The Ultimate System - Chapter 5

Staying at the Golden Goose

David surveyed his surroundings, the other participants appeared as mere shadows, blurring together as he struggled to recall which tables were hosting different games. A mix of thrill and confusion washed over him as he recognized the effectiveness of his strategy during this gaming session.

Damned successful.

His approach was not labeled as 'The Ultimate System,' but rather a method of positive progression that had effectively increased his initial $500 entry (thanks to a fortunate spin on the slots that netted him over $200 from a $50 complimentary play) dramatically. After returning to the Let It Ride table, he experienced a few minor losses, followed by a remarkable series of hands, catching back-to-back Trips along with several High and Two Pairs, with only a handful of small losses mixed in. This winning streak led him to elevate his bets up to $400 per wager and initiated with a dealt high pair that transformed into trips, boosting his stack by an additional $3,600.

He found himself counting his chips for what felt like the thirteenth time; however, his initial twelve attempts were thwarted as his clumsy fingers toppled the stacks, causing him to lose track. What had started as a $500 buy-in had astonishingly grown to an impressive $7,150.

Even before that last hand, he had already contemplated whether he should completely walk away or secure some of his winnings. Nonetheless, his ultimate goal of reaching $10,000 was firmly ingrained in his mind. After careful consideration, he resolved to make a maximum bet of $1,000 per spot.

The dealer remained idle, simply waiting for him to act since no other players occupied the table. The petite Asian dealer, around 5'6\" and in her mid-twenties, found herself feeling a twinge of excitement for David, even if he wasn't known for his generosity, likely skipping a tip regardless of his success. She began to deal him what could be the start of a huge win: Jack, King, Ace... all clubs.

For those familiar with Let It Ride, this kind of hand is both exhilarating and nerve-wracking, especially if a substantial bet is placed. The possibility of a Royal Flush hung in the air with those first three cards, yet it also represented one of the rare instances where the first bet should be left to ride, even when there's certainty about the outcome.

It was almost comical how David considered retracting his initial bet, fully aware that such a choice would be misguided. Facing the prospect of life-altering winnings, and unable to grasp the $100,000 table's maximum aggregate payout implications, he opted to let his bet remain.

The next card revealed was a Ten… another club.

David had now a 1 in 48 chance of hitting a Royal Flush, along with numerous other possibilities. There were twelve cards that could land him a high pair, three Queens that could complete a straight, and eight additional cards leading to a flush. He calculated that he was close to fifty percent likely to end up with some winning hand, which would elevate his total stack above $10,000 if successful. Naturally, David let his second bet ride as well.

The dealer avoided making eye contact and barely held her breath while preparing to flip the deciding card. David felt the wait extended as if time were moving slowly; the dealer sensed it too, despite her normal pace in revealing the card without theatrics. As the corner of the card turned, he thought he glimpsed a club, but it turned out to be the six of spades.

'I’m so sorry,' the dealer responded, 'But you’re still faring quite well.'

An overwhelming wave of disappointment hit David like a ton of bricks. He fought the urge to be sick as his stomach twisted, making a conspicuous gulp to suppress the feeling. He had been so close to not just reaching his $10,000 goal, but also achieving a sense of genuine wealth by his standards.

Shaking his head, he rested his crossed arms on the table, leaning his head into them. In that moment, the music pumping through the casino pulled his thoughts back into reality. 'It's not so bad,' he consoled himself, 'I’m still closer to hitting ten grand than I’ve ever been, aside from just before that last hand, of course.'

The tune playing was 'House of the Rising Sun,' which felt like an odd selection for a casino, though such details rarely occupied anyone's thoughts. A moment later, David lifted his head and managed a smile, even as fatigue weighed down his eyelids. He felt exhilarated about the journey his strategy had led him on, despite the recent letdown.

______________________________________________________________________________

'House of the Rising Sun' was nearing its end, and David became aware that his head was nestled in his arms, not resting on the familiar felt of the Let It Ride table. Gradually realizing the entire dream was fabrications of his imagination, he reached out and began hitting every button on the alarm. When that failed, he simply rolled over and disconnected the annoying device.

Frustrated, David couldn't comprehend why someone would set an alarm without checking if it was on repeat. Moreover, he was puzzled as to why the housekeeping staff overlooked this detail.

The unexpected drift into sleep, combined with how leisurely the dream felt, left David with the illusion that hours had passed. However, a glance at his phone revealed it was only eight in the evening and he had only dozed for a couple of hours. He glanced at Nate Frazier’s number, (555) 968-5673, and hastily dialed.

Nate’s work cell featured a simple ringtone, while a personal favorite song chimed on his personal phone. As he was cozying up in a king-sized bed with his date for that evening, he noticed an unfamiliar number on his cell. Nevertheless, he picked up, 'Hello, this is Nate, how can I assist you?'

"Nate,\" David said, "This is David.\"

Had he known it was his latest client, David Landstrom, calling, Nate might not have picked up. He was doubtful about David's potential as a valuable client (he began to feel regret about taking him on), and he had plans to return to the casino to meet a few other players arriving shortly after his rendezvous, so he could have addressed any concerns then.

Nate mentally noted, 'I really need to store these client's contact details in my phone promptly.'

Having come back to reality, Nate felt frustrated that his delayed gratification had led to a diminishing interest in the current situation, struggling to mask his irritation as he responded, 'David, it’s a pleasure to hear from you. What’s it been, two hours?'

'Thanks, Nate,' David replied, managing a rare display of politeness, 'I was hoping we could work out a better deal on the free play.' Still affected by the remnants of his dream, he checked his wallet and saw the $315 left along with his card showing $50 in free play, a stark contrast to the over four thousand he had in his dream, despite the missed royal flush.

Nate was feeling increasingly annoyed; he had already provided David with a room, a buffet, and $50 in free play. The total amount credited to his account was nearly fifteen percent of what David had lost that day, and certainly a larger portion of his theoretical loss. Of course, he had to embellish a little when explaining the concept of theoretical loss, as the hosts at The Golden Goose actually received a share of a player’s actual losses for their quarterly bonuses.

After a moment of silence, Nate asked, 'Didn’t you perform well while playing?'

David replied, 'I haven’t gone back down yet.'

'Hold on a moment,' Nate interjected, 'I’ll be frank: how do you expect me to push for more free play on your behalf when you haven't even returned to the floor? I easily secured the room and the buffet since it’s Tuesday, but getting that extra $50 in free play approved required some back-and-forth.'

David protested, 'Nate, I’ve dropped over six hundred bucks in just about an hour, two at the most, and you’re telling me they can’t do better than $50?'

Nate replied promptly, 'Look, I would love to give you more, but I can't simply make requests on a whim. As a new host in the casino, the other host doesn't hold much interest in you. I had a ten-minute conversation with the Marketing Director just to secure that $50 for you. His main objection was that you use free play and don’t place any of your own slot wagers, but I argued your previous ratings on table games might have been undervalued. I've spoken to the table game staff, and they plan to improve how they assess players moving forward.'

David inquired, 'So, there's nothing more you can offer me during this visit?'

Nate responded, 'I wouldn’t phrase it that way. I’ll say that I provided you with everything I could—more than I realistically could—based on your activity thus far today. If you engage in some more gameplay, I might be able to have additional benefits approved for you. If your activity is considerable enough, I may even reach a point where I can offer you things spontaneously. For now, there’s a drawing at ten o’clock, and I know you have entries at the kiosk, so activate those. There’s also cookware being given away tomorrow; I doubt you qualify due to your card level, but I'm happy to enter you for the cookware if you’re interested.'

David considered the idea of gifting the cookware to his mother but changed his mind upon thinking about checking local shops for a similar set. If he found it, he might be able to swap it for a store credit card (without needing a receipt), which he could potentially sell to one of the pawn shops that trade in cash, gold, or gift cards for quick money. He mused, 'That sounds like quite a hassle.'

In the end, he concluded that Nate's proposal was better than having nothing at all. "Alright,\" he responded, "I'm gonna take a shower first, then I'll come down and we can get started. Let's see what you can do after that.\"

After their usual goodbyes, Nate and David finished the call, with Nate immediately entering ‘PITA-David’ into his contacts for future reference. He figured that while he might pick up if his schedule was completely empty, David was definitely not the type of caller worthy of interrupting a session with an attractive redhead.

______________________________________________________________________________

Post-shower, David was annoyed but not surprised to find that the only clothes he could wear were the damp work outfit he had drenched in sweat at the Let It Ride table, and later soaked even more during his short nap. The wetness was compounded by the unpleasant smell of cold cuts and cheese lingering on his shirt and pants. He briefly thought about calling his mother for a lift back home to change, but quickly recalled that she couldn't find out he was at The Golden Goose in the first place. After that idea fell through, he considered the walk home for fresh clothes but realized he would just end up sweaty again by the time he returned to the casino.

With no good options available, he resignedly put on the clammy slacks and shirt, decided to forgo the socks due to their overwhelming sweatiness, slipped into his shoes, and ventured back downstairs.

His first priority was to check out what kind of benefits the free play might bring. He had a hunch that video poker would be the best option, but still felt a bit dazed from his abrupt wake-up and preferred something more straightforward. He selected a slot machine named Winning Wolf, betting a dollar for each spin, which equated to around 100 paylines at a penny each.

After using up roughly $35 of his free play—which he regrettably loaded all at once despite the advice he once gave to a kid who bought his system—he had seen a return of just $20 in cash. Fortunately, he got lucky with a few sets of eight free games, the last set of which even had some retriggers, bringing his earnings to $215 from the initial $50 in free play after completing his fifty spins.

This brought his total balance up to $530, and he contemplated the idea of trying to invest some more in Winning Wolf, but his better judgment kicked in, making him realize how fortunate he had been. It occurred to him that he needed to activate his drawing entries, which he proceeded to do with about fifteen minutes left to spare.

He then made his way to the self-serve beverage area, pouring himself a Coke with just a splash of ice before taking another stroll around the Table Games section. He spotted both Nick and Sammy at the craps table, which was no shock, and saw that Nick’s strategy appeared to be doing well, boasting over $1,000 worth of chips. The Let It Ride table was closed for the evening—likely due to a lack of players—while most of the blackjack tables were packed. David wasn't interested in joining a crowded blackjack table; he preferred to play where there was ample space, so he wandered over to the roulette table that had around five or six players.

He considered trying out Mississippi Stud, a game he had seen others play, but ultimately opted out as he realized he knew very little about how it worked. Checking his phone, he saw it was already five minutes until ten, leading him to decide to wait for the drawing, albeit with little hope of winning.

The drawing format was such that five players would be selected to send three discs down a makeshift Plinko board or something similar, with the total outcome determining the free play that would be awarded. The chosen players would have ten minutes to make their way to the promotional stage and take their turn with the Plinko discs.

Then, the announcement was made: "Alright, we are about to begin our ten o’clock Plinko drawing. Please remember you only have ten minutes to reach the promotional stage; after that, a new name will be drawn. If your name isn't called, don’t worry—we will have several drawings tomorrow starting at 2:00 p.m. with the last one at 10:00 p.m. Just a reminder for tomorrow: although bonus entries can only be used for one drawing, you will earn an entry for every ten slot points you collect, so keep that in mind. Thank you for choosing Golden Goose Hotel & Casino, and good luck! Our first winner is Anthony Bryan…\"

The remainder of the announcement passed without incident for David, and though he felt a pang of disappointment—albeit not really surprised—his name wasn’t among those drawn. He was still stuck on what to do with his $530, still nursing a loss for the day, and briefly pondered leaving. After another round through the table games area, he opted for the comfort of his hotel bed and decided to regroup in the morning.

Just as he stepped into the elevator, the voice of the promotional announcer returned to the speaker system, "Ladies and gentlemen, both Anthony Bryan and Laura Ashby have failed to claim their prizes and participate in the Plinko game within the ten-minute window. Therefore, we will draw two more names: Kevin O’Conner and… David Landstrom! You both have ten minutes to come play Plinko for free. Should either of you fail to arrive in that timeframe, we will draw another name. Thank you for choosing The Golden Goose Hotel and Casino. Don’t forget about tomorrow’s drawings! \"

Even though the promotional stage was only about a three-minute walk at a relaxed pace, David broke into a full sprint—well, as much of a sprint as his larger frame would allow—and arrived in about a minute and a half. "I’m David Landstrom!\" He declared, feeling a sense of pride that he had rarely felt in his life.

"Excellent,\" said the promotions attendant, sounding older than she seemed over the loudspeaker, likely in her mid-fifties. "You're the first of the two named, so you can go first. Just position the three discs one by one anywhere on the board and then let them go. Make sure to wait until the first disc has reached the bottom before releasing the next one, or you risk losing those free play amounts.\"

David thought about how the rules felt overly complicated, but as he looked at the Plinko board, he noticed the slots were only wide enough for one disc, making him wonder if releasing multiple at a time might give some sort of edge, though he couldn’t quite grasp how. The board and its discs were about half the size of those made famous on The Price is Right, and he was informed that none of the discs would be removed until he finished with all three.

The Plinko board featured around twenty-five slots at the bottom, the biggest awarding $500 in free play, while five were marked as zero. As he released his first disc, he watched it bounce down, occasionally hitting the pins, ultimately settling on the $50 free play slot, which was the third-best outcome available.

The second disc seemed to be heading straight for the $500 free play slot but, caught by the nearest pin at the bottom, it teetered on the edge between $500 and $0. It lingered for a moment as though it were making a conscious choice to defy him before finally tumbling into the zero slot.

"FUCK!\"

"Please mind your language, sir,\" the promotions attendant gently reprimanded, "Besides, you still have one disc left and a $50 free play.\"

Grumbling under his breath, something that could have gotten him thrown out if overheard, David irritatedly sent his last disc spinning down with a speed that seemed designed just to randomize where it would land.

The disc whirled and struck a pin to David's left, sending it veering to the right. It then hit another pin that redirected it back left, heading straight toward the zero slot. In a moment of forgetfulness, David forgot that the zero slot could hold only one disc, and as his freshly launched disc approached, it collided with the top of the disc already in the zero slot, paused just for a heartbeat, and then tumbled to the left right into the $500 free play slot!

"Oh my God, yes! \" David shouted. "He shoots, he scores! \"

The promotions attendant felt a twinge of annoyance but had no option but to report the outcome for any total free play over $100. "Congratulations to David Landstrom,\" she began, "who just won $550 in free play, including, of course, hitting the $500 free play slot that others have missed all day! \"

Suppressing her annoyance, she took out a piece of paper and quickly wrote down the winnings she had received in free play along with her initials. With a firm instruction, she asked David to deliver it to the players club desk so that they could activate the free play for her. Afterward, he was informed, 'Your free play will be ready in about ten minutes, sir.'

David wisely decided to check his status after activating the free play before making further plans, so he chose to head back to his room for a refreshing shower. His clothes still felt uncomfortably sticky and repulsive, to the point that he momentarily entertained the idea of picking up some new clothing at the gift shop, although he ultimately decided against it.

______________________________________________________________________________

Nate Frazier re-entered the casino feeling rejuvenated after his interrupted date had ended. He noticed Greg Larson frantically typing on the computer as he browsed through player accounts, and asked, 'What are you doing here at such a late hour?'

Greg sighed and raked a hand through his greying hair, peering over his glasses to respond, 'I am checking on some players, freezing PINs. Some of these individuals show promise, but then they almost immediately stop performing. I have about ten accounts that have consistently only claimed free play during their visits. They will get a second chance, but they'll need to reset their PINs, and if this continues, those cards will be outright canceled.'

Nate remarked, 'I guess I should take a look at that too. Has my NBA contact arrived yet?'

Greg was a bit taken aback by the inquiry; he knew the answer but thought that after so long in the business, Nate shouldn't completely depend on him. 'Nope, you just made it in time, love-struck. The sedan is on its way right now.'

Nate called the driver’s mobile phone and learned they would arrive in around ten minutes. He selected a sandy-colored tie that matched his pale blue shirt and completed his look before heading to the casino's valet area.

A few moments later, the sedan arrived, and Nate approached with a broad grin, extending his hand to Malcolm Jones, a forward for the Indiana Pacers. While not a superstar, he was a reliable player off the bench. Nate had no clue why Jones chose to visit the Golden Goose, but considering the amounts he was known to wager and lose at the craps table, he didn’t feel the need to care.

'It’s fantastic to see you, Mr. Jones,' Nate started, 'It always feels like ages since your last trip! Analysts are buzzing that this will be your breakout season! '

'You're flattering me, and you know to just call me Malcolm,' he replied, 'The analysts haven’t said much about me since I was drafted three years ago, and the few that do are saying picking me in the first round was a mistake. I’d love to have a breakout year but honestly, I’d be happy just to have a spot on the team for next season.'

'Don’t sell yourself short, Malcolm,' Nate said. Despite his lack of interest in basketball, he added, 'You performed quite well nearly every time you were on the court last year. Let’s hope you replicate that success at the craps table tonight! I’ve prepared our finest suite for you, complete with a nice bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon on the dresser, just as you requested. Shall I show you up?'

'No, thank you, Nate. I’m just an ordinary guy, there’s no need to roll out the red carpet for me. If I could just get the keys, that would be ideal.'

Nate handed over an envelope containing two magnetic cards for Malcolm's suite, and they exchanged farewells. Nate felt a sense of relief that Malcolm didn't crave a grand tour of his room; he could now return to the host’s office, power down his computer, and reunite with the redhead who was probably waiting impatiently at his apartment.

______________________________________________________________________________

As Nate was navigating through the casino floor back to the main entrance, having parked in the drop-off zone since he hadn’t intended to stay for long, he came across David Landstrom. David was in the same outfit as before, but his hair was clearly damp, whether from a shower or perspiration.

'Hey, Nate, great to see you! ' Nate was surprised by David's sudden cheerfulness, which had been absent earlier; however, he soon understood the reason without needing to ask. 'I got selected in the Plinko drawing and won $550 in free play! '

Nate could hardly hold back a groan and cursed himself for even mentioning the entries to David in the first place, let alone having facilitated his entry. Unless David experienced a significant breakdown or played for hours, there was almost no way he was going to be a profitable player at this point. 'That’s fantastic, David! Are you glad I encouraged you to activate those entries?'

'Definitely,' David replied, 'I nearly forgot about them, and I activated them just as I was ready to head up to my room for the night.'

'What happened?' Nate probed, 'Did things not go well for you over the past few hours?'

'Not at all,' David said, 'I actually did quite well. I turned that $50 in free play into $215, and I haven’t played anything else since. Right now, I’m just looking for something to use that $550 on.'

With a resigned tone, Nate responded, 'Well, good luck and good night. I’ve already put in twelve hours today, and it’s a Tuesday for goodness’ sake! I’m baffled as to why I'm still here.'

'Alright,' David acknowledged, not bothering to express his gratitude for any of it.

Nate paused and turned back, 'I nearly forgot, be sure to stay tonight. When I set up your free buffet earlier, I also arranged for a complimentary breakfast buffet for you.'

In an unexpected twist, David thanked him, 'Oh, thank you for that.'

______________________________________________________________________________

For the next quarter of an hour, David roamed the slot floor in a bit of a trance. He contemplated that the $550 in free play, if he had any luck, might be sufficient to help him break even or even finish the day slightly ahead. Weighing that option, he considered just using it up, going to bed, enjoying the breakfast buffet, and starting anew another time. He could even visit the bank the following day to make the intended deposit and put back the cash he had withdrawn just hours earlier.

Eventually, he returned to the Winning Wolf game where he had fared so well just an hour earlier. He set the game to $1.00 per spin, and after exactly 550 spins, he ended up with $505 from the free play, increasing his cash total to $1,030, despite his biggest win being a free games round that yielded $60.

As he strolled past the craps table where Sammy was still rolling, he noticed Nick was missing. Completely disregarding his prior apology, as well as any intention of leaving with roughly the same money he had entered with, he inquired, 'Where did that nuisance go?'

Sammy growled in response, 'For the record, I consider Nick a friend and I enjoy shooting dice with him. There is, however, a certain persistent nuisance that comes around here occasionally, but I won’t disclose names. By the way, I prefer London Broil and Swiss on Marble if you feel like bringing me a sandwich next time.'

The stick understood the reference, having been a patron at A Penny Saved. 'Let’s try to keep things civil and limit the insults; I really don’t want any more outbursts at this table like we've been having lately.'

David grunted, while Sammy muttered something that could be perceived as an apology. The dice returned to Sammy, who had established a point of four alongside place bets on six and eight, only to roll a seven on his next turn. Stifling a yawn, he tossed a red chip to the supervisor and said, 'That’s for the crew, probably five more bucks than you’re likely to see the rest of the night unless someone else joins the table.'

Displaying rare restraint, David merely handed over five one-hundred dollar bills and requested, 'Give me that in green chips, but throw in five red ones as well.'

After nearly forgetting, David finally added in his card and remarked, 'Make sure I’m rated properly, or Nate will probably be after your jobs.'

Though the supervisor knew that Nate wouldn't actually fire them, even if he wanted to, he did remember to ensure David Landstrom was rated correctly from that point on. He handed the card to the pit boss saying, 'In for five-hundred.'

For reasons that were unclear even to him, David played while completely disregarding 'The Ultimate System.' He mainly made flat bets of $25 on the Pass Line, with a $5 Crap Check on the Come Out roll, and supported the $25 with a $25 single odds anytime a point was set (except when it was five or nine, where he backed it at $30). He stuck with this strategy for the better part of an hour and found himself up about $300 when Nick DeMarco arrived at the table accompanied by none other than Malcolm Jones, each of them buying in for a thousand.

Nick’s previous friendliness suddenly resurfaced, even extending towards David, as he whistled and teased, 'Look at that chip rack you’ve got there! Looks like you’ve been playing with the big boys; are you having some good luck?'

David was taken aback by this unexpected shift in Nick’s demeanor and found himself questioning the reason behind Nick’s cheerful attitude. 'I’m up a few hundred here and overall for the day. Who’s that, your bodyguard?'

David was still unaware of Nick's impressive background as a skilled Judo player and instructor, so he remarked, "I don't require a bodyguard. This is my companion, Malcolm Jones, and if you're curious about his job, he plays for the Pacers.\"

Although David had no specific knowledge about sports, he felt a sense of admiration, even if all he comprehended was that the Pacers represented a professional sports league. "I apologize, Mr. Jones, but I'm not really into hockey.\"

Malcolm couldn't help but smile widely as he corrected David, "It's basketball, my friend, and just Malcolm is fine. The Pacers are part of the NBA.\"

Typically unfazed by embarrassment, David found himself oddly flustered, "My apologies, Malcolm. Sports really aren't my forte at all.\"

"Nobody is flawless,\" Malcolm replied cheerfully, "It's been ages since I've been at the table, so let's roll some dice! \"

The stick glanced at David, reluctantly extending the same courtesy he would offer a regular player to someone he deemed unconventional. Still, he managed to say, "It's your choice.\"

Before Nick and Malcolm arrived, David had just thrown a seven-out, but since the pair hadn't placed their bets yet, David had the option to roll the dice again immediately. Positioned stick right, he contemplated his next move as Nick and Malcolm stood stick left, with Malcolm being the closest to him. Ultimately, he opted for keeping the peace with Nick and suggested, "Pass the dice to Malcolm.\"

Grateful, Malcolm accepted the dice and embarked on an incredible streak, rolling forty consecutive wins. That evening at the Craps table allowed up to ten times the odds, so both Nick and Malcolm were primarily flat betting $10 on the Pass Line and complementing it with $100 in odds. David maintained the same betting style he had been using, resulting in a climactic roll that yielded six successful points and four winning outcomes against one bad number, followed by a seven-out.

As he counted his chips, David was astonished to find he had gained over $500, bringing his total to just above $800 for the day with a bankroll of $1860. His excitement was palpable, and after Nick's seven-out, which he had not been betting on, he repeated his earlier statement, "Pass the dice to Malcolm.\"

Though not as impressive as his previous roll, Malcolm still managed to secure a point of four before hitting a seven-out, with no come-out wins or losses. In a flash, David saw his winnings rise by another $100, giving him over $900 for the day and a bankroll totaling $1,960.

David was utterly astonished, momentarily believing that the prophetic vision he had seen in a dream was coming true, only to remember he had been playing Let It Ride throughout. Nick grabbed the dice and exclaimed, "I'm tired of being outdone by amateurs!\" He winked at Malcolm, "You might be skilled on the basketball court, but you aren’t a professional dice roller. Here comes a hundred roll hand! \"

Nick then promptly rolled a point-seven-out.

Once more, David opted to hand the dice to Malcolm, who again provided a fruitful roll. He achieved three points and two come-out wins while encountering only one loss before sevening-out, boosting David's total by another $180 to approximately $1,100 for the day and increasing his bankroll to $2,140. He struggled to keep his excitement contained, exclaiming, "Malcolm, you should stop playing in the NBA and pursue your true calling, dicing full-time! \"

Malcolm chuckled, "It's merely luck, but don’t let Nick hear you say that. I’m heading to bed now; good night, it was great meeting you, David! \"

David was shocked, "Bed!! ??\" "How can you just go to bed? You’re on fire with every roll! \"

"I know,\" Malcolm replied, "And I’ve made a tidy sum in just an hour while having a blast. The table will still be waiting for us tomorrow, you realize?\"

Though it was uncommon for him to express gratitude, David found himself saying, "Well, good night, and thank you for those incredible rolls.\"

"I had no control over that.\"

"Either way.\"

______________________________________________________________________________

David felt uncertain about his next steps. He had $2,140 in his pocket, which was slightly more than he had entered the casino with, but the clock was nearing two in the morning. He considered making a trip to The Nest for a drink but decided against it, realizing he wouldn't want to stop at just one. Plus, since alcohol sales were forbidden by state law after 2:30 a.m., he wouldn’t have enough time to truly celebrate.

In truth, he wasn’t particularly in a festive mood; what he truly desired was to win more, yet he couldn't figure out how to make that happen. For nearly half an hour, he wandered around the casino, occasionally sitting at a slot machine to mull over his options. When he ultimately decided to return to the craps table, he discovered that it was closed due to the arrival of two o'clock and the lack of players for the past fifteen minutes.

Roulette had also shut down some time ago, and Let It Ride had already closed while he was taking a nap. The only games still in operation were Blackjack and Mississippi Stud. David gazed longingly at the deserted tables of other games, lights still flickering, but it felt like the right moment to head to bed.

______________________________________________________________________________

David fell into a deep, restful sleep, free from dreams. The next morning, he woke up an hour too late for the buffet. Being Wednesday, he was supposed to have the day off, although changes were coming to the schedule the following week. He called Nicholas Allison to confirm he was indeed off that day, which turned out to be the case.

As David counted his money, he found $2,142.63 and an additional $150 in the bank. Reluctantly, he acknowledged that this was the most cash he had ever had at one time in his life. For the next several minutes, he daydreamed as he rolled back and forth in bed, contemplating the amazing things he could do with just a portion of that money while saving the rest. With no commitments holding him back aside from work, he could think about planning a vacation somewhere. He hadn’t ventured outside the country since his mother took him to Mexico for his college acceptance celebration, although there was no actual celebration when he ended up dropping out.

He also pondered the idea of treating himself to multiple meals out, imagining how this money could afford him several delightful dining experiences, especially since he never tipped waitstaff, considering it a complete waste of money. Additionally, he considered purchasing an old car so he could have his own means of transportation and travel independently without suffering in the heat.

Despite all the amusing ideas swirling around in his head about what to do with his newfound funds and the excitement they could bring, the recurring thought that kept surfacing was how much more he could achieve with an even larger sum of money.

Go back to chapter 4 .
To be continued in chapter 6.

About the Author

Mission146 is a devoted husband and proud father of two little ones. While he often fell short of the expectations set by those around him, he was content with his life as it was. Currently, Mission146 works in Ohio as a salary-slave and enjoys immersing himself in documentaries, Philosophy, and discussions on gambling. He is open to writing for pay, so if you are interested, create an account on WizardofVegas.com and send him a Private Message with your inquiries.

Written by: Brandon James