time I play machines, it didn't give anything.

I remained in the spot for a while and played a little more and nothing else happened.   I eventually got up and moved to another section of the casino.  I looked around to make sure nobody was following me.   I then moved a few more times.   I wound up actually winning another $50 before I felt safe enough to cash out.  I then ran to the restroom and after feeling sure I was safe, left the premises $1170 richer.

I was feeling a bit penny pinched this month having more expenses than expected.   I wasn't sure I'd be able to put extra into the mortgage payment next month.    But now I got the small boost needed.   I plan to put most of the winnings into the extra payment and will maybe get a nice dinner with Dom somewhere.

Needless to say the unexpected winning gave me a much needed win after my finger fiasco.   On that front I should be able to take off the splint in a few more days.   I know it's gonna hurt like hell bending it but I'm ready to take it off.

Finger Follies

I wound up taking myself to the ER Tuesday evening after seeing that my middle finger was continuing to swell.   How did I get to this point, you ask?

It started with Dom wanting to get chicken tenders from a local chicken shack called Shark's.   This was a Sunday afternoon on November 10th.   I wasn't feeling it but I went ahead and picked up an order of it for him after getting a few groceries from the place next door.

It was a bit windy that day and when I opened the screen door to Sharks, it started pulling away.  Not wanting the door to swing open after I got in, I grabbed the handle with my left hand.  I didn't realize how close to the frame the handle was.   As I pushed the door closed, I felt the door slam against my middle finger.   I winced as I quickly pulled it out.  

My finger was hurting for the rest of the day but I didn't notice anything else amiss.  As the week went on, my lower part of the middle finger stopped hurting and the upper felt less but still lingered.   By Friday I started noticing my finger beginning to swell.   There was a small area of discoloration forming to the left of my finger.

I tried to ice it a few times a day but it didn't seem to help much.  I called myself trying to compress it with a band-aid the evening of Monday the 18th.   But after a few hours I took it off because the pain in my upper finger was getting worse.

I contemplated staying home from work the day I finally went to the E.R.  Dom solidified it by saying he wanted me to stay home because he had a doll package coming.  I honestly was not really relishing going to the office so decided to heed his suggestion.   By the end of the day I decided that I needed to get my finger checked out to make sure it was okay.

It was a good thing I went.  It ended up the discoloration around my finger was a bacterial infection.  The nurse told me that she would have to poke my finger with a needle and squeeze it to get the pus out.   That was disgusting to see the grayish white pus ooze out.   It was painful too as she squeezed my finger.

Afterwards she cleaned the wound and applied a splint to my finger.   She mentioned that there was a tiny fracture in the finger and would need time to heal.   She did not give me a definite answer when I would be able to remove it.   I would also need to take an antibiotic to kill the bacterial infection.

I'm glad I went to the ER.   I was also relieved that there was noone in the ER the time I went so they were able to see me right away.

I will say it has sucked having this splint.  It has made routine things like typing, washing dishes, showering, and even putting clothes on a challenge.   I am grateful that the injury was not in my dominant hand.  But it hasn't made it any easier.

I had a follow-up with my primary physician and he told me that I would be able to take it off the splint after two weeks.   That was a relief to hear.   So I'll get to have my splint with me while visiting my sisters for the holidays.   It'll make for a great conversation piece with the family no doubt.

R.I.P. Tony Todd

 

I was saddened to hear that actor Tony Todd died at 69.   From what I've read, he died from a long illness with cancer.   #Fuckcancer!

The first movie I've seen Tony Todd was Candyman.   I remember falling in love with his voice playing the title role of Candyman.    One of the most iconic scenes in the movie is where Tony was covered with bees crawling and flying around him.    I found that scene so creepy.   It was cool learning that Tony made a provision where the producers of the movie had to pay him $1000 for every bee sting he received.    He wound up being stung 23 times, netting him $23,000.

It was said you invoked Candyman by saying his name 5 times.   You would think knowing the outcome when saying his name would be enough to make people not say it.   But of course there wouldn't be a show without it.   And what a show it was.

Besides Candyman, Tony would also lend his voice to the Final Destination series which of course I enjoyed.   He also has done shows on Broadway as well.

There would be three more Candyman movies released over the years, with the last one being in 2021.  I looked up on streaming to see which channels have his Candyman movies.   Max has the 2nd and 3rd movies (oddly enough not original recipe) and Freevee has the 2021 version.   I plan on watching the 2nd movie in Tony Todd's honor.

D.C. Memories

 Dom and I were in Reston, VA a few weeks ago for another one of his doll conventions.   He said it would be his last one but I'm skeptical.    The cost to have a second person attend the conference was a bit too high since it wasn't something I enjoyed.   So instead I had the few days to myself enjoying the D.C. area.

I spent half of Day 2 traveling in the Metro to Washington D.C.   My final destination was the National Museum of African American History and Culture.   Free tickets to the museum could be obtained online by selecting a time and adding some minor personal information.    There was quite a crowd of folks at the museum.   It was a surreal experience seeing the history of slavery and freedom from 1400 onwards.   

There were many interesting stories but one that stood out was the story of an enslaved woman named Belinda.   Of African descent, she petitioned the Massachusetts legislature in 1783 for her freedom.   She shared her harrowing story of being kidnapped in Africa and sold into slavery.   Her story moved the legislative group into granting her a pension, which served as one of the earliest recorded examples of reparations for being enslaved.

It was also cool reading brief snippets of free slaves who managed to make lives for themselves post-slavery, including the purchase of property.

There was also a replica of a segregated train car from the 1940's via Southern Railway Company.   Of course the whites-only sections were more spacious including for any suitcases whereas the colored-only section spaces were cramped and smaller spaces for suitcases.   There were also separate water coolers for whites vs colored.

There were also highlights from the 1960's, 1970's, and beyond that were on display.   There was a dedicated section for Barack Obama, the United States first black president.   Overall it was a good 1 1/2 hours spent.

After the museum, I walked a bit around D.C. before hopping back on the Metro and heading to Pentagon City Fashion Centre mall directly off the Pentagon City Metro Stop.  Being at the mall bought back memories of my time living in D.C. in the mid 90's.   I was pleasantly surprised the mall was still there.   I'm guessing being a direct stop on the Metro no doubt helped its longevity.

I texted Sally a picture of the mall and she quickly remembered it as our old stomping grounds.   Sally and I first met at our alma mater University of Detroit Mercy.    We met during both of our last semester.    I was obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science while Sally was obtaining Master of Science in Computer Information Science.    We both had a mutual friend which was how we met.    Our meeting in a computer lab was our only meeting.

Little did we know that we both would end up working for the same now defunct consulting company and sat next to each other during our two month long orientation.    We befriended a few folks including a lady named Blanche (her real first name).   She was starting her "second career" as a Programmer Analyst.   She retired after 25 years working at Ma Bell.

She became a "mother figure" to Sally and me.  I have many fond memories with Blanche when we both were contracted at Bell Atlantic in Maryland.   Our old company had the habit of forcing employees to "relocate" since it was cheaper for them than paying for a hotel short-term.   They would tell us that a project was 3 months (the minimum time that relocating was required) only to find out that the contract ended after a week or two.   

Blanche had a harrowing experience where she was told by her project manager that there was a project in New York.    She was not thrilled about going there since NY is pretty expensive.    They told her that the project would be 3 months and she needed to break her lease with the apartment she lived in.   They placed her in a motel with hourly rates.   She was horrified and demanded her project manager place her in a proper hotel.    That was rectified but the experience left her stressed.    What was worse was the project fell through so she had no place to go.    Luckily her apartment in Maryland was still available so she was able to move back in.

I remember during my time at Bell Atlantic, the manager there wanted to offer me a job.   Accepting a job with a client is a no-no and could get you in trouble.   I remember talking about it with Blanche in one of the two smoking areas (she smoked).    While we were discussing the situation, the manager in question decided to come out for his smoke break.    Blanche remarked afterwards that the manager must've been trying to listen in since he normally smoked in the other section...LOL.   I ended up not accepting the job offer as I wasn't sure I necessarily wanted to live in the Maryland/D.C. area.   We soon found another place to have private chats.

When I eventually found a new job (the one I stayed at for 20 years before being laid-off and bitched about in my old blog...LOL), the project manager was very pissed at me since he said he had another assignment for me.    He said that I would not get paid for my time-off that I didn't use.   I actually had  a lot of time-off I didn't use up to that time.   I remember thinking they could fuck off and I didn't need their money.   But Blanche was instrumental in convincing me to fight for that since I earned it.   She suggested I write to the president and chief financial officer of the company and ask for my money, explaining all that I've gone through during my time there.   Writing that letter worked and I got paid for my time-off.

Another funny story was when Blanche, Sally, and I were traveling to Detroit in Blanche's car.   We needed to stop for gas a little more than halfway through our trip.   For some reason I only decided to get $20 worth of gas which only filled the tank about halfway.    When I told her what I did, she snapped and said 'boy, you better fill that tank'.   I was shocked but laughed since I knew she was right.

After Sally and I left that company, I believe Blanche stayed on with the company.   She sadly passed away in 2000.   I still smile though when I think about that time in my life.   Visiting the D.C. area definitely bought back memories.

My third day in the area I decided to check out the MGM National Harbor casino.   It was interesting seeing the area around the casino seemed ghetto.   I saw security bars on a lot of the first floor buildings which was all I needed to know.   But the casino itself was nice.   I enjoyed some lunch at an Asian fusion restaurant called Ginger.   The food was pricey (though what isn't these days) but good.   I donated to the casino of course but it was okay.

Dom meantime enjoyed his time at the convention.   The only bad part seemed to be the food.   Basically a lot of it was dry and flavorless.   I'm glad I had some delicious meals including a lobster roll.   Overall it was a good trip for us.  

My next trip will be to Boston to hang with Eugene.