Stockman's Casino | Nevada's Premier Gaming Destination – Slots, Table Games & Dining

I was just killing time on my lunch break, figured I'd throw twenty bucks at the machine near the entrance. I'd been stressed about my car needing new transmission work, so I was already thinking about how I'd have to put it on the credit card. Then the bells started going off and I just froze—I couldn't belive what I was seeing. My hands were shaking so bad I could barely hit the button to call the attendant. I told my wife that night we could finally fix the house up like we've been talking about for five years, maybe take the kids somewhere nice.

I came in after work just to relax for an hour or two, sitting at the same table I always do. The dealer was giving me good cards all night—I was up maybe $2,000 by ten o'clock. Then I got this crazy hand where I doubled down and the dealer busted, and suddenly I'm looking at nearly ninety grand in chips. I keep replaying that moment over and over. My brother thinks I'm crazy for not gambling it all away, but I put most of it toward my student loans and honestly, the peace of mind is worth more then the thrill.

I'd been playing in the Friday night tourneys for about two years, never made it very deep. This particular Saturday I felt sharp—maybe it was the coffee I had or just one of those days—but every decision seemed to go my way. I made it to heads up and my competitor got aggressive, which played right into my style. When I won that final hand, I stood up and just walked away from the table for ten minutes because I needed to process it. That money's sitting in savings right now while I figure out if I want to start that business my wife and I have been discussing.

My mom had passed away a few months earlier and I was just going through the motions, you know? I came to the casino with my friend to try to get out of the house and feel something other than sad. I put fifty bucks on her favorite number—seventeen—and it hit. I actually cried right there at the table, which probably looked crazy to everyone around me. I used some of the winnings to create a small scholarship in her name at the local community college, and that felt right.

I'd been playing that Buffalo Gold machine for months, spent probably two thousand dollars trying to hit the big one. My wife kept telling me to stop, but I had this feeling. Then right before Christmas, all the buffalo symbols lined up perfectly. I remember thinking about how I'd been down so much money and suddenly I'm looking at a screen that says I won. It wasn't enough to recoup everything I'd lost before, but it helped me walk away from the slots for good.

I was visiting my dad for the weekend and he wanted to go to the casino like he always does. I usually just watch him play, but this time he insisted I sit down at Three Card Poker with him. First hand I'm dealt, I get a straight and the dealer can't beat it. Then it kept happening—I couldn't loose. My dad was laughing harder than I'd seen him laugh in years. I told him I'd use my winnings to help him with his retirement, which made him get all emotional.