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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Girls' Day Out

One of my favorite activities is lunch out with friends. Occasionally, we head to a local casino near the Philly airport. They have a neat bar/restaurant with a wall of windows overlooking the horse racing track and the Delaware River. We play the slots for a while and have lunch with a great view. We don't do professional sports events, and we consider it costs about the same as a sports event--it's entertainment. The parking is free and the cost of food is more reasonable than in a sports stadium. 

Occasionally, we win and a friend had a big win on the last visit which was fun for everyone. I think I'm ahead as long as I play the slots on the casino's nickel. We get Total Rewards player's cards and build comps which are valid in other casinos around the U.S. We played for several hours and talked about the kids, grandchildren, or whatever. Longtime friends can find a lot to talk about.

Last fall, we were gambling at the slots when the earthquake hit the east coast. It was a puzzling event to experience in a huge building. I could feel the floor vibrating under my feet and there was a lot of noise not exclusively coming from the casino. Everyone knew something unusual was happening but I don't know if anyone ran for the exit. Later we heard that it was an earthquake which didn't disturb us much at the time because this region isn't known for earthquakes. It was interesting that we were in a casino when such an event occurred; unfortunately, it didn't shake loose any slots. Maybe we were just lucky the building didn't fall on us. 

Gambling is just another social event we can enjoy as a group. I enjoy gambling and I try to experience the casinos around the world whenever I happen to see one. I've gambled in Vegas, Reno, Atlantic City, Cripple Creek, Colorado, Delaware, Pennsylvania, islands in the Caribbean, cruise ships, and the casino in Monte Carlo. It has changed a lot since James Bond's days. I haven't seen the casinos in Macau but I could put that on my bucket list. Anything in the Far East sounds so exotic. It loses a lot when there isn't a group to giggle and cheer when someone hits a bonus round on a penny slot machine. It is an occasion to get together and enjoy socializing.  As I looked around the casino and the buffet on one trip, it was obviously a group experience for other ladies too. For those of us who don't play cards, Bunco, bridge, golf, or tennis, a casino is a good alternative to shopping trips or lectures. We like museums, but casinos are more fun.

7 comments:

  1. Many years ago I worked at a casino in Lake Tahoe. I remember walking around with a coin belt giving change to people playing the slots. It was quite an experience. Maybe we have met already, R.J. :-)

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  2. i like cards but don't like the slots (or casinos for that matter)... don't know why! i used to like the slots when you put in a quarter and pulled the arm down and they made all kinds of noises and lights and all but since they went electronic i don't have fun with them. glad you do though!!! we all need things we enjoy.

    hugs, bee
    xxooxoxoxox

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  3. I enjoy slots better since they put in the no coins feature. They still make lots of noise with bells and whistles and some really funny bonus rounds. I don't have to wash my hands of metal grime after taking out a paper receipt.

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  4. You make it sound like so much fun. You and your gal friends sound like a playful bunch. I am finding out how many women my age like playing bridge but I am not at all interested in playing bridge or any other cards. Well, maybe poker.

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  5. That earthquake would have scared me. I have experienced only one and that was in 2006 in Hawaii.

    Hubby and I won a free trip to Vegas in 1998 and that was our first time gambling. Can't say I enjoyed losing $200. Lol.

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  6. Jean Scott has written several books on gambling that are interesting. One is called the Frugal Gambler and another is Frugal Video Poker. She is a retired teacher who does a lot of gambling and wins. All of us who enjoy winning like to think we can control the system a little bit. As I get more experienced with slots, I have learned the power of max bets, and free bonus rounds. As I start a session on a machine I think I can sense when it is an active or a dead machine and I either stay or move to another machine. Maybe I am kidding myself. I enjoy poker socially, but I don't play poker in a casino because I don't want to gamble against other people. I might try Blackjack sometime because that is playing the house like video poker.

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  7. I'm no good at gambling because I just hate to lose money and that's all I do... lose money. Sigh.

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