Page 13 - April 2005 • Southern California Gaming Guide

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
My Formula for Casino Fun: Planning and Luck! by Maya Winkler
I like to go to the casino, and over the years I’ve realized a “formula” for casino fun: planning and luck. Do those two things seem incongruous together? Planning is of the essence. I allocate a finite amount of money for gaming monthly. I play different games, but primarily
video poker and slots. I use my player’s club card all the time — at all casinos — and get cash back, meals and other great perks! And I am lucky, I have to admit. I can’t teach you how to be lucky, but here is my primer on planning.
single light on the top of the machine. It’s the light that illuminates when you push the “change” button, and that lights up when you win a jackpot. at light is called a “candle.” But did you know that the candle tells you the denomination of the machine? e bottom light is colored. Multi-denomination machines have multiple colored-candles. Here’s the guide:
• Penny slots: purple light
• Nickel slots: red light
• Dime slots: green light
• Quarter slots: yellow light
• Half-dollar slots: orange light • Dollar slots: blue light
So, that’s a beginning — and a simple one. Plan and be aware of the denomination slot you’re playing.
Maya Winkler is a non- ction writer who says she is the luckiest casino player she knows. She plays in casinos all over the United States.
Before you go to any casino, have a game plan. Plan which games you want to play and what you want to spend. Leave your ATM and credit cards and your checkbook at home so you won’t spend more than you planned.
When you play slots or video poker, plan which denomination machine you want to play. Whether you play pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, dollars or higher — your first priority when entering the casino is finding the right denomination machine for you. Pennies and nickels are great for a low budget (although, if you play the maximum bet, it can eat up your bankroll pretty quickly). But playing them can stretch out your play longer and increase your fun. The higher the denomination, the faster the money will go (and of course, though — the more you can win!)
Casinos plan their slot floors with banks or carousels of slots. It sounds simple to find the right denomination slot. But how many times have you seen someone sit next to you and put a bill in a slot machine, and then realize the slot they thought was a quarter machine, was a dollar? (This, of course, never happened to you!)
e face of the machine will tell you the denomination. But there’s also an easy way to spot a machine’s denomination even from across the casino oor! Every slot machine — video poker machines as well, has a
April 2005 Page 13