Today we’ll have a personal anecdote about what happened to me recently. I’m not sure how widespread my situation is, but perhaps some of my readers will relate to it.
I’ve been gambling at video poker since 1994. For the right promotion, I’ll go any time of the day or night. To make this work, I also need to be able to sleep any time of the day or night so I can be at my best when I play. Sometimes I’ll play daytime for one promotion, sleep four to six hours, and then go play graveyard at some other promotion. At age 74, it’s more difficult to do this than it was when I was younger.
The transition between sleep and wakefulness doesn’t happen to me in a split second. It takes some time. My eyes are a bit blurry for the first half hour I’m awake. Probably comes from liking to sleep on my stomach. Usually, video poker cards are big enough that I can see them just fine immediately after awakening, but I normally need to drive to where I’m playing since I don’t spend many nights sleeping in casinos Although I can usually see the video poker cards right away, I probably couldn’t pass a DMV eye test right when I wake up.
So, to compensate for this, I do some physical exercises; I review strategy if it’s not a game I know cold; I get some water into me; and pretty soon I’m off to the races. If it’s a game like Jacks or Better that I know perfectly, I don’t review the strategy, but I’ll read the news on my computer for 20 minutes or so. I’m just letting my body wake up completely as time passes. I don’t want to make financial decisions when I’m not at my best.
Recently, Bonnie and I were spending a comped night at a casino. I wanted to play after midnight (for COVID-evasion reasons), and we like the steakhouse there. Since we drive one car these days, I planned on going to sleep relatively soon after eating, getting up a few hours later, and playing as long as I needed. Bonnie brought along some books on tape or something similar to keep her occupied.
I set the alarm for 1 a.m., and was at the machines by 1:30 — going through my typical routine before playing. I finished up about 5 a.m. and came upstairs. I recorded my results on my computer log, and got ready for bed. My cell phone was almost out of juice, so I plugged it in to recharge and set the alarm on my phone for 7:30. We planned to eat breakfast, after which I was going to drop Bonnie off for a hair salon appointment at 10 a.m. While she was getting her hair fixed, I’d do some errands. And when we arrived home after picking Bonnie up at 11, I’d sleep for as long as I needed.
However, the alarm didn’t go off. I woke up because of a nature call at 9:20 and told Bonnie we had to leave in 15 minutes to make it to her hairdresser on time. We both jumped up, no time for showers, got our stuff together, and were out the door. I was operating at half speed, checking everything twice because I knew I wasn’t 100% alert, and she wasn’t much better. I left something in the room, but remembered it before we got in the elevator, so I only wasted one minute retrieving it. We took the wrong way to get to the parking garage and when we got to the car, I realized that I had left my parking validation ticket in the room. I had to backtrack while Bonnie called her hairdresser to give warning that we were running late.
My eyes were still a little fuzzy when I started driving, but it was daylight and I knew the route well, so there were no problems. There could have been, but sometimes you get lucky. We finally got to the salon 15 minutes late, but the rest of the day went pretty much as planned.
What happened to the phone alarm? I had plugged it in to an outlet that went dead when I turned off a certain light switch. While I had set it accurately, it ran out of juice before the appointed time. Had I been at home, I would have realized the limits to that particular outlet. But in the hotel room, I didn’t.
What lesson did this reinforce? I’m not at my best immediately after rising — especially with not enough sleep. My brain and eyes don’t work optimally. No matter how good a promotion is, I need to give myself time to get going before I can tackle it effectively.
They say old age and treachery can overcome youth and skill. I’m not sure “treachery” is a good description of the things I need to go through to compete with others. But so long as I identify my weaknesses and work to compensate for them, I do all right.
Never trust a phone. The best thing is not an alarm clock but an old fashioned windup cooking timer that will last 8 hours plus. This was a hack from Tim Ferris.
I read your column for insight into video poker. This column was not helpful, almost boring.
Arlene, you’re being a bit harsh. There is a lesson here: avoid doing important things—like gambling—if you’re not at your best. Many adults are sleep deprived, and they need to be sure that they are well-rested before they gamble or make other financial decisions. Today, APs typically have only a small edge, and fatigue is enough to erase it.
Hotel phone wake up calls are another strategy, usually dependable. Just make sure they get the AM and PM right.
USE A WATCH! And it doesn’t have to be anything spiffy. I bought a Casio electronic/digital watch from a Kmart in Sacramento in 1978 for (I think) $22, and one of its features was an alarm that you could set digitally (it was all digital display, not moving hands). It was just loud enough to wake you up out of your sleep (unless you were deep and dead asleep). It emitted 2 quick bleeps, followed by 2 quick beats of silences, over and over for 20 bleeps, then stopped. That watch lasted 28 years, and then in 2006 I bought the current comparable Casio model at the Sears in Glendale CA for under $30. It’s still running fine 14 years later. I use it to wake myself up in Vegas hotel rooms whenever I need to be up by a certain time, like on the morning of my hotel checkout and when I’m napping before a casino promotion drawing. The only way things can get screwed up is if you don’t correctly designate AM or PM.
Here’s a question I have for fellow APs. After playing an especially long session. Or after playing too many sessions without enough rest in-between them. Do you ever see cards inside your eyelids when you close them to finally get some sleep? I mean, hands repeating over and over?
I like this episode for many reasons. In times such as these it’s refreshing to read about a life as we hope to have it back in the near future… Bob describes a situation that occurs to all of us from now and then. Especially in the hotel rooms these annoying alarm clocks are so complicated and most of the times the time is not right and a.m./p.m. is mixed up so you can never be sure that the alarm will go off when you need it. I have experienced the very same thing with my cell phone not being charged but not because I chose the wrong outlet but because the whole thing had no power at all. If you need to catch a plane or be on time for a juicy promotion this can be disastrous. Since that happened I usually check for reliable outlets in the room and only charge my phone there. I don’t carry along a separate alarm clock and other devices. Airlines charge deerly for overweight luggage.
From Switzerland / Boris
Suggestion for the phone issue: I noticed my phone battery dying faster than usual. I use it to read news whenever I wong out of a game awaiting a shuffle (something you aren’t subject to but the principle is the same). To combat this I purchased a case that can fully charge my phone about 3 times. I also put my phone in battery saver mode as soon as I enter the casino.
Good article Bob.
A couple of tactics I’ve learned the hard way is.
1) Unplug the hotel alarm clock/radio, or if unable to. Cover with bath towels/extra pillows, blankets to minimize inappropriate buzzing, beeping, music.
2) Buy a good quality portable power pack, for your mobile phone maybe two. Use them instead of the hotel outlets for a traditional charger. Of course make sure they are ready to be used.
I haven’t regretted making the above a regular habit.
The title of the article is. A lesson relearned. Driving while not at your best, tired or fuzzy eyed is just as dangerous as driving while impaired. How many juicy promotions or other appointments would we all miss, if laid up in hospital for months or worse? Not picking on you, just a really good point to drive in for all us to learn or relearn.
It would be nice if housekeeping staff checked that each lamp, each clock/radio etc. is plugged in when the room is turned over between guest departure and arrival. Not every day, just to catch the ones that are left unplugged when somebody (like me) might have unplugged an alarm clock that rang in the wee hours as set by the previous guest. And as mentioned, who can figure those damned things out to reset them
I’ve entered a dark room at night and the nearest light source, perhaps a lamp in older hotels, isn’t plugged in.
Whoever thought of incorporating electric outlets into the bedside lamps or radios or the tables themselves, genius!
And those power packs Mark mentioned (Phone Juice, many brands) are very handy. Fits in pocket or purse, saves having to go to the room if you find your phone is low on juice.
Hello People, these phone charger batteries are convenient. In fact, one strong battery (20 or 30 mA) will do the job for a few days. You can easily recharge the battery while you’re playing your games, hence, leaving the battery in your hotel room. Do not underestimate the weight of these batteries.
I like the idea to unplug these useless little am/fm radio alarm clocks in the hotel rooms. Some of them keep constantly flashing because either the previous guest had it unplugged or the maid needed the outlet for the vacuum cleaner. Either way, it’s a complete useless device unless there’s a clear description available how this darn thing (sorry works…).
Wearing a cheap CASIO quartz watch with alarm feauture is an option. some of these watches have a 10 year battery inside, so you won’t have to worry about it for a long time….
As for the alarm call service offered in most hotels, I don’t trust it must. You may hear it and fall back asleep shortly after not understanding what was going on and these calls usually don’t have a repeater. You may still miss a valuable promotion. I am more on the save side as many times I slept from 7 p.m. till 11.30 p.m. , just to be ready for play at exactly 12.01 a.m. 🙂
From Switzerland
Boris
Or, as my father said about 11 years before he died, “It’s hell getting old. But it beats the alternative.”
hotels offer wake up calls
Sometimes the phone rings even unwanted. I’ve had it several times, it was quite annoying. But this would be something for another topic of discussion…. If I could, then I would definetely turn off the phone completely. I don’t need a phone in my room, and no alarm clock that’s not working properly with accurate time and description and keeps flashing in my eyes , like a sign on the LV Boulevard……
Old fashions wind up travel alarm clock.
This is simple, blame the wife… She blames me for everything bad…