Strictly Slots August 2022

PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE

DISRUPTIVE PLAYERS Identifying the most irritating, obnoxious and annoying players in the casino… continued

M y Publisher’s Message in the June issue seemed to have really struck a chord with many slot players in the country. In this column, I listed a number of my pet peeves while visiting a casino and at the end of the column, I asked readers to share their views and frustrations on what grinds their nerves while playing their favorite slots.The letters poured in. In fact, you’ll read a handful of them in our Letters department in this issue. Last week I went to the casino after work to blow off a little steam. It had been a particularly grueling week in the office as all hands were on deck tabulating the results of our sister publication, Casino Player ’s , annual Best of Gaming awards coming soon in September.So,after a cou ple weeks of long hours of computing,counting and fact checking, it was time to have a little solitude and get lost in the slot zone. I’m usually a very sociable person but this week, I wanted to relax and enjoy some solitude, so I sat down at a video poker machine.Unfor tunately, whenever I want some“alone time”the most,this is when I seem to run into the most disruptive players with some really bad manners. Maybe you’ve encountered a few of these players as well, and if I’ve left any off the list this time, please write me and let me know. The Novice. The novice player will often park himself at a video poker machine right next to you.They haven’t got a clue as to which game they are playing, let alone which cards to hold. Instead of learning the game first,or bringing a strategy card with them,they find it much easier to lean over and ask you how to play a hand. The Drunkard. The drunkard is the person sitting next to you at the bar who is playing one quarter at a time just to receive free drink after drink after drink. I mean, I like to have a cocktail too while I play,but I’m there to get the most of my potential winnings. I’ve studied the games, I look for good pay tables and play with near-perfect strategy.I don’t need some mindless conversation and I certainly don’t need foolhardy advice on what hands to hold and which to discard. Phone Chatterer. These days, it seems as if many people are addicted to their cell phones.At times, I’m guilty of this myself but when I’m out for the night,I want to get lost in the moment and not worry about who’s posting what to Facebook or Instagram. And when you’re at the tables in a casino, it is against the rules to talk on your cell phone while you are playing.This stems from the possibility of someone using an“electronic device” to cheat. However, this rule does not apply to slot players, and many of them think nothing of carrying on a loud phone conversation while they’re playing the machines.I’ve heard some pretty explicit conversations in casi nos while sitting next to people who were yammering into their phones.

Machine Bangers. The machine banger is the player who pounds or slaps the spin button each and every spin in hopes it will sway the out come. This is probably the number one complaint we’ve received from readers and for good reason. It’s almost as if they think the spin button is pressure-sensitive, and the harder (and louder) they slap, the more cred its the machine will pay out.It won’t and you can only hope that a bruised hand will soon force this player to get up and leave. The Lounger. The lounger is the player who uses the shelf in between the machines as a foot rest.The player will lean back in his seat and prop his dirty shoe up on the ledge.Any drink glasses or ash trays that may have been on the edge are likely to topple over,which of course will be ignored.Unfortunately, I have seen this more times than I care to admit. Smoking in Non-smoking Areas. Most casinos have non-smoking areas, yet you will see people light up without regard to the No Smoking signs. I respect the fact that smoking is a personal choice, but I don’t want to have to breathe the fumes, so when I set out to play, I head to the non smoking section. Unfortunately, some smokers don’t extend the same courtesy in return and light up wherever they see fit. Treating Service Providers as Inferiors. This is probably the most infuriating bad manner anyone could have.The job of a casino employee is to make your time in their establishment as pleasant as possible,and to make sure your needs are fulfilled in a professional manner.These people are doing a job to provide a living for themselves and their families.They have feelings just like anyone else and deserve the same respect as any body else. Sometimes when people lose, they blame the dealer or the slot attendant and verbally abuse them. Please stop! I can’t help but wonder how these people would feel if somebody came into their workplace and hurled insults at them. The same goes for the bartender and cocktail server. Everyone, including the casinos, is short staffed right now—show a little respect and some patience if it’s taking a little longer to get a drink.And remem ber to tip, even with slow service, $2 per drink or 20% of your total bar tab. In the end, you might get better service as bartenders and servers will often take care of good tippers by making their rounds more quickly. Cheers to good health, good luck and winning days!

Lisa Robertson-Dziedzic Publisher lrobertson@casinocenter.com

4 AUGUST 2022 ■ STRICTLY SLOTS ■ www.casinocenter.com