A few weeks ago, I described a situation on a cruise ship where I sat down at a machine just as a woman was sitting down at an adjacent machine. Her husband was about three feet behind the chair I now occupied, possibly headed toward the same machine I now controlled as I slid in from the side.

The woman told me her husband was aiming for the chair I now possessed because they wanted to play side by side. Would I please let him have it?

On this occasion I gave up the machine. I also wrote that I handled such situations on a case-by-case basis and sometimes I came to the opposite conclusion. Let me tell you about one of the times when I chose differently.

This happened at one of the casinos in downtown Las Vegas. I’ve experienced similar situations at the Fremont, Four Queens, and Golden Nugget in that part of town. I haven’t experienced it elsewhere, but I’ve spoken to other players who have.

As I was walking through the casino looking for machines to play, I see a “Green Bob” machine at the $6 level where the minor jackpot is at 35. This is a game where it’s a positive play if the minor jackpot is at 25. Suffice it to say, a higher meter is a better play. 

This is not a guaranteed win situation. Without going through the entire range of possible outcomes, in order to simplify this discussion, assume that starting from where the machine is now, the player has two equally likely results — plus $1,600 and minus $800. This means the game is worth, on average, $400 plus slot club benefits if you play with your card.

While this is exactly the sort of situation I look for, many players do not have the bankroll to handle swings like this. Their total assets might be less than $800. Or maybe they are living “off the grid” and a W2-G of $1,600 would create an awkward situation for them.

The machine wasn’t being played, but there was a woman sitting in front of it. It was at least possible that she just needed to rest for a minute and randomly sat down at that particular machine. So, I politely asked her if I could play that machine? Often in response to an inquiry like that the person will stand up right away and let me play.

Not this time. She didn’t say anything, but a man came up and said I could play the machine if I wanted, but they would be my partners.

“What does it mean to be partners?” I asked.

“If you win, we split. If you lose, you’re on your own.”

“What about the W2-G, if one comes?” I continued.

“That’s yours. But if you win at least $1,200, you can easily afford the taxes.”

There was no way in the world that I was going to accept such a situation. The 50% of the time I won, I’d collect $800 and have a tax form to deal with. The 50% of the time I lost, I’d lose $800. 

“I’ll give you $20,” I offered. I recognized this as a negotiation. And I calculated the game as being worth $400, so if I could get it for less than $100, I was interested. In our example, we’re assuming we know exactly how much a game is worth. In the real world, it’s a guestimate. And even if my calculation is correct, I could still lose a significant amount. I’m not interested in taking on risk without believing I have the best of it.

He countered with $500. I don’t know if he knew what the game was worth. I don’t know if he thought I did. It seemed clear that I wasn’t going to be able to strike a deal that I liked.

As it happened, a slot floor person was walking by. I spoke up. 

“Excuse me. I want to play this machine and these people insist that I pay them money if I want to play it.”

“They WHAT?”

She looked at the man and woman and it was clear she recognized at least the man. “John, you’ve been warned about this. Either play this machine or give it up. Or maybe you want to be kicked out for a week again?”

The two players left wordlessly and I sat down and I began to play. 

I’ve seen this man subsequently, trying to pull the same stunt with other players. I’ve left him alone. I realize that I interfered with his “business plan,” and if I continue to do this, he could take countermeasures I didn’t like. I’m not really afraid of him, but why tempt fate?