I recently played during a promotion at Planet Hollywood. Someone I didn’t recognize came up, told me his name was “John,” and stated that he’d purchased Video Poker for Winners during a class of mine several years ago. He said he’d learned a lot from it.
I try to be polite and talk with any player who recognizes me and comes up to say hi. I shook John’s proffered hand and agreed that yes, the program is very helpful, and that using it can save a player many thousands of dollars. John then went away.
Five minutes later John came back and said he wanted to ask one question. Sure. No problem.
He wanted to know what games were the best to play at Harrah’s properties under a certain type of promotion (a drawing officially at Paris casino but is open to players from several properties city-wide) that was going to be held the following week. He wanted to know whether he should play Double Double Bonus or Deuces.
I told him that for me, 9/6 Jacks was the best play in that promotion and that I play considerably more coin-in during these drawing promotions than I usually do. The theoretical awarded on these machines was miniscule, but I could earn the most drawing entries at the lowest cost. If I’m playing during a “normal” promotion at this casino, I play a game with a lower EV and a higher theoretical.
John started arguing that Double Double Bonus and Deuces Wild were just as good to play. I told him that I didn’t know for sure what pay schedule he was talking about (he wasn’t sure either) but that I was quite sure that 9/6 Jacks had a higher return rate. I told him that if he wanted to use a different criteria to decide which game to play, that was fine with me. I also told him that I had friends I was meeting in a half hour and had to get my play in beforehand. Without saying so explicitly, I intended my comment to be interpreted as, “I answered your question as best I could and I’m busy, so please go away.”
John didn’t take the hint. “Oh, I’ll be just be a second. There’s a promotion next month I want to ask you about, and later this spring there’s another promotion that you can help me with.”
I gave John one of my business cards and suggested that he arrange for a one-on-one consultation. I quoted a rate of $200 per hour and said that, within certain limits, he could ask whatever he wanted and I’d try to help him. I told him there were nuances to his questions and that my answers depended on his skills, bankroll, goals, and preferences. I simply didn’t have time at the moment to give his questions the attention they required. Also, I’d have to ask him some personal questions to get at the right solution for him and that’s a conversation best done in private.
John suddenly became huffy. He said it was just one simple question and that I was a money-grubbing $%^#@$% for suggesting that he pay me for answering it. I shrugged, told him he could think what he wanted, but now I had to stop talking and go back to work. He grudgingly left, uttering a sneering epithet as he went.
I was glad he was gone. I’ve been called much worse and for the most part I don’t let it bother me. (Although I AM writing a column about it so I guess it bothered me at least a little!) Most people who come up to me act much better than John. I don’t mind helping each person a little bit — and if someone wants more attention, I also don’t have any problem asking to be paid for more detailed assistance.
If John had persisted, my only practical recourse would have been to get up and leave. I was NOT going to call security because of somebody bothering me. If I am involved in a “scene” at a casino— no matter who started it — it’s possible it could lead to my ouster from the place. My play is tolerated at some places under a sort of unspoken agreement that: 1) I will behave well while I’m there, 2) I will say something nice about the casino in my columns (on the theory that if my readers know Bob Dancer plays somewhere then that must be a good place to play — even if relatively few of my readers bring the same skill set that I do), and 3) if I win more than a little bit, I’ll take a few months off before frequenting the same place again. No casino wants to be Bob Dancer’s personal money tree.
An altercation with John could be considered a violation of this unspoken agreement. So in this type of situation, I voluntarily give up my right to call security for minor breaches. (If John’s actions became criminal, I definitely would have called security. Hopefully I would have the wisdom at that time to recognize whether his annoying actions were minor or major.) Usually, I’m willing to simply walk away in order to preserve my welcome.
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