Back in the days when Casino's were for gamblers and not for the wider public (it was far enjoyable then as well BTW) I had many a nice night eating fine food, drinking fine wine and enjoying a Montecristo Nr 2.
I rarely gambled much as i rarely had that much I could afford to lose (Montecristo's arent cheap you know) and I was always there for the atmos and the feeling that it was something more than a night in the pub or at the dogs (not anymore in most places sadly).
On one occasion though I was in a fine mood, good company and hob-nobbing with a few well known Mancunians and had a bit of early fortune on the corners at roulette.
I was soon about a ton up, not much even then back in the 80's but I was enjoying myself as the company was good and the whole ambience was spot on.
I decided to try a few numbers and remembering a system I saw someone else using I picked 7, 12, 28, 29, 35 - they are a group of numbers on the wheel close to 0.
I was putting 50p on each number, playing my winnings, so the bet was £2.50 per spin - nothing huge there.
If a number comes up you get £18 back and that happened quite a lot.
As I was playing a colour (you would pick up 36 coloured chips each time) I was soon asking for some of the payout in cash as well.
It wasnt that long before I was over £200 up on the night. So lets have a bit more fun, £1 per number - the bet now paid out £36 when it came in - (I was also moving my set of numbers following the pattern of where the ball was landing, trying to get ahead of the dealer if you will.)
5,24,10,23,8 were next and I soon got used to the phrase 'can I have a pony with that'.
So now I was on something of an extraordinary run of luck and was simply popping any new 'ponies' into my suit pocket.
25,17,34,6,27 and it continued coming on far more than not.
I even took a few spins rest when the dealer changed and noticed the pattern of he next one was pretty regular as well.
Back to 7,12,27,28,29 more luck.
Within an hour I was having to use another suit pocket for a mixture of ponies and fiver chips!
I counted what I had in front of me and I had £450 in ponies on the table plus another £30 odd quid in my colour.
God knows what I had in the pockets but I knew I was enjoying myself. I reckoned on being about £800, possibly £900 in 'in the pocket' profit. Good times.
I took £350 of the cash chips from the table and dropped them in my suit pocket with a guestimate putting me a grand up on the night, sweet as a nut.
And now this is where fbloke either grew some massive bollocks or became silly depending on your own perspective.
It was pony time on the numbers, £125 a spin so I had perhaps 2 decent spins and then I would have used the colour up, taxi and in bed by 2am.
Nope, the first one landed £900 on one spin. Fuck me solid.
I got paid in plaque chips, just like James fucking Bond!
Now all night I had been leaving any winning chip in place, just for luck.
And for the first time the number doubled. Another £900.
Then the fecker came in again. Another £900.
I am sat there like some top gambler with a cool as a cucumber look of 'oh this is just normal for me' or so I thought.
Anyway after about an hour of some luck, some not I decided to call it quits. My luck was runnind out and I decided that I wouldnt break one of the plaques. They were now in the pocket of my suit as well.
Cashing out at a casino after a big win (well any win TBH) is a lovely sensation, pure bliss. In fact it is one of the few things that lives up to the image portrayed in the movies.
So as I empty my bulging pockets I cannot believe what I have done. More and more chips, £500, £250, £100, enough ponies to choke a donkey.
To watch the hands of the cashier as she sorted, stacked and counted the lot was mind numbing.
£14,550 was the total I got paid out that night.
I dabble every now and then and normally end up in profit but the next best win has been a couple of grand, but I rarely get more than a few hundred quid up at best now.
But its not the same anymore, smoke free (i am a non smoker but used to dabble with cigars as they go well with whisky and casinos) and clinical I am just glad I did it when Casino's were as I always imagined them.
Sorry for the long post but I enjoyed recalling that :-)
