Vegas Free-for-All - what would you do?

rdwoodpecker

Feb 25, 2013
7:01am

Went to the Horseshoe in Council Bluffs this past weekend. It gets really busy in the evenings no matter what time. Hard to get a spot on a slot of your choice.
I noticed something more this night than I have before. One person playing and a partner sitting next to them and not playing the machine in front of them. I think they are clueless, if you stop and get cash and your card out they simply ignore you.

I would think nothing of this if the casino was not packed! So do you kindly ask "are you playing this machine" or "get the fuck up if you are not playing"?

Not really a right or wrong answer.

Dan Svatass

Feb 25, 2013
7:16am

Block User

I would kindly ask, unless I perceived the non-playing person to be infirm.

In my experience, most people enjoy having the opportunity to be polite to other people.

Don the Dentist

Feb 25, 2013
7:18am

Block User

I would ask "are you playing this machine?" In most cases the non-player will get up. If not, ask a slot attendent or security to help.

I have done this in the past and it worked every time.

O2bnVegas

Feb 25, 2013
9:45am

Block User

Ditto what Don said. Shouldn't be an issue.
My husband sits beside me sometimes...doesn't play. (Though never if crowded.)
He's always happy to give up the seat for someone who asks, politely or not, but never really had anyone be rude about it.

mistrhia

Feb 25, 2013
9:55am

Block User

Just ask nicely. No point in getting stressed and thinking up ways to be rude. I have never had anyone not get up from a machine they were not playing when I have asked, and this is over a few decades of visiting casinos all over North America.

snidely333

Feb 25, 2013
10:38am

Block User

My wife has asked lots of times to get people off the machine she wants to play. I've been asked lots of times to get up so someone can play. The proper etiquette is to be polite when asking and that the seats are for players. One time at the Palazzo I was sitting at a bank of empty slots watching TV. Some guy was pacing back and forth behind me but I didn't know why. Finally, he came up and asked me if I could take another seat as I was sitting at his lucky machine.

rdwoodpecker

Feb 25, 2013
12:02pm

Block User

I did not ask anyone if I could sit and play. I just found other machines.

I was just surprised as busy as the casino was that folks would do that if they noticed someone possibly interested in playing.

I would never be rude about it.

MoneyLA

Feb 25, 2013
2:52pm

Block User

At Harrah's Rincon about two years ago the $1 VP progressive was above $5500 and every machine was taken -- 8 of them if I recall -- but six of them by players and two of them by spouses. There was literally a line of people waiting to play.

I told a floor person about the spouses -- and so the floor person went to the spouses and asked them to give up the seat. Then the player inserted a $5 or $10 bill into the spouse's machine... the other player did that for his spouse too... and said "she's playing."

It turned out it was a "team" trying to cut down on the competition.

the floor person checked with a manager and they said as long as there were credits in the machine there was no obligation for them to push the button. Fair? I don't think so.

A similar thing happened a couple of years ago when the $5 DDB progressive was at $70-thousand and the "team" from Reno was there playing very s l o w l y since they occupied 4 of the 6 seats (it was six seats back then) as if to "hog" the machines. But they actually lost -- a non team member hit the royal for the $70K. The team nearly got wiped out there playing non stop for a weekend, and never came back.

jatki

Feb 25, 2013
3:40pm

Block User

Quote

Originally posted by: MoneyLA
At Harrah's Rincon about two years ago the $1 VP progressive was above $5500 and every machine was taken -- 8 of them if I recall -- but six of them by players and two of them by spouses. There was literally a line of people waiting to play.

I told a floor person about the spouses -- and so the floor person went to the spouses and asked them to give up the seat. Then the player inserted a $5 or $10 bill into the spouse's machine... the other player did that for his spouse too... and said "she's playing."

It turned out it was a "team" trying to cut down on the competition.

the floor person checked with a manager and they said as long as there were credits in the machine there was no obligation for them to push the button. Fair? I don't think so.

A similar thing happened a couple of years ago when the $5 DDB progressive was at $70-thousand and the "team" from Reno was there playing very s l o w l y since they occupied 4 of the 6 seats (it was six seats back then) as if to "hog" the machines. But they actually lost -- a non team member hit the royal for the $70K. The team nearly got wiped out there playing non stop for a weekend, and never came back.

HAHAA Serves 'em right, talking about karma coming back to bite you in the ass.

J

KarenTN

Feb 25, 2013
11:15pm

Block User

Quote

Originally posted by: rdwoodpecker
I did not ask anyone if I could sit and play. I just found other machines.

I was just surprised as busy as the casino was that folks would do that if they noticed someone possibly interested in playing.

I would never be rude about it.

why would you assume the non playing machine sitter knew you wanted to play if you didn't say anything?

I see this all the time, more so locally than in Vegas. If there is one of the same type of machine available, I will play what is available, but if the non playing machine sitter is sitting at the only one of that game that is not being played a simple "excuse me, but are you playing that machine?" has always worked for me.

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