We are totally enveloped in the warmth of love as the flood of well wishes pour in for our upcoming retirement and move to GA. They have come here in the Comments, on Facebook, in my Inbox, and when you see us in a casino. So many many friends! We have met many of you in person down through the years, but we are amazed how many of you we “know” even though we have only “met” in cyberspace and recognize you only by your Internet moniker. And we are finding out that we have had many more friends than we knew about – those secret ones who we never saw in person or were never visible on the Internet but just now are revealing their long-time closeness to us via my writings.
If we didn’t have a dollar to our name, we would be super rich in friendships!
Many of you have responded to my call for questions you’d like me to answer before I close out my blogging here. One friend who has kept track of our families remarked that I hadn’t posted a recent picture of my sisters. Well, here is one that was taken recently when middle sister, from North Carolina, came to visit the two Vegas sisters and we were able to have one of our every-five-year pictures taken. Here, right-to-left, is Starr, 70, then June, 75, and finally the 80-year old!
Others have asked questions about Brad’s health, with those seeing him in person remarking that he is “looking good.” And he does get around pretty well, mostly with a cane and only using a walker when there are longer distances. He has recently been diagnosed with the beginnings of heart failure (a heart pumping problem) and with vascular parkinsonism, in which parkinsonian symptoms (slow movements, tremor, difficulty with walking and balance) are produced by narrowing or blockage of blood vessels, rather than by gradual loss of nerve cells as seen in the more typical neurodegenerative Parkinson’s disease. This is on top of his previous long-time heart problems after a heart attack in 2003 – A Fib and coronary artery disease – but thankfully modern medicine has had many answers for him – a pacemaker, 7 coronary stents, and an extensive menu of meds. He is slowing down – but with lots of naps, he continues to get out and about. As he says, he is probably doing better than most men coming up on age 88!
Many of the questions pertain to our future. I have already mentioned that I will continue this blog through December and into January. I may want to do some other writing but I don’t know what form that might take – I do love to write. I will probably continue to read and contribute to the vpFREE forum whenever I come across helpful gambling information. And I definitely plan to use my Facebook account to chat about Brad’s and my future activities. Search for “Jean Scott” and ask to be my friend if you aren’t already. But one thing I am pretty sure about: I won’t tackle writing another book or take any writing assignment with a deadline. I am retiring from stress!
And probably the most frequent query is about what gambling we will do once we leave Las Vegas. And most people don’t believe this answer – very little if any! It is hard to explain – but we almost never gambled in a casino just for fun after our first trip to Las Vegas in April 1984. After that trip, we decided this was the fun-est time we had ever had, but we knew we wouldn’t be in a financial position to lose $3000 very often– as we had that time – for this kind of vacation. So, I went to the library to start studying how we could have this fun without losing money. And the rest is history.
Actually, we have been “practicing” for our retirement from casino gambling these last couple of months in Vegas. First, we were learning to accept the reality that physical and mental limitations would majorly cut down on casino visits. And then, it had been very obvious for a long time that there are very few advantage plays that don’t depend on future benefits, like mailers with bonus-points dates and free play. So, we have played a few times just for fun since we would not be here to collect those future benefits. For example, instead of playing the higher EV but more boring single line NSUD video poker game, we would choose an 8/5 Bonus Poker game on Spin Poker, with a lower EV but more fun for us. We never had played the very exciting Ultimate X at the higher denominations in the past because we didn’t want to study a new very complex strategy. But finding it at 10-play nickels – or even pennies – paytables be damned – sometimes has provided us an hour or so of fun with just a small “entertainment fee.”
The closest casinos to Columbus, GA, are Harrah’s Cherokee and Biloxi, both a 4-5-hour drive away. We probably wouldn’t make a special trip that far just for fun play, and with no comps. Flying is getting very difficult for Brad so that rules out a trip to Vegas or any other casino city just for fun. We’ve had about all the fun we can stand in the 35 years visiting casinos. If we just happen to be in a casino sometime, perhaps on a family vacation, we probably would give the grands a few bills and watch them play the slots. Or, we might find a new VP game that looks interesting in which to invest some of our fun money. But we are definitely retiring from advantage play and leaving the casino lifestyle. And with no regrets – it’s been a fantastic life that will give beautiful memories forever. But now we are ready for a new adventure – just perhaps one a little less busy and more peaceful.
Next week I’ll answer more of your questions. Fire away!
And by the way, if you want to have a book autographed or just want to say good-bye, Brad and I will be at the Gold Coast on Wednesday, December 18, between 4-5 p.m. We will be in the drawing area.
Jean,
I’ve been a reader and fan for close to 25 years. You, Bob Dancer, and Skip Hughes taught me about advantage play and video poker. Thanks for sharing your passion with us and making this retirement fun.
Jean – it’s really been a pleasure
Annie from nj who did move to Las Vegas and retired as an enrolled agent due to health
I am going to contact Huntington Press LVA and suggest that you and Brad get a nomination for the “Vegas Walk of Fame”
I am sure that you have touched so many lives and even if the FUGALITY that you taught may have hindered some of their $$, you both were truly ambassadors for so many years.
Enjoy your Retirement! Will your blog archives be accessible after you have written your final BLOG?
Jean/Brad
Best to you in your retirement.
In a recent series of emails, my family got into a discussion about Miller Dairy in Connersville, IN. Whenever correspondence is about Connersville, I think of Brad and wonder how he and the town are faring. I suspect it being a small town in Indiana that Brad is getting along better than it is.
I live about 2 miles from a big casino in central Michigan and I, too, since I’ve reached my later 80’s am putting in an appearance only occasionally for food and short periods of fun. Not sure I would miss it if it became unavailable.
Again, enjoy yourselves.
ShepherdDon
Thank you for sharing your passion with us. You and Mr. Curtis were responsible for getting many people like me over there. While I wasn’t an advantage player, I still had a ton of fun.
Unfortunately, like you, I decided to stop going to Las Vegas several years ago. And for some of the same reasons. Las Vegas just isn’t the same anymore.
Good luck to you and your family.
Arvel
Thank you for publishing so much information in your books and on line. I purchased 2 of your books and have read many blogs. Because of your information, I have been able to “frugally” enjoy my many trips to Las Vegas, Tunica and Biloxi for several years.
Your sharing of information has helped so many to be able to enjoy their casino visits and do it without breaking the bank.
Thank you and best wishes from a Georgia resident——
Thanks for all the advice and stories. Best of luck to both of you in your new lifestyle.
Thank you for all of the valuable lessons you have taught me about gambling. I wish you and Brad all the best in your up coming move. Heading over to Facebook so I can continue to follow your adventures.
We will miss you! We bought your book 20 years ago and the rest is history! Thanks for all you have taught us and others throughout the years to make our gambling trips profitable and enjoyable. Its been a great ride!
Thanks again for all the great advice in your books and your blog. I wish you and Brad all the best in your move to Georgia. May the rest of your days be nothing but Royals.
I’m SO glad to hear that you are abandoning the sinking ship of Las Vegas. As you point out, playing without losing–and having fun doing it–has become almost an impossible task. It’s time to live life instead of living Vegas! (For what it’s worth, I made that decision myself about a decade ago, and I haven’t regretted it.)
What I’ve admired most about you is something most people wouldn’t even think is noteworthy–the quality of your writing. You explain things very well without being pedantic, and your conversational tone makes your reasoning easy to follow, even when you delve into (ICK!) statistics and probabilities. It’s a vanishing skill these days, and has always been rare among gambling authors in particular (most gambling books read like they were translated from the original Klingon).
I hope you and Brad have many happy years surrounded by friends and family, and I rejoice that you probably won’t have to experience any more that magic moment when you hold AKQJ of hearts and draw the 3 of clubs.
Godspeed, Jean and Brad, along your new journey.
Thank you for all your advice and interesting commentary….best wishes to you both!
Your blog made a world of difference 18 years ago for my husband and I as Vegas newbies. We were much more comfortable asking & knowing how to ask for comps back in the days when even low rollers had hosts, to know what the casinos were expecting. It helped to see the other side of gambling and how Vegas worked. We saved so much time & money using your experience and information. Still reading you all these years later. We will miss your postings. Enjoy your retirement!
Thanks for introducing me to this enjoyable pastime, for coaching me in learning to do it right, keeping me informed of developments, and entertaining me with your great writing. I will miss your input, but wish you and Brad all the best in your next chapter.
Blessings to two wonderful people. Thanks for your education and your giving spirit. It has been a blast knowing you from afar.
Ron in NC
Again, thanks for all you done to make my stays in Vegas fun. I do a coupon run every year because of you. Your columns will be missed.
I have enjoyed your columns for many years. Wish you and Brad the best in the future.
Thank you for all the years of education. Have fun and enjoy the slower pace!
I wish I could be half as nice as you are!!
You have shared some much to the gambling world. Will always remember our meeting at Harrahs in Vegas. Enjoy your next chapter
From one Hoosier to another Hoosier
…ENJOY LIFE!! You and the hubby have earned it!!
Derick
Stay strong and thanks.