Superstition

Casinos exist in a perpetual twilight, ambient light diminished so the machines can shine. There are no clocks; the seasons of the day are marked by the ebb and flow of patrons, and by early-morning maintenance, oddly mundane in glitter-chiming, stochastic Xanadu.

The old man appeared as I worked a dollar single-play 9/6 Jacks machine at the end of a row near the high-limit area. He reminded me of an older, more eccentric Alex Trebec -- tall, fastidious and careful in his movements, razor-thin, overdressed for a casino. He sat down at the machine next to mine -- an odd choice, since players tend to space themselves out. I glanced at him, and instantly hit my first set of quads in the session.

On that machine, quads return a hundred twenty-five dollars; I had been playing for some time, and was sorely in need of them. "Oh, you have brought me luck!" the old man exclaimed. An odd statement, since it was I who had just won. He turned back to his own machine, and his next hand was also a set of quads... dealt. His next few hands included a straight flush, and a second set of quads. He cashed out for five hundred dollars and stood to leave.

I remarked on his astounding good fortune. "Oh, I won eight thousand earlier today," he said casually. "I am having a good day." As he left, I hit my second set of quads. I hit no more quads for the rest of the session.

The next day, after breakfast, I was back at the same machine. It was the last day of our trip; I was moderately discouraged that I had hit nothing larger than quads in four days of heavy play. I was approaching my loss limit, something that hadn't happened for several trips.

I didn't pay much attention as I held the Ten-Queen-Jack of hearts. Three to the Royal comes so often, and fills in so seldom. And the Ten makes it seem, well, less royal somehow. I hit the Draw button. The Ace-King filled in on the left. I just had time to recognize the Royal Flush before the machine locked and the bells went off.

On that machine, the Royal Flush pays four thousand dollars. Enough to require a hand pay, and tax forms. More than enough to turn a losing trip into a highly profitable one.

"Congratulations," said a voice behind me. I turned to find the old man. He had been walking past my machine when the Royal hit.

"You brought me luck!" I stammered, grasping his offered hand. He just smiled, and walked away.