Regulars at online club offering programming by 918Kiss Slot Casino should be acquainted with the Lucky Lady as she is one of the most popular countenances in their library of games and her masses of fans will be chuffed that the Lucky Lady's Charm Deluxe 6 video slot sees her re-visitation of our screens by and by – however will she end up being as beguiling as could be expected and leave you feeling more fortunate than at any other time? How about we discover! The Lady Has Returned It seems like the Lucky Lady loves to spring up like clockwork as this 2017 delivery is a continuation of Lucky Lady's Charm Deluxe, which was delivered in 2010, and it depended on the first Lucky Lady's Charm slot from 2003 that flagged the start of her consistently developing fan club. Notwithstanding being around for such a long time, she hasn't matured the slightest bit, showing up as lovely as could be expected with long bolts of light hair, impeccable skin and a grin that could illuminate the most obscure of rooms – simply keep your fingers crossed that she gives you something to grin about too as this is an incredibly unstable slot much the same as it's archetypes. 918Kiss Lucky Lady's Charm Deluxe 6 offers all that the past Deluxe rendition offered with the sole contrast between the two being the incorporation of the Extra Bet highlight. This implies that you can change from the standard 5-reeled organization to initiate 6 reels by tapping on either the Extra Bet button that is situated to one side of the logo or straightforwardly on the example that covers the 6th reel, nonetheless, watch out for your equilibrium as doing so observes the expense of your wager twofold. Once more, you'll be planning to gather karma related things like horseshoes, hare feet, ladybirds, lucky charms and gold coins prior to encountering the Lucky Lady who can compensate the most fortunate players with a top prize of 40,000 coins – an entirety that would clearly observe you become her fan forever! Shower the Lady with Gifts Similar uneven perspectives, complete with a fuchsia overlay and wonderful blossoms that improve each side of the reels, that highlighted in the past Deluxe adaptation have been utilized indeed for this 6-reeled form and the innovative group at 918Kiss didn't have a lot of work to do on the compensation table of this free Lucky Lady's Charm Deluxe 6 slots game either as the solitary distinction here is that payouts for six-image blends have been incorporated. By and by, it's playing card images that are the most un-important of all with remunerations of up to 15x your stake on proposal for arranging 9, 10, J and Q images, while An and K images see you secure 25x your stake. It's the karma related things that you will would like to coordinate from left-to-right most oftentimes of all as the more blessings you gather to pamper the Lucky Lady with, the more fortunate she will make you. Picking lucky charms and gathering gold currencies will see you pocket up to 50x your stake, discovering silver horseshoes see you pocket up to 75x your stake, while up to 500x your stake is on proposal for seeing ladybugs slithering on green leaves or for gathering bunny feet. No prizes are on proposal for think about what, or for this situation, who, speaks to the most lucrative image. That's right, it's simply the Lucky Lady. She speaks to the Wild image, multiplying wins at whatever point she substitutes, to convey prizes worth up to 1,000x your stake! Look into Her Crystal Ball Watch out for at any rate three of the Lucky Lady's precious stone balls flickering on the reels simultaneously as she vows to get you favorable luck the type of free twists each time this occurs. These gem balls speak to the Scatter image and you will get a Scatter win worth 2.5x, 10x, 250x or 750x for landing three, four, five or six of them individually. Likewise, she will concede you 15 free games, which can be retriggered via landing at least three Scatters once more, that accompany the reward of a 6x multiplier that is applied to all successes. In the event that enough of her karma has come off on you, you can enter bet mode for the opportunity to twofold your prize after any triumphant mix. This sees the Lucky Lady present you with a face-down playing card prior to finding out if you figure the card will be red (precious stone or hear) or dark (club or spade) when she flips it over. Right choices see her twofold the estimation of your success, nonetheless, be mindful so as not to get too eager as an off base decision sees her set such cash back in her pocket. For more info about 918kiss casino application visit: https://www.livemobile66.com/918kiss/
2021 New 918Kiss Slot Game - Fortunate Spin Jackpots Slot Review
Try the impossible when you play Lucky Spin Jackpots online slot. This Irish-themed game from 918Kiss Casino Game offers a contort on the exemplary slot with a lot of approaches to win large. A 5x3 network highlights beautiful card and picture images that line up to present to you the success. Stacked wilds and extra images trigger big stake openings and twofold payouts on free twists. Fortunate Spin Jackpots comes pressed with highlights to broaden your playing time. From bet occasions to free games, you'll be engaged for quite a long time!
The Luck of the Irish
Play Lucky Spin Jackpots slot on the web and enter a universe of Irish charm. To score a success, you need only 3 like images in succession. The reels highlight brilliantly hued card initials (10, J, Q, K and A) and fortunate Irish charms, including jewels, shamrocks, fortunate 7's and horseshoes. All these are joined by a delightful blonde who gives a shameless wink as she causes you win. Among the cards and the rabbit's feet, you will discover heart-molded mementos, stars and extra images whose appearance trigger changes in the calming jazz soundtrack. Enormous successes are commended in style with a sensational change in the ambient melodies and a blast of gold coins and jewels. Fortunate Spin Jackpots online slot was created by 918Kiss, whose standing for delivering quality gambling club works of art implies you're ensured a decent time.
Win Big With Bonus Features
The heart memento is one to pay special mind to when you play Lucky Spin 918Kiss Jackpots slots online as it goes about as nature. Land it on reels 2 and 4 and it turns into a stacked wild, topping off the lines totally. At the point when this occurs, there are 3 or 6 hearts appeared. You may tap on these hearts to win a prize of multipliers, free games or one of the big stakes. In the event that you strike it fortunate and dominate the free matches, each of the 10 rounds pay 2x your wager. Fortunate Spin Jackpots online slot likewise has dissipate images that show up on reels 1, 3 and 5. Gather 3 dissipates anyplace on the screen and get 10 free games with all successes paying out twofold coins. Five coordinating images without a wild offers you the occasion to face a challenge. Foresee whether a card is red or dark to twofold your rewards. Money out whenever. At the highest point of the screen, you will see the estimations of the small, minor, major and fantastic big stakes. These are won when you trigger extra adjusts.
Aim high
The presence of stars triggers an energizing change in the music as you hold back to check whether others will show up on the scene. Gather 6 stars and get 3 918Kiss free twists and the opportunity to win large as you attempt to fill the screen with whatever number stars as would be prudent. Each new star resets the counter back to three. Subsequent to spending your extra twists, the multiplier esteems on each star is added to your success pot, including any that convey smaller than expected, minor or significant big stakes. Totally fill the play region with stars to win the Grand Jackpot of 200x your wager! Acquaint yourself with the various highlights by playing Lucky Spin Jackpots for nothing.
15 Most Famous Slot Machines and Most Popular Slot Games
1. Liberty Bell
Invented and designed by a San Francisco mechanic named Charles Fey in 1895, the Liberty Bell is the first slot machine. The main symbols here include horseshoes, stars, spades, diamonds, hearts, and Liberty Bells. Once three bells are aligned, the machine pays 50 cents. Having a coin slot at the top, it features small reels in the middle and a paytable at the bottom. It works like this - players insert a Nickel and pull a lever on the right-hand side to spin the reels. Although the Operator Bell and Liberty Bell have been removed from casinos, the original Liberty Bell on display can be seen in the Liberty Belle saloon in Reno, Nevada.
2. Lion's Share
One of the most famous slot machines, Microgaming’s classic slot Lion's Share, gained a lot of success back in 2014, due to news channels that discussed the topic on how Lion's Share's progressive jackpot hasn’t been hit for two decades. Thousands of people have tried but no one was lucky enough to pull it off. Although the machine only featured 3 reels and only 1 payline, Lion’s Share has managed to become one of the most popular releases in Vegas, so popular that people waited in line just to put a coin into it and try spinning those reels. Eventually, a New Hampshire couple hit the $2.4 million progressive jackpot in MGM’s Grand’s Lion’s Share. Soon after, MGM Grand made a decision to retire the Lion's Share machine since it required a lot of maintenance. Still, the game became part of slot history with a jackpot that took 20 years to win.
3. Megabucks
Created by IGT, Megabucks has managed to become one of the world's best progressive slot machines. The game is also responsible for numerous big wins throughout the entire jackpots’ history. Also known as the biggest money jackpots of all time, Megabucks slot machines are described as simple games with a massive progressive jackpot. One of the biggest wins was when an anonymous engineer won a staggering $39.7 million at Las Vegas' Excalibur, back in 2003. As for the other big wins hit on this machine, there was a cocktail waitress Cynthia Jay Brennan who snagged an incredible $34.9 million at Vegas' Desert Inn, as well as a retired flight attendant hitting $27.5 million at Vegas' Palace Station. Johanna Huendl won $22.6 million whereas an Illinois businessman hit $21.3 million on the very first spin. However, after winning the prize, one of the winner's family members had a tragic accident, which (as some believe) only supported the theory of a Megabucks curse. Other unfortunate stories are just believed to be urban legends, including anecdotes about underage players, as well as casino employees, being big winners but not being able to claim their jackpots because of specific state laws and regulation.
4. Wheel of Fortune
IGT’s Wheel of Fortune has proven to be the second most famous slot machine of all time. Featuring a bonus feature just like the real show, the slot machine is usually played by many slot fans and can be found in numerous casinos all over the globe. Although the game comes in more variations, probably the most popular one is still its 3-reel version, with a colourful wheel at the top. The Wheel of Fortune multiplayer game features a bank of machines where every player gets their own screen. What makes the game even more exciting is the multiplayer edition where people can play the bonus round together, which really intensifies the game show aspect. In a 5-reel Wheel of Fortune slot, however, Wild symbols will help players land winning combos and, if you’re lucky enough, you may get a Super Wild that will boost your win up to 5x! Last but not least, the Triple Action Bonus is activated by getting at least 3 Triple Action Bonus symbols anywhere on the reels. But still, none of the newer Wheel of Fortune slots measure up to the original one because of the large progressive jackpot involved.
5. Mega Fortune
Featuring 5 reels and 25 paylines, NetEnt’s Mega Fortune slot became very popular among players as it usually grows into a multimillion-euro amount before being hit. The main symbols here include luxury cars, yachts, and expensive jewellery, Mega Fortune is an online slot machine game which justifies its theme that comes with the largest ever online slot jackpots. The game offers a few different features that make the entire gameplay more fascinating, however, by far the most interesting ones are the 3 different progressive jackpots: Mega Jackpot, Major Jackpot and Rapid Jackpot. There are counters for all 3 of these that are displayed above the reels. Champagne is the Scatter and if you land at least 3 of them simultaneously, you will trigger Free Spins bonus round. Likewise, Wheel of Luck is the Bonus symbol, and if you land 3 or more symbols in succession from left to right on an active payline, you will activate the Bonus game. What’s interesting about this slot is the fact that a Finnish man won a huge jackpot worth €17.8 million while spinning the reels of Mega Fortune. This record from 2013, has been passed by Mega Moolah, but the game is still proof how rich players can get after playing Mega Fortune.
6. Mega Moolah
Powered by Microgaming and being among most popular slot games, Mega Moolah is a 25-payline progressive slot which has served as a competitor to Mega Fortune's big jackpots. Followed by African safari music, the game features antelopes, elephants, giraffes, lions, monkeys and zebras as the main symbols. Landing at least 3 Scatters at the same time will trigger 15 Free Spins. What’s more, all wins hit during Free Spins are tripled, whereas Free Spins can also be retriggered. Players can win one of the 4 Progressive Jackpots within the randomly triggered Bonus round. The game paid some of the largest slot machine jackpots that have ever been triggered. In 2015,for example, Mega Moolah gained international recognition when a British soldier Jon Heywood won a massive €17,879,645.
7. Cleopatra
Inspired by the famous Egyptian theme and Developed by IGT, Cleopatra is a 20-payline classic game that managed to stand out above similar releases. Featuring ancient Egyptian music, the main symbols here include Cleopatra, the Eye of Horus, scarabs, and pyramids. Landing at least 3 Sphinx symbols will trigger the Cleopatra Bonus, which awards 15 Free Spins. All prizes, except for the 5 Cleopatra symbols, are tripled in the Free Spins round. The game has been so successful that it inspired its creators to make a sequel, Cleopatra II, with richer graphics and engaging sound effects. But even if you choose the original game, you'll be playing a classic that's still enjoyed by various players today. And, in case you land 5 Cleopatra symbols you’ll get a jackpot of 10,000 coins.
8. Book of Ra
Having a popular Ancient-Egypt theme, Book of Ra has always been one of the best choices to play in land based and online casinos. Powered by Novomatic, Book of Ra is a 9 payline video slot that offers plenty of bonus features and big payouts. With entertaining narrative and energising gameplay, there are numerous ways to win here. In case you land 5 archaeologists simultaneously, you’ll get an impressive 5,000x your line bet. Earning big bucks, however, comes from the Free Spins feature. What players need to do is land at least 3 Scatter books to trigger the Free Spins feature. Pages of the book will flip and randomly determine which symbol will expand during the 10 Free Spins. Although hitting the jackpot may not be easy, with only a few one in between, when big wins come, they can be big.
9. Starburst
There’s no denying NetEnt’s Starburst slot became kinda legendary in the iGaming universe. With its dark background and shiny space looking gemstones, Starburst slot features 5 reels and 10 paylines. The well-known futuristic music in this release is also easily noticeable, as is the game’s expanding Wild. More precisely, the Wilds may only occur on the reels 2, 3 and 4, and, once 1 or more wilds appear on those reels, the Starburst Wild feature will be activated. During this feature, Starburst wilds expand to cover the entire reel and remain while the other reels re-spin. Should a new wild land during a re-spin, it expands and stays along with any previously expanded Starbursts for another re-spin. Another cool feature is that Starburst pays both ways, instead of only paying you for landing at least 3 identical symbols on adjacent reels starting with the reel furthest to the left. The maximum single spin payout for a person (betting the $200 maximum) is $100,000. But, in order for that to happen, you must land five bars on consecutive reels on an active payline. Players love this slot, probably because it’s suitable for both newbies and experienced players.
10. Immortal Romance
Powered by Microgaming, Immortal Romance is based on sci-fi and the cult of Vampires which has become one of the popular casino slot machines in the last couple of years. Apart from superb graphics and great audio and visual effects, the slot features 5 reels and 243 paylines, and the theoretical RTP rate of 96.86%. The four main characters are Amber, Troy, Michael and Sarah. When it comes to features and bonus games, Immortal Romance offers different variants. Wild Desire feature can occur randomly, and as soon as it does, it can turn 1 to 5 reels completely Wild. Likewise, landing 3 or more Scatters anywhere on the reels in this game, activates the Chamber of Spins feature which cannot be triggered during Wild Desire. The game is still among the most popular slots, as many players still try their luck in this slot in the hope to get the highest multiplier possible.
11. Gonzo’s Quest
Beautifully designed video slot powered by NetEnt, Gonzo Quest features 5 reels and 20 paylines. The story is based on the famous conquistador Gonzalo Pizzaro who is on his way to the Peruvian ruins and just about to experience the unique quest. Now, Gonzo’s Quest has become one of the most popular slot games of all time, probably because it comes with a few interesting features, Avalanche Multipliers feature being the most interesting one of all. In Essence, the reels in the slot move in a cascading manner which resemble an Avalanche. As you activate each new Avalanche, you will win a multiplier. Multipliers are displayed above the reels, and go up to 5x, that is if you land 4 or more avalanches simultaneously.
12. Age of the Gods
Being among famous slot machines and inspired by Ancient Greek mythology, Age of the Gods is a 5-reel, 20-payline progressive slot powered by Playtech. The main characters are Athena, Zeus, Hercules, and Poseidon power up 4 free game modes that offer extra wilds and win multipliers! Once you start spinning, you’ll come across a series of bonus features, such as Athena Free Games, Zeus Free Games, Poseidon Free Games and Hercules Free Games. Wild logo is the game’s wild card and it substitutes for all symbols, with the exception of the Scatter. Landing at least 3 Scatters anywhere on the reels simultaneously triggers the Bonus game. Moreover, landing 5 God symbols in any order on an active payline will get you 200x your line bet! During the main game, any spin can activate the Age of the Gods Mystery Jackpot. This mini game guarantees a win of up to 4 progressive jackpots. All you gotta do is click on the coins to reveal jackpot symbols, and if you match 3 identical ones, you will win that jackpot.
13. Money Honey
Having a cute theme, Money Honey is a 5-reel and a 243 payline slot themed around honey. With Wilds, Free Spins, Scatters and multipliers, it is a fast-paced exciting creation featuring vibrant colours. Likewise, it is a mobile-optimized slot which may be an excellent choice if you’re new to online gambling or if you’ve been playing for years. Just like in other games, Wilds will help you win payouts as they are able to replicate most other symbols on the reels once a winning combination has been made. Another symbol you may want to keep your eyes on is a Money Wheel card. Once you manage to land at least 3 of them on your reels after a spin, the bonus game begins, and you spin a big wheel to choose a prize.
14. Quick Hit
And our selection wouldn’t be complete without Bally's Quick Hit slot. Featuring traditional Las Vegas symbols with sharp graphics and relaxed music, the video slot has 5 reels, 3 rows, and 30 paylines. Once you decide how many paylines you want to bet on, your gaming adventure can begin. There are Scatters symbols and three bonus games to benefit from. The biggest payout here comes from landing the triple seven symbol. Should you land 5 of these lucky numbers on the reels at the same time, you will win 5,000 coins, whereas if you land five wild symbols, you’ll get 12,500 coins. Those looking for hitting a jackpot should pay attention to Quick Hit Platinum symbols as 5 of these contribute to 5,000x players’ original bet amount – and even more, with the max bet activated. The second-highest jackpot can be hit by landing 9 Quick Hit Slot symbols. Both the Quick Hit Platinum and regular Quick Hit symbols must occur on or within one position of the first payline to be eligible for a jackpot win.
15. SlotZilla Zip Line
And now something completely different. We’re finishing our selection of famous slots in style, with the world’s largest slot machine - StotZilla Zip Line - 128 feet tall which has two take-off levels. This $12 million SlotZilla zip line took more than a year to build and opened its doors in 2014 and has already had more than 2 million riders so far. The 11-story slot machine is decorated with over-sized dice, a glass of martini, a pink flamingo, video reels, coins, and two showgirls - Jennifer and Porsha. SlotZilla offers two different rider experiences - the upper Zoomline and a lower Zipline. This unique machine has a huge video screen with reels and a gigantic arm, replicating a true slot machine experience.
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I started seeing his videos on Facebook. They’d just pop up on my timeline. He looked odd. Long, white hair that was straight and extended down past his stomach. His eyebrows were shaved off, or maybe they were never there to begin with, it was impossible to tell. He wore strange make-up to accent his inhuman features and project an alternative style. His voice was both confident and articulate, but it was the things he said that drew me in. He spoke about the wonders of the universe, how it all worked and how every little thing we saw was nothing more than a complex system of mathematics put together to form what we perceived as reality. Intrigued and desperate for something to believe in greater than myself, I couldn’t help but watch hours upon hours of the man. He was known only as Morgue, and he preached a religion in which he seemed to be the founder of or, at the very least, a strong influencer of the belief. I’ll admit, looking back on Hyperianism, I should’ve seen it. I should’ve known that following something like this would only result in pain, but I was naive and, as I said before, desperate. My faith had been a bit wobbly before I found Morgue. My heart was empty and hopeless. Then, as if by divine intervention, he was there. His video, which was nothing more than a square jawed, androgynous man staring into a camera and speaking, drew me in. I think it was the eloquent intensity he spoke with. The way he explained how the world and all the scenarios that play out around us are just complex systems of math equations ebbing and flowing through space and time, something he’d dubbed Hyperianism. It was genuinely titillating. And even better - at the end of one of his more recent videos, aptly titled “The reason your life is empty,” he spoke of a meet and greet happening exactly one week from the time I’d watched it. An opportunity to speak with Morgue himself, along with his two closest colleagues, regarding Hyperianism and how to become a member of the “church.” Sure, at first I had the thought that they would try to sell me something. I figured it was just a way for them to collect money. But then, as if he was answering my questions as they popped into my mind, he said: “No, we will not try to sell you anything. And no, we are not looking for donations. We are looking for dedicated members of society who want to fulfill their destiny and become Hyperianists. Individuals who want nothing more than to know the truth. To EVOLVE beyond your wildest dreams.” My mind was made up. I had my plane tickets bought only minutes after the video ended and excitement began to bubble inside of me. I was going to get to meet this man. To become a part of something greater than myself. To find something to believe in, finally! Getting the time off work proved to be difficult. My boss refused to grant me a leave of absence, and because I didn’t have the vacation time accumulated he wouldn’t approve it that way either. So, I quit. From what Morgue said in his video: “You won’t need to be confined to human monotony. You won’t need a job after you’ve accepted Hyperianism. You will see the world for its true self. You will find yourself on a different plane, above all the rest.” Over the course of the following week I took my money out of savings. I felt that, although after my religious awakening was complete I wouldn’t need these things, I would need to survive in the meantime. Food, water and shelter were still necessary. Finally, the day arrived. The day I was to travel to Las Vegas in search of a man named Morgue who could show me divinity in its purest form. Looking back, even as I type that, I know it wasn’t my smartest move. Desperation can lead people to do things that don’t always make sense. I boarded the airplane with only a single bag. I figured I wouldn’t need anything more. I would be awakened and, as Morgue said: “Human constructs need not be collected post-divination. Your mind will be open to the complex system of mathematical sines and cosines around you. Material possessions will be deemed pointless, in your mind’s eye.” The flight landed. The sky was dark seeing as my flight arrived shortly after 9pm, but the bright lights from the nearby, infamous Vegas Strip illuminated the atmosphere in surreal intensity. Seeing the line-up of hotels and casinos, the characters travelling up and down the main drag with odd clothes and exotic animals and the people bustling about this late at night, drunkenly stumbling around the wide sidewalk caused me to smile ear to ear with exhilarated giddiness. I approached my hotel, nerves causing my legs to wobble beneath me. I could feel my hands vibrating with a tremor, something I hadn’t been victim to before. This was going to change my life. I could feel it. The meeting wasn’t going to start until midnight because, as Morgue said in his video: “Time is merely a construct meant to keep the human population at bay and without freedom. We will not be confined by imaginary constraints. We will remain nocturnal and break the chains of society’s overwatch on us. We will do as we please with whom we please. We will not be bound.” I checked into my hotel room, having to place a large sum of money down as a deposit since I was paying in cash. The room was nice. Not quite as nice as I expected for how much I paid, but I didn’t think much of it. My mind just replayed Morgue’s words and I felt at ease. I relaxed in my hotel room for a few hours, taking a few of the overly priced shots from the mini bar. By about 11pm, I’d started to feel a bit of a buzz and an overt amount of boredom. I figured I’d kill the hour downstairs in the casino playing some nickel and dime slots. As you probably guessed, I didn’t win much. I just blew through about two-hundred dollars worth of change, and downed another two or three drinks in the short span of an hour, without so much as a second thought. Then, the time came. I received a text from an unknown number giving me simple instructions: “Go to room 1274.” Easy enough. When I got up to the twelfth floor, I saw a baker’s dozen people heading in the same direction as me. They moved slow, zombie-like and had vacant expressions on their faces clouded by a deep seated anxiety deep inside their eyes. Their lack of physical emotion sent chills down my spine. A feeling that was hard to shake off as I joined the herd and headed toward room 1274. My mind was fuzzy on account of the drinks, but that didn’t stop me from wandering through the depths of my mind and playing scenario after horrifying scenario. The image of robed figures splaying me out on a pedestal, spilling my innards over some sort of satanic symbols followed thoughts that perhaps I was walking into some sort of trap. I tried to force the negativity to leave my mind by using some techniques I’d picked up in a few of Morgue’s videos, but they didn’t seem to be working. That should have been the first sign that something about this wasn’t quite what it was hyped up to be. I went forward, swallowing my fear and fighting my legs to continue moving down the hall and into the door to room 1274. When I arrived, following the half dozen or so people who hadn’t changed their minds halfway down the hall, I couldn’t help but notice the room was impossibly dark. Uninviting scents of sweat and incense wafted into my nose as I sat down on a small folding chair. Everyone around me was silent, waiting patiently for any sign that we were in the right place. After an excruciatingly long five minutes of anxious waiting, something started to happen. A sound of deep bass bellowed throughout the room. Black lights lined the ceiling, illuminating a geometric symbol painted on the wall and causing it to glow bright blue. A man, deathly skinny with long hair that also seemed to glow under the neon purple lighting, stepped up in front of the chairs and began speaking. “Good evening.” He said in a familiar, articulate tone. “Tonight you have chosen to be awakened. You have seen that there is something more and you wish to be pushed into a state of divination.” A stage light shined from behind me, causing his pale skin to glow bright white. The familiar man who’s videos I’d obsessively watched over the past few days looked a bit different. He was older. Much older. “I am here to guide you into a state of consciousness that you have only dreamt about. I am here to give you the push required to open your mind.” He made a gentle pushing gesture with his hands. It was theatrical, just like his videos. He smiled a terrible, crooked tooth, squinty-eyed smile. It shouted malice, but my mind argued with my instincts. It told me that I was being irrational; that my fear of the unknown was forcing me to see things that weren’t true. Two people who made themselves known as Morgue’s colleagues began to make their way around to each of the six people that sat scattered throughout the room. One was a lady, tall and thin like Morgue. She was covered from head to toe in tattoos of oddly configured shapes, all symmetrical from what I could see. She had a thick gauged septum ring that connected at each end of the horseshoe style jewelry to thin chains that strung up to her eyebrows and attached to circular rings there. It gave the faint appearance of a veil draped over her face. The other was a large man. Round, as if he didn’t get the memo that food was no longer a necessity. He sported a tall, stiff mohawk. He opened his mouth as he approached me, revealing tarnished silver teeth. His eyes were inhuman, cat-like marbles set deep inside his perspiring head. “Freedom awaits,” he said, handing me a small paper stick. I wasn’t sure what to make of the small object, but it looked and felt similar to a pixie stick. Long and cylindrical with a sand like material that moved around as I kneaded it. Morgue continued in the fashion of a true showman: “We are here to help all who will welcome us. We want each and every one of you to take control of your destiny. To unlock your true potential and transcend this monotonous reality into a true state of nirvana and open-ended bliss. You will be in control of everything around you, changing that which does not please you, and highlighting that which does.” He presented a cylinder identical to the one we all now held in our hands. The two punk-rock sidekicks joined him on stage, standing just outside of the spotlight. The trio reminded me more of a circus sideshow, or some sort of freak show, rather than a group of religious leaders. That familiar anxiety began to grow inside me once again, fizzling deep within my stomach and tying my gut into a thick knot. “Now,” Morgue said, raising his cylinder. “Raise your prophetic dust and ingest it with me. Become one with Hyperianism and leave behind this pathetic and putrid existence.” He turned the cylinder up, into his mouth, tilting his head back. His Adam’s Apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed, inhumanly large like some sort of clementine stuck halfway down his esophagus. His words sent my mind on a rampage of negative thoughts and terrifying realities. Was I right? Was this some sort of Jim Jones or Dave Koresh scenario that I’d gotten myself caught up in? How would I escape? My breathing became rapid and erratic. A thick layer of sweat began to form all across my body and the room started to close in around me. My heart pounded deep inside my chest as I reached up and tugged at my collar, vainly attempting to cool my body. I looked around and saw only two others doing as he commanded. The rest seemed to make the same connection as I did and simply looked around. Then, all four of our eyes fell on the two followers, as well as Morgue himself. They’d ingested this substance that was likely poison. Any second now, they should begin to show signs. Foaming at the mouth, writhing on the floor, something… But there was nothing. No sign that they had just willingly killed themselves. Morgue also looked fine. If anything, he actually looked ten years younger, as if he’d stepped into the fountain of youth before our eyes. I wasn’t sure what the rest of the crowd was thinking, but this was only partially comforting. It was clear, at least in my mind, that Morgue had simply taken a placebo. The real poison was held by those of us seated in front of him. But still, the two who were brave enough to try it didn’t fall out or start convulsing uncontrollably, which sparked my curiosity. If it wasn’t poison, then what was it? Still, I wasn’t curious enough to find out for myself, regardless of how compelling Morgue’s videos had been. Sure, he’d made a decent argument for his cause online, but undeniable proof would’ve been more convincing. Unfortunately for the other devotees, they saw things differently. They looked to one another before upturning the small cylinders, dumping the contents into their mouths. Each of them shuddered in disgust as the fine powder hit their tongues and began to work its way down their throats. A man two seats to my right looked at me. The pained expression of utter disgust quickly washing away from his face, replaced by a euphoric absence as his eyes glazed over. Now, he looked more like a slave to the substance than a man free of human constraint. My eyes quickly darted to the front of the room. Morgue and his two sidekicks appeared to be eyeing me. Waiting for me to make the same choice as the others around me. He looked at the woman to his left, then turned his head dramatically to the heavy-set man to his right. I noticed his skin appeared to glow brighter under the spot light, nearly blinding me. “There’s always one…” he said, trailing off with a sinister laugh. The woman suddenly appeared to my right. It was impossible and caused me to jump with a start. She had literally just been ten feet in front of me and, in the blink of an eye, appeared by my side. The rotund man was on my left, also as if by some sort of magical teleportation. They extended arms out toward me, sending me into a panicked hysteria. My mind suddenly switched focus. It was now fight or flight, and flight didn’t seem like much of an option seeing as how I was surrounded. Adrenaline surged through my veins, sending gooseflesh rising across my body. My limbs shook uncontrollably. I managed, after a moment of pure terror, to clench a fist and hurl it at the woman. It was against my natural instincts, having been raised to never hit a woman, but she was a threat and I was left with no other choice. My knuckles connected with her nose and I heard a loud crunch as my hand struck her face. I pulled back, but something held my hand in place against her face, resisting as I attempted to pull away. Without thinking, I jerked my hand back. She grabbed her face and let out a yawp, collapsing to the floor and writhing in agony. I looked down at my throbbing hand and noticed thin chains encircling my fist, embedded into the skin in some areas. Small bits of flesh hung on the ends attached to circular rings. I knew this was my only chance. I had to run. I had to go and never look back. I jumped up, over the small folding chairs and bolted towards the door. Morgue stood there, blocking the only exit. He was motionless, his arms crossed over his shirtless torso and his large, penetrating eyes staring at me with contempt. The foreboding sense of pure dread lingered in the air, thick enough to cut. I stared at Morgue as I came to a halt about six feet away from him. I was unsure if I should try to rush him or if I should look for another escape route. My time was running short and I knew it. I knew if I didn’t try to make my escape now, I wouldn’t have another opportunity. I decided to rush him, remembering my brief stint in elementary school football. I sprinted toward him, ready to make the tackle. I came in low and wrapped my arms around his waist but he didn’t budge. I was stopped in my tracks as if he was made of stone, slamming my shoulder into rock hard flesh. I stumbled back, gripping my aching shoulder. Why didn’t he move? Was this really how I was meant to die? I refused to accept it. I couldn’t allow myself to fall victim to this… thing. “You cannot escape us.” He said, slowly stepping toward me. I felt a hand grip my shoulder and whipped my head around to see the familiar large man covered in tattoos. The henchman who’d handed me the prospective poison. Rage billowed deep within his eyes, his mouth was turned up in a horrid scowl. The neon lighting of the room seemed to accent this rage, giving him a demonic, glowing aura. I scanned the room in search of something… anything that I might be able to use to aid my escape, but there was nothing. The five others who had entered with me sat in their seats staring forward as if they didn’t realize the commotion happening around them. “Hey!” I shouted, trying to get their attention as the large man tightened his grip on my shoulder and brought his other hand up to my opposite shoulder. He had a grip on me like a vice, lifting me clear off my feet and dangling me in the air for a moment. I flailed my legs in a vain attempt to free myself from his grip. It was pointless, though. He was the size of a full grown ox, triple my weight, and he had a strong hold on me. I stopped resisting for a moment and thought. The pressure bearing down on my chest and arms was shortening my breaths and clouding my mind. I couldn’t figure out how I would escape and had begun to accept my fate. I’d gotten in too far over my head. Then, it hit me. The woman didn’t seem to be impervious like Morgue. I was able to land a swift punch to her face that she had yet to recover from. I looked over the large man’s shoulder, at the heap of bone and flesh on the floor. She panted, gripping at her face, but she did not stand. I found myself in another dilemma, though. My arms were pinned to my sides, so landing a punch was out of the question. Think… think! I told myself in my mind. The thought came quickly, and I acted just as fast. I reared my leg back, winding up for a powerful kick before whipping it forward, as hard as I could. I felt the top part of my foot land hard in his crotch. Flesh collapsed under the force of my kick, and I saw the man’s expression quickly change. The fury left him, replaced by absolute agony. He quickly released his grip on me and his hands found their way to his family jewels. He let out a groan and exhaled all the air from his lungs as he fell to the ground. I stumbled down, watching Morgue make a slow and methodical approach. He walked by the heap of man on the floor, staring down at him with utter disgust. “Pathetic…” he said through gritted teeth as he reared back and landed a kick. Morgue’s heavy boot connected with the man’s ribs and an inconceivably loud crunch echoed through the room, causing me to wince in repulsion. It became clear to me then that Morgue had no sympathy for his “colleagues.” They were likely just people that he’d converted to his twisted religion. People who saw no other option than to do as they were told. I looked back at the people, still seated and staring up at the wall. Their eyes were fixed on that glowing symbol on the wall behind where Morgue had made his dramatic introduction. Then, something happened. Something I still can’t quite explain. All at once, the people let out an exhausted breath. A glowing, misty cloud escaped each of their mouths and made its way to the front of the room, falling onto the painted symbol on the wall. It appeared to be pulling the mist into the center, as if it were some sort of vacuum. The glow pulsated, growing brighter then dimming, as it absorbed the cloud. Then, as the last of it escaped their mouths, the people collapsed from their seats and laid in heaps on the ground. I stared in horror as their bodies quickly decayed before my eyes, turning into ash before collapsing into small mountains of grey dust that glowed under the club style lighting around me. That… That could’ve been me… I thought, trembling in fear. I turned my head and looked back at Morgue, who took a deep breath in through his nose, closing his eyes and letting a sinister grin stretch across his face from ear to ear. When he let the breath out and looked at me, a warm sensation spread across my front as my bladder emptied its contents from complete and utter fear. His eyes glowed in their sockets. Not like your typical neon glow under a blacklight. No, they were bright red, like laser beams shooting from his eyes. His emaciated frame had suddenly filled out, his muscle nearly tripling in size, veins bulging from his chest and biceps. His trapezius swelled up, eliminating the appearance of a neck. I couldn’t move. My legs simply would not take me to safety and instead, remained planted in place as the warm urine continued to spread across my jeans. Morgue continued to transform before my eyes. His hands became increasingly large, and his black fingernails, which I had previously assumed to be painted, grew into long, sharp talons. Finally, my legs took what my brain told them to do and acted, but not in the way I expected. Rather than bolting for the door, they decided to slowly back away from this monster. Not a terrible move, I must say, but not the smartest. I continued backing up, kicking metal folding chairs out of my way without taking my eyes off of the snarling beast before me. It appeared his terrifying and amazing transformation was complete and he had now locked eyes with me. My heart felt like it was going to jump up my throat and out of my mouth, beating crazily in my chest as the beast approached. I felt myself back into something solid, a cool breeze shot up my back from below. The air conditioner, and the cool wall against my back was the window. Morgue snarled inhumanly deep, squelching gurgles as he continued taking heavy, thumping steps toward me. He stopped for a moment, just over arms length away from me. A split second of silence. A brief thought that maybe, just maybe, I’d make it out alive. Maybe he would just let me leave. That thought exited my mind quickly as he leapt forward, barreling straight at me with his steroid built body. His feet fell one over another, thundering below me and vibrating the carpeted floor beneath my feet. Time seemed to stand still for a moment. Then I felt it. The stinging sensation of his claws digging into my torso. The vibrating pulsation of puncturing talons inserting themselves deep into my skin, making their way below layer after layer of skin until they found muscle and seated themselves into it. The sound of shattering glass behind me as the window I was propped up against gave way, sending myself and Morgue plummeting twelve stories down. We flipped through the air as my insides twisted and butterflies fluttered in my torso. Morgue still had his claws deep inside of my stomach, but I couldn’t feel them. I couldn’t feel anything as the adrenaline pumped hard through my veins. I could hear screams gaining volume below me, barely audible over the roar of wind invading my ears. I closed my eyes and came to grips with the reality that this was my demise. I stopped with a thud, air forcing its way out of my lungs before blacking out. Small bits of consciousness came back to me violently. Flashes of incomprehensible pieces of reality interrupted by darkness. The feeling of drowning, air being replaced by water inside of my lungs, a pulsating pressure on my sternum followed by oxygen forcing its way down my trachea. Flashing red lights and two men lifting my body off the ground. When I finally awoke, my surroundings were foreign. Rhythmic beeping played in the background coupled with the intermittent hissing of oxygen purging itself from over-pressurized lines. I looked around, squinting my eyes as the fluorescent lighting above me shone down. Intravenous fluid lines invaded my right arm. My left was wrapped in a hard cast. Aches in my back and chest caused my breathing to be short and labored. My mouth was impossibly dry, lips sticking together as I opened and tried to speak. “Hello?” I said, forcing the words out in a gritty screech. I was alone. An off-white thermal blanket draped over me as I laid, sprawled out on a hospital bed. One of the many monitors attached to me began beeping faster before someone finally entered. A woman in scrubs bearing a familiar comic book character symbol walked in. “Oh, excellent!” she cheered in a tone that was all too chipper. “You’re awake. Your doctor will be so happy to hear that! How are you feeling?” I could hear genuine concern in her tone, but didn’t know how to answer. “Wha-” I started but was cut off. “What happened?” She asked, assuming what I was thinking. “You fell twelve stories out of your hotel room. Luckily you went right into the pool and one of the brave, albeit drunk, guys downstairs was able to fish you out in time.” I sat there for a moment, the look on my face that of pure confusion. Then, everything came back to me in a horrific flash. I felt my pulse speeding up as the panic began to flow freely through my veins. The monotonous beeping sped up, giving away my secret to the nurse. “Woah, woah,” she said. “It’s okay. Just calm down a moment.” She held her hands in front of her, palms out as if to say “don’t worry.” I could do anything but. Thoughts flowed freely through my mind. Where had Morgue gone? Would he be back? My chest began to sting and throb as my breathing became heavier. I sighed and gasped in pain. The nurse seemed to read me like a book, making sense of my guttural noises. “You’ve got a handful of broken ribs and some pretty serious puncture wounds across your chest. You need to take it easy. I’m going to give you a mild sedative. Just something to calm your nerves.” She held up a needle before inserting it into the IV line sticking out of my arm. As she depressed the plunger, I felt the cold liquid spread through my veins. A few seconds later, the effects of the medicine became noticeable. She placed the syringe into a sharps bin before turning back to me and removing her rubber gloves. “Your doctor will be in shortly.” She smiled, turned and left the room. My mouth still felt like a desert, but I felt myself slowly drifting to sleep once again. A restful daze took its hold on me as my eyelids grew heavier and heavier with each passing moment. Visions of Morgue making his daring and terrible transformation invaded my mind, sending me reeling in horror as the scene played out in my head once again. A disembodied voice that I hadn’t recognized repeated my name over and over again. “Jona-ton?” he asked. “Jona-ton, are you awake? He spoke with a hispanic accent, saying my name with the slightest inflection at the end. My eyes shot open and relief washed over me as I realized I was still in the safety of the hospital room. A man was seated next to my bed. Dark complexion with black hair slicked back and a thick layer of scruff covering his chin. “Buenas dias,” he said, smiling as he looked down at his clipboard. “How are you feeling?” I struggled to speak through my dry mouth and the utter exhaustion I felt. “Crappy,” I said in a raspy whisper. “As expected,” he gave a half-hearted chuckle before continuing. “You fell nearly a hundred and twenty feet. You’re quite lucky to be alive. Can you tell me your name?” “Yeah… ah,” I winced in pain as I attempted to prop myself up a bit. “Jonathon Winslow.” I said, struggling through the words as my squeaky voice grounded away in my throat. “Good, Jona-ton. Now,” he straightened the glasses perched on his nose. “I am going to leave you here with Officer Black. She has a couple questions for you regarding how you fell from that window.” He motioned towards the door where a small, petite woman entered the room. She wore a blue uniform adorned with a patch on her left shoulder that read “Las Vegas Police Department.” Her small nose, narrow eyes and darker complexion told me she was likely of Asian descent. “Hello, mister Winslow.” She said, bringing a lime green clipboard up to her chest and jotting something down. “Can you tell me what happened?” Her eyes jumped from the piece of green plastic she held and met my gaze. I knew she wouldn’t believe my story, but what else could I say? The nervousness was definitely showing on my face. If I didn’t choose my words carefully, I could be committed to some sort of psych ward or mental institution under the Baker Act, and I certainly didn’t belong there. I pondered what could possibly go wrong if I just admitted why I’d gone there in the first place, and simply left out the part where Morgue turned into some sort of demonic monster. It wasn’t so far fetched to think I’d gone there searching for something to believe in and when I showed up, I was met with a group of psychopaths who ultimately tried to kill me before tossing me out the window. I opted for that excuse which Officer Black seemed to have no trouble believing. I guess the stories about Vegas are true - anything goes in this city. She took down a description of all three people, but I knew nothing would be done. There was nothing they could do. They didn’t have a real name, and from the clock on the wall I knew it was at least 9am, meaning they’d had 9 hours to make their escape. She nodded, thanking me for the information, turned and exited. The doctor entered once again and informed me that I would need a few tests. Being conscious would allow them to find brain damage easier, if there was any. Aside from a somewhat minor concussion, several broken ribs, a broken arm, and multiple lacerations and puncture wounds, I was ultimately given a clean bill of health. But what would I do? I was stuck in Vegas with no money, no car and no job waiting for me back home. I left the hospital and found that it was surprisingly easy to secure a payday loan. It struck me as odd at first, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that a guy being stranded in Vegas with no car or money might be a pretty common scenario. After securing a flight and making my way home, I finally felt safe. I could settle back into reality, knowing that the existence Morgue had preached about was non-existent. I couldn’t help but feel a bit of paranoia, though. The thought that everytime I looked over my shoulder or around a dark corner, Morgue would be there. His hulking figure and large talons ready to finish the job they’d started sent chills down my spine and anxiety gripping my chest. Getting my job back was tough. Not because my boss didn’t want me back, but because I had to put my pride to the wayside and formulate a somewhat embarrassing lie. The look on his face changed in an instant. At first he’d had a contemptuous look, eyebrows parallel and a frown smeared across his jaw, ready for me to get down on my knees and beg. But as soon as I told him that I’d quit because I was in a bad place mentally, and that I needed to get help, his expression shifted. His eyebrows raised in a state of concern, the frown, although still present, no longer conveyed contempt but worry. “Oh, Jonathon. I’m sorry, man…” He’d told me, eyes darting around his head like a madman. “You’re welcome back here as soon as you can. Take a few days to yourself and then we’ll see you back here on… say, Monday?” I smiled, unsure of what to say other than: “Sounds good, thank you. I appreciate your understanding.” I turned and walked out after a quick handshake, the feeling of accomplishment forming a victorious smirk on my face. Things were back to normal. My weekend was insane, but now I could settle back into the norm. A few weeks passed. Things were going as good as they could, but that empty feeling had begun to return. I could feel myself falling back into a slump. Browsing through facebook seemed to be my time waster of choice. Scrolling through and liking photos, laughing internally at memes, watching short videos of people doing dumb stuff that ultimately resulted in them being hurt. Typical internet stuff. Then, I saw it. That androgynous man, no eye brows. Long, white-blonde hair draped over his face in matted, wet strands. He stared into the camera, speaking familiar teachings. Things about how to control the universe - how to make it work in your favor. I wouldn’t be tempted this time, though. I knew his secret. I knew what his endgame was. I tapped my thumb on the profile picture associated with Morgue, taking me to an archive of all his videos. Some familiar, some new. I didn’t watch them, though. I simply clicked the “more options” tab, scrolled to the bottom of the menu and clicked “Block User.”
I joined the church of Hyperianism... Don’t make the same mistake
I started seeing his videos on Facebook. They’d just pop up on my timeline. He looked odd. Long, white hair that was straight and extended down past his stomach. His eyebrows were shaved off, or maybe they were never there to begin with, it was impossible to tell. He wore strange make-up to accent his inhuman features and project an alternative style. His voice was both confident and articulate, but it was the things he said that drew me in. He spoke about the wonders of the universe, how it all worked and how every little thing we saw was nothing more than a complex system of mathematics put together to form what we perceived as reality. Intrigued and desperate for something to believe in greater than myself, I couldn’t help but watch hours upon hours of the man. He was known only as Morgue, and he preached a religion in which he seemed to be the founder of or, at the very least, a strong influencer of the belief. I’ll admit, looking back on Hyperianism, I should’ve seen it. I should’ve known that following something like this would only result in pain, but I was naive and, as I said before, desperate. My faith had been a bit wobbly before I found Morgue. My heart was empty and hopeless. Then, as if by divine intervention, he was there. His video, which was nothing more than a square jawed, androgynous man staring into a camera and speaking, drew me in. I think it was the eloquent intensity he spoke with. The way he explained how the world and all the scenarios that play out around us are just complex systems of math equations ebbing and flowing through space and time, something he’d dubbed Hyperianism. It was genuinely titillating. And even better - at the end of one of his more recent videos, aptly titled “The reason your life is empty,” he spoke of a meet and greet happening exactly one week from the time I’d watched it. An opportunity to speak with Morgue himself, along with his two closest colleagues, regarding Hyperianism and how to become a member of the “church.” Sure, at first I had the thought that they would try to sell me something. I figured it was just a way for them to collect money. But then, as if he was answering my questions as they popped into my mind, he said: “No, we will not try to sell you anything. And no, we are not looking for donations. We are looking for dedicated members of society who want to fulfill their destiny and become Hyperianists. Individuals who want nothing more than to know the truth. To EVOLVE beyond your wildest dreams.” My mind was made up. I had my plane tickets bought only minutes after the video ended and excitement began to bubble inside of me. I was going to get to meet this man. To become a part of something greater than myself. To find something to believe in, finally! Getting the time off work proved to be difficult. My boss refused to grant me a leave of absence, and because I didn’t have the vacation time accumulated he wouldn’t approve it that way either. So, I quit. From what Morgue said in his video: “You won’t need to be confined to human monotony. You won’t need a job after you’ve accepted Hyperianism. You will see the world for its true self. You will find yourself on a different plane, above all the rest.” Over the course of the following week I took my money out of savings. I felt that, although after my religious awakening was complete I wouldn’t need these things, I would need to survive in the meantime. Food, water and shelter were still necessary. Finally, the day arrived. The day I was to travel to Las Vegas in search of a man named Morgue who could show me divinity in its purest form. Looking back, even as I type that, I know it wasn’t my smartest move. Desperation can lead people to do things that don’t always make sense. I boarded the airplane with only a single bag. I figured I wouldn’t need anything more. I would be awakened and, as Morgue said: “Human constructs need not be collected post-divination. Your mind will be open to the complex system of mathematical sines and cosines around you. Material possessions will be deemed pointless, in your mind’s eye.” The flight landed. The sky was dark seeing as my flight arrived shortly after 9pm, but the bright lights from the nearby, infamous Vegas Strip illuminated the atmosphere in surreal intensity. Seeing the line-up of hotels and casinos, the characters travelling up and down the main drag with odd clothes and exotic animals and the people bustling about this late at night, drunkenly stumbling around the wide sidewalk caused me to smile ear to ear with exhilarated giddiness. I approached my hotel, nerves causing my legs to wobble beneath me. I could feel my hands vibrating with a tremor, something I hadn’t been victim to before. This was going to change my life. I could feel it. The meeting wasn’t going to start until midnight because, as Morgue said in his video: “Time is merely a construct meant to keep the human population at bay and without freedom. We will not be confined by imaginary constraints. We will remain nocturnal and break the chains of society’s overwatch on us. We will do as we please with whom we please. We will not be bound.” I checked into my hotel room, having to place a large sum of money down as a deposit since I was paying in cash. The room was nice. Not quite as nice as I expected for how much I paid, but I didn’t think much of it. My mind just replayed Morgue’s words and I felt at ease. I relaxed in my hotel room for a few hours, taking a few of the overly priced shots from the mini bar. By about 11pm, I’d started to feel a bit of a buzz and an overt amount of boredom. I figured I’d kill the hour downstairs in the casino playing some nickel and dime slots. As you probably guessed, I didn’t win much. I just blew through about two-hundred dollars worth of change, and downed another two or three drinks in the short span of an hour, without so much as a second thought. Then, the time came. I received a text from an unknown number giving me simple instructions: “Go to room 1274.” Easy enough. When I got up to the twelfth floor, I saw a baker’s dozen people heading in the same direction as me. They moved slow, zombie-like and had vacant expressions on their faces clouded by a deep seated anxiety deep inside their eyes. Their lack of physical emotion sent chills down my spine. A feeling that was hard to shake off as I joined the herd and headed toward room 1274. My mind was fuzzy on account of the drinks, but that didn’t stop me from wandering through the depths of my mind and playing scenario after horrifying scenario. The image of robed figures splaying me out on a pedestal, spilling my innards over some sort of satanic symbols followed thoughts that perhaps I was walking into some sort of trap. I tried to force the negativity to leave my mind by using some techniques I’d picked up in a few of Morgue’s videos, but they didn’t seem to be working. That should have been the first sign that something about this wasn’t quite what it was hyped up to be. I went forward, swallowing my fear and fighting my legs to continue moving down the hall and into the door to room 1274. When I arrived, following the half dozen or so people who hadn’t changed their minds halfway down the hall, I couldn’t help but notice the room was impossibly dark. Uninviting scents of sweat and incense wafted into my nose as I sat down on a small folding chair. Everyone around me was silent, waiting patiently for any sign that we were in the right place. After an excruciatingly long five minutes of anxious waiting, something started to happen. A sound of deep bass bellowed throughout the room. Black lights lined the ceiling, illuminating a geometric symbol painted on the wall and causing it to glow bright blue. A man, deathly skinny with long hair that also seemed to glow under the neon purple lighting, stepped up in front of the chairs and began speaking. “Good evening.” He said in a familiar, articulate tone. “Tonight you have chosen to be awakened. You have seen that there is something more and you wish to be pushed into a state of divination.” A stage light shined from behind me, causing his pale skin to glow bright white. The familiar man who’s videos I’d obsessively watched over the past few days looked a bit different. He was older. Much older. “I am here to guide you into a state of consciousness that you have only dreamt about. I am here to give you the push required to open your mind.” He made a gentle pushing gesture with his hands. It was theatrical, just like his videos. He smiled a terrible, crooked tooth, squinty-eyed smile. It shouted malice, but my mind argued with my instincts. It told me that I was being irrational; that my fear of the unknown was forcing me to see things that weren’t true. Two people who made themselves known as Morgue’s colleagues began to make their way around to each of the six people that sat scattered throughout the room. One was a lady, tall and thin like Morgue. She was covered from head to toe in tattoos of oddly configured shapes, all symmetrical from what I could see. She had a thick gauged septum ring that connected at each end of the horseshoe style jewelry to thin chains that strung up to her eyebrows and attached to circular rings there. It gave the faint appearance of a veil draped over her face. The other was a large man. Round, as if he didn’t get the memo that food was no longer a necessity. He sported a tall, stiff mohawk. He opened his mouth as he approached me, revealing tarnished silver teeth. His eyes were inhuman, cat-like marbles set deep inside his perspiring head. “Freedom awaits,” he said, handing me a small paper stick. I wasn’t sure what to make of the small object, but it looked and felt similar to a pixie stick. Long and cylindrical with a sand like material that moved around as I kneaded it. Morgue continued in the fashion of a true showman: “We are here to help all who will welcome us. We want each and every one of you to take control of your destiny. To unlock your true potential and transcend this monotonous reality into a true state of nirvana and open-ended bliss. You will be in control of everything around you, changing that which does not please you, and highlighting that which does.” He presented a cylinder identical to the one we all now held in our hands. The two punk-rock sidekicks joined him on stage, standing just outside of the spotlight. The trio reminded me more of a circus sideshow, or some sort of freak show, rather than a group of religious leaders. That familiar anxiety began to grow inside me once again, fizzling deep within my stomach and tying my gut into a thick knot. “Now,” Morgue said, raising his cylinder. “Raise your prophetic dust and ingest it with me. Become one with Hyperianism and leave behind this pathetic and putrid existence.” He turned the cylinder up, into his mouth, tilting his head back. His Adam’s Apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed, inhumanly large like some sort of clementine stuck halfway down his esophagus. His words sent my mind on a rampage of negative thoughts and terrifying realities. Was I right? Was this some sort of Jim Jones or Dave Koresh scenario that I’d gotten myself caught up in? How would I escape? My breathing became rapid and erratic. A thick layer of sweat began to form all across my body and the room started to close in around me. My heart pounded deep inside my chest as I reached up and tugged at my collar, vainly attempting to cool my body. I looked around and saw only two others doing as he commanded. The rest seemed to make the same connection as I did and simply looked around. Then, all four of our eyes fell on the two followers, as well as Morgue himself. They’d ingested this substance that was likely poison. Any second now, they should begin to show signs. Foaming at the mouth, writhing on the floor, something… But there was nothing. No sign that they had just willingly killed themselves. Morgue also looked fine. If anything, he actually looked ten years younger, as if he’d stepped into the fountain of youth before our eyes. I wasn’t sure what the rest of the crowd was thinking, but this was only partially comforting. It was clear, at least in my mind, that Morgue had simply taken a placebo. The real poison was held by those of us seated in front of him. But still, the two who were brave enough to try it didn’t fall out or start convulsing uncontrollably, which sparked my curiosity. If it wasn’t poison, then what was it? Still, I wasn’t curious enough to find out for myself, regardless of how compelling Morgue’s videos had been. Sure, he’d made a decent argument for his cause online, but undeniable proof would’ve been more convincing. Unfortunately for the other devotees, they saw things differently. They looked to one another before upturning the small cylinders, dumping the contents into their mouths. Each of them shuddered in disgust as the fine powder hit their tongues and began to work its way down their throats. A man two seats to my right looked at me. The pained expression of utter disgust quickly washing away from his face, replaced by a euphoric absence as his eyes glazed over. Now, he looked more like a slave to the substance than a man free of human constraint. My eyes quickly darted to the front of the room. Morgue and his two sidekicks appeared to be eyeing me. Waiting for me to make the same choice as the others around me. He looked at the woman to his left, then turned his head dramatically to the heavy-set man to his right. I noticed his skin appeared to glow brighter under the spot light, nearly blinding me. “There’s always one…” he said, trailing off with a sinister laugh. The woman suddenly appeared to my right. It was impossible and caused me to jump with a start. She had literally just been ten feet in front of me and, in the blink of an eye, appeared by my side. The rotund man was on my left, also as if by some sort of magical teleportation. They extended arms out toward me, sending me into a panicked hysteria. My mind suddenly switched focus. It was now fight or flight, and flight didn’t seem like much of an option seeing as how I was surrounded. Adrenaline surged through my veins, sending gooseflesh rising across my body. My limbs shook uncontrollably. I managed, after a moment of pure terror, to clench a fist and hurl it at the woman. It was against my natural instincts, having been raised to never hit a woman, but she was a threat and I was left with no other choice. My knuckles connected with her nose and I heard a loud crunch as my hand struck her face. I pulled back, but something held my hand in place against her face, resisting as I attempted to pull away. Without thinking, I jerked my hand back. She grabbed her face and let out a yawp, collapsing to the floor and writhing in agony. I looked down at my throbbing hand and noticed thin chains encircling my fist, embedded into the skin in some areas. Small bits of flesh hung on the ends attached to circular rings. I knew this was my only chance. I had to run. I had to go and never look back. I jumped up, over the small folding chairs and bolted towards the door. Morgue stood there, blocking the only exit. He was motionless, his arms crossed over his shirtless torso and his large, penetrating eyes staring at me with contempt. The foreboding sense of pure dread lingered in the air, thick enough to cut. I stared at Morgue as I came to a halt about six feet away from him. I was unsure if I should try to rush him or if I should look for another escape route. My time was running short and I knew it. I knew if I didn’t try to make my escape now, I wouldn’t have another opportunity. I decided to rush him, remembering my brief stint in elementary school football. I sprinted toward him, ready to make the tackle. I came in low and wrapped my arms around his waist but he didn’t budge. I was stopped in my tracks as if he was made of stone, slamming my shoulder into rock hard flesh. I stumbled back, gripping my aching shoulder. Why didn’t he move? Was this really how I was meant to die? I refused to accept it. I couldn’t allow myself to fall victim to this… thing. “You cannot escape us.” He said, slowly stepping toward me. I felt a hand grip my shoulder and whipped my head around to see the familiar large man covered in tattoos. The henchman who’d handed me the prospective poison. Rage billowed deep within his eyes, his mouth was turned up in a horrid scowl. The neon lighting of the room seemed to accent this rage, giving him a demonic, glowing aura. I scanned the room in search of something… anything that I might be able to use to aid my escape, but there was nothing. The five others who had entered with me sat in their seats staring forward as if they didn’t realize the commotion happening around them. “Hey!” I shouted, trying to get their attention as the large man tightened his grip on my shoulder and brought his other hand up to my opposite shoulder. He had a grip on me like a vice, lifting me clear off my feet and dangling me in the air for a moment. I flailed my legs in a vain attempt to free myself from his grip. It was pointless, though. He was the size of a full grown ox, triple my weight, and he had a strong hold on me. I stopped resisting for a moment and thought. The pressure bearing down on my chest and arms was shortening my breaths and clouding my mind. I couldn’t figure out how I would escape and had begun to accept my fate. I’d gotten in too far over my head. Then, it hit me. The woman didn’t seem to be impervious like Morgue. I was able to land a swift punch to her face that she had yet to recover from. I looked over the large man’s shoulder, at the heap of bone and flesh on the floor. She panted, gripping at her face, but she did not stand. I found myself in another dilemma, though. My arms were pinned to my sides, so landing a punch was out of the question. Think… think! I told myself in my mind. The thought came quickly, and I acted just as fast. I reared my leg back, winding up for a powerful kick before whipping it forward, as hard as I could. I felt the top part of my foot land hard in his crotch. Flesh collapsed under the force of my kick, and I saw the man’s expression quickly change. The fury left him, replaced by absolute agony. He quickly released his grip on me and his hands found their way to his family jewels. He let out a groan and exhaled all the air from his lungs as he fell to the ground. I stumbled down, watching Morgue make a slow and methodical approach. He walked by the heap of man on the floor, staring down at him with utter disgust. “Pathetic…” he said through gritted teeth as he reared back and landed a kick. Morgue’s heavy boot connected with the man’s ribs and an inconceivably loud crunch echoed through the room, causing me to wince in repulsion. It became clear to me then that Morgue had no sympathy for his “colleagues.” They were likely just people that he’d converted to his twisted religion. People who saw no other option than to do as they were told. I looked back at the people, still seated and staring up at the wall. Their eyes were fixed on that glowing symbol on the wall behind where Morgue had made his dramatic introduction. Then, something happened. Something I still can’t quite explain. All at once, the people let out an exhausted breath. A glowing, misty cloud escaped each of their mouths and made its way to the front of the room, falling onto the painted symbol on the wall. It appeared to be pulling the mist into the center, as if it were some sort of vacuum. The glow pulsated, growing brighter then dimming, as it absorbed the cloud. Then, as the last of it escaped their mouths, the people collapsed from their seats and laid in heaps on the ground. I stared in horror as their bodies quickly decayed before my eyes, turning into ash before collapsing into small mountains of grey dust that glowed under the club style lighting around me. That… That could’ve been me… I thought, trembling in fear. I turned my head and looked back at Morgue, who took a deep breath in through his nose, closing his eyes and letting a sinister grin stretch across his face from ear to ear. When he let the breath out and looked at me, a warm sensation spread across my front as my bladder emptied its contents from complete and utter fear. His eyes glowed in their sockets. Not like your typical neon glow under a blacklight. No, they were bright red, like laser beams shooting from his eyes. His emaciated frame had suddenly filled out, his muscle nearly tripling in size, veins bulging from his chest and biceps. His trapezius swelled up, eliminating the appearance of a neck. I couldn’t move. My legs simply would not take me to safety and instead, remained planted in place as the warm urine continued to spread across my jeans. Morgue continued to transform before my eyes. His hands became increasingly large, and his black fingernails, which I had previously assumed to be painted, grew into long, sharp talons. Finally, my legs took what my brain told them to do and acted, but not in the way I expected. Rather than bolting for the door, they decided to slowly back away from this monster. Not a terrible move, I must say, but not the smartest. I continued backing up, kicking metal folding chairs out of my way without taking my eyes off of the snarling beast before me. It appeared his terrifying and amazing transformation was complete and he had now locked eyes with me. My heart felt like it was going to jump up my throat and out of my mouth, beating crazily in my chest as the beast approached. I felt myself back into something solid, a cool breeze shot up my back from below. The air conditioner, and the cool wall against my back was the window. Morgue snarled inhumanly deep, squelching gurgles as he continued taking heavy, thumping steps toward me. He stopped for a moment, just over arms length away from me. A split second of silence. A brief thought that maybe, just maybe, I’d make it out alive. Maybe he would just let me leave. That thought exited my mind quickly as he leapt forward, barreling straight at me with his steroid built body. His feet fell one over another, thundering below me and vibrating the carpeted floor beneath my feet. Time seemed to stand still for a moment. Then I felt it. The stinging sensation of his claws digging into my torso. The vibrating pulsation of puncturing talons inserting themselves deep into my skin, making their way below layer after layer of skin until they found muscle and seated themselves into it. The sound of shattering glass behind me as the window I was propped up against gave way, sending myself and Morgue plummeting twelve stories down. We flipped through the air as my insides twisted and butterflies fluttered in my torso. Morgue still had his claws deep inside of my stomach, but I couldn’t feel them. I couldn’t feel anything as the adrenaline pumped hard through my veins. I could hear screams gaining volume below me, barely audible over the roar of wind invading my ears. I closed my eyes and came to grips with the reality that this was my demise. I stopped with a thud, air forcing its way out of my lungs before blacking out. Small bits of consciousness came back to me violently. Flashes of incomprehensible pieces of reality interrupted by darkness. The feeling of drowning, air being replaced by water inside of my lungs, a pulsating pressure on my sternum followed by oxygen forcing its way down my trachea. Flashing red lights and two men lifting my body off the ground. When I finally awoke, my surroundings were foreign. Rhythmic beeping played in the background coupled with the intermittent hissing of oxygen purging itself from over-pressurized lines. I looked around, squinting my eyes as the fluorescent lighting above me shone down. Intravenous fluid lines invaded my right arm. My left was wrapped in a hard cast. Aches in my back and chest caused my breathing to be short and labored. My mouth was impossibly dry, lips sticking together as I opened and tried to speak. “Hello?” I said, forcing the words out in a gritty screech. I was alone. An off-white thermal blanket draped over me as I laid, sprawled out on a hospital bed. One of the many monitors attached to me began beeping faster before someone finally entered. A woman in scrubs bearing a familiar comic book character symbol walked in. “Oh, excellent!” she cheered in a tone that was all too chipper. “You’re awake. Your doctor will be so happy to hear that! How are you feeling?” I could hear genuine concern in her tone, but didn’t know how to answer. “Wha-” I started but was cut off. “What happened?” She asked, assuming what I was thinking. “You fell twelve stories out of your hotel room. Luckily you went right into the pool and one of the brave, albeit drunk, guys downstairs was able to fish you out in time.” I sat there for a moment, the look on my face that of pure confusion. Then, everything came back to me in a horrific flash. I felt my pulse speeding up as the panic began to flow freely through my veins. The monotonous beeping sped up, giving away my secret to the nurse. “Woah, woah,” she said. “It’s okay. Just calm down a moment.” She held her hands in front of her, palms out as if to say “don’t worry.” I could do anything but. Thoughts flowed freely through my mind. Where had Morgue gone? Would he be back? My chest began to sting and throb as my breathing became heavier. I sighed and gasped in pain. The nurse seemed to read me like a book, making sense of my guttural noises. “You’ve got a handful of broken ribs and some pretty serious puncture wounds across your chest. You need to take it easy. I’m going to give you a mild sedative. Just something to calm your nerves.” She held up a needle before inserting it into the IV line sticking out of my arm. As she depressed the plunger, I felt the cold liquid spread through my veins. A few seconds later, the effects of the medicine became noticeable. She placed the syringe into a sharps bin before turning back to me and removing her rubber gloves. “Your doctor will be in shortly.” She smiled, turned and left the room. My mouth still felt like a desert, but I felt myself slowly drifting to sleep once again. A restful daze took its hold on me as my eyelids grew heavier and heavier with each passing moment. Visions of Morgue making his daring and terrible transformation invaded my mind, sending me reeling in horror as the scene played out in my head once again. A disembodied voice that I hadn’t recognized repeated my name over and over again. “Jona-ton?” he asked. “Jona-ton, are you awake? He spoke with a hispanic accent, saying my name with the slightest inflection at the end. My eyes shot open and relief washed over me as I realized I was still in the safety of the hospital room. A man was seated next to my bed. Dark complexion with black hair slicked back and a thick layer of scruff covering his chin. “Buenas dias,” he said, smiling as he looked down at his clipboard. “How are you feeling?” I struggled to speak through my dry mouth and the utter exhaustion I felt. “Crappy,” I said in a raspy whisper. “As expected,” he gave a half-hearted chuckle before continuing. “You fell nearly a hundred and twenty feet. You’re quite lucky to be alive. Can you tell me your name?” “Yeah… ah,” I winced in pain as I attempted to prop myself up a bit. “Jonathon Winslow.” I said, struggling through the words as my squeaky voice grounded away in my throat. “Good, Jona-ton. Now,” he straightened the glasses perched on his nose. “I am going to leave you here with Officer Black. She has a couple questions for you regarding how you fell from that window.” He motioned towards the door where a small, petite woman entered the room. She wore a blue uniform adorned with a patch on her left shoulder that read “Las Vegas Police Department.” Her small nose, narrow eyes and darker complexion told me she was likely of Asian descent. “Hello, mister Winslow.” She said, bringing a lime green clipboard up to her chest and jotting something down. “Can you tell me what happened?” Her eyes jumped from the piece of green plastic she held and met my gaze. I knew she wouldn’t believe my story, but what else could I say? The nervousness was definitely showing on my face. If I didn’t choose my words carefully, I could be committed to some sort of psych ward or mental institution under the Baker Act, and I certainly didn’t belong there. I pondered what could possibly go wrong if I just admitted why I’d gone there in the first place, and simply left out the part where Morgue turned into some sort of demonic monster. It wasn’t so far fetched to think I’d gone there searching for something to believe in and when I showed up, I was met with a group of psychopaths who ultimately tried to kill me before tossing me out the window. I opted for that excuse which Officer Black seemed to have no trouble believing. I guess the stories about Vegas are true - anything goes in this city. She took down a description of all three people, but I knew nothing would be done. There was nothing they could do. They didn’t have a real name, and from the clock on the wall I knew it was at least 9am, meaning they’d had 9 hours to make their escape. She nodded, thanking me for the information, turned and exited. The doctor entered once again and informed me that I would need a few tests. Being conscious would allow them to find brain damage easier, if there was any. Aside from a somewhat minor concussion, several broken ribs, a broken arm, and multiple lacerations and puncture wounds, I was ultimately given a clean bill of health. But what would I do? I was stuck in Vegas with no money, no car and no job waiting for me back home. I left the hospital and found that it was surprisingly easy to secure a payday loan. It struck me as odd at first, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that a guy being stranded in Vegas with no car or money might be a pretty common scenario. After securing a flight and making my way home, I finally felt safe. I could settle back into reality, knowing that the existence Morgue had preached about was non-existent. I couldn’t help but feel a bit of paranoia, though. The thought that everytime I looked over my shoulder or around a dark corner, Morgue would be there. His hulking figure and large talons ready to finish the job they’d started sent chills down my spine and anxiety gripping my chest. Getting my job back was tough. Not because my boss didn’t want me back, but because I had to put my pride to the wayside and formulate a somewhat embarrassing lie. The look on his face changed in an instant. At first he’d had a contemptuous look, eyebrows parallel and a frown smeared across his jaw, ready for me to get down on my knees and beg. But as soon as I told him that I’d quit because I was in a bad place mentally, and that I needed to get help, his expression shifted. His eyebrows raised in a state of concern, the frown, although still present, no longer conveyed contempt but worry. “Oh, Jonathon. I’m sorry, man…” He’d told me, eyes darting around his head like a madman. “You’re welcome back here as soon as you can. Take a few days to yourself and then we’ll see you back here on… say, Monday?” I smiled, unsure of what to say other than: “Sounds good, thank you. I appreciate your understanding.” I turned and walked out after a quick handshake, the feeling of accomplishment forming a victorious smirk on my face. Things were back to normal. My weekend was insane, but now I could settle back into the norm. A few weeks passed. Things were going as good as they could, but that empty feeling had begun to return. I could feel myself falling back into a slump. Browsing through facebook seemed to be my time waster of choice. Scrolling through and liking photos, laughing internally at memes, watching short videos of people doing dumb stuff that ultimately resulted in them being hurt. Typical internet stuff. Then, I saw it. That androgynous man, no eye brows. Long, white-blonde hair draped over his face in matted, wet strands. He stared into the camera, speaking familiar teachings. Things about how to control the universe - how to make it work in your favor. I wouldn’t be tempted this time, though. I knew his secret. I knew what his endgame was. I tapped my thumb on the profile picture associated with Morgue, taking me to an archive of all his videos. Some familiar, some new. I didn’t watch them, though. I simply clicked the “more options” tab, scrolled to the bottom of the menu and clicked “Block User.”
(LONG) The Ultimate Trip Report: 7.5 Action-Packed Days in Mid-October. Lots of Budget-Friendly Activities!
Just returned from the most epic week in Las Vegas with my husband! We budgeted about $1000 per person for the week, all expenses included. We went over by a couple hundred in the end. We planned a lot of activities and sightseeing in advance to avoid gambling too much out of boredom. We weren't very lucky at anything except blackjack, but we were able to leave Vegas at only $40 in the hole between the two us, which I consider a moderate success! And we weren't bored for a minute! Day 1 (Wed 10/19)
I flew from NC to Vegas on Frontier at $191 roundtrip after taxes and fees. It wasn't a luxurious experience, but I wasn't expecting it to be. I packed a medium-sized backpack within the "personal item" dimensions so I wouldn't have to pay a $35 carry-on fee. No employee measured (or even glanced at) my bag either way. My husband had a work conference in Vegas the following week and was allowed to bump his flight up a week, so his flight (Southwest) was already covered.
Rented a car from Enterprise via a third-party site called carrentals.com. We got a new Toyota Corolla for the week at $151 after tax (just under $22/day). Used a Lyft credit to pick the car up at the location off Las Vegas Blvd, since it was about 5 times more expensive to rent from the airport location. All totally worth it! We used the car a lot each day. I would definitely rent a car again if I returned to Vegas. Next time I would probably take more advantage of free valet parking on the strip.
Stopped by In-N-Out Burger for lunch. So good.
Grabbed a some shelf-stable groceries to keep in our room. We made sandwiches here and there for odd meals and when we were driving or doing outdoorsy things. Saved us some money on drinks, snacks, and breakfast as well.
Took a lap around Miracle Mile Shops to kill some time before check-in at 3. Pretty nice mall. Wanted to see the indoor rainstorm on the hour but never did locate it.
I had booked a room at Mandalay Bay for 2 nights at $77/night with a $75 dining credit on the hotel's website using a promo code I found on smartervegas.com. At check-in I asked if there were any upgrades available, and we were offered to upgrade to the Delano for an additional $30 a night. We went ahead and did it, because why not?
Before dinner, we grabbed drinks at Skyfall Lounge at the top of the Delano. We went during their happy hour, called "Sunset Hour," and watched a beautiful sunset over Vegas. Even the toilets had a view. I would recommend reservations--we had reservations and were allowed to sit at much better tables (on the balcony) than those without.
For dinner, we went to Wolfgang Puck's LUPO Restaurant to use the rest of our dining credit. I also had a credit for a free bottle of wine from the MyVegas app. This meal wasn't bad, but I didn't think it was delicious enough to justify how much it cost. I had a steak that I didn't think was a great cut, and my vegetables were over-seasoned and over-salted. The atmosphere was nice but somewhat boring. I probably wouldn't bother dining here again, personally. We had a reservation but didn't need it. The place was mostly empty.
After dinner, we saw Penn and Teller at the Rio. We got discounted tickets through Travelzoo at $46/person. Very good show. Penn and Teller came out front for pictures afterward. Teller talked to us!
Day 2 (Thurs 10/20)
Woke up to a window washer hanging outside the window.
Had a late brunch/early lunch at Ellis Island. No frills, good value and large portions.
Went on a free tour of a light art installation called Akhob by James Turrell hidden in a secret floor in the Louis Vuitton Store at the Shops at Crystals. This was such an awesomely strange experience! We had fun feeling like we were "in" on a secret, and the installation itself was also very cool. Reservations are definitely required for this one. They said they were booked out about a month.
Walked around CityCenter. The Shops at Crystals and Aria were beautiful and had many sights to see (water features, art exhibits, etc.). We wandered into Vdara as well, which looked very nice, but was not much to look at in terms of sightseeing.
Visited Bellagio. A definite must-see in Vegas. We watched our first fountain show (our first dose of "Uptown Funk"), walked through the garden conservatory, admired the Chihuly glass in the lobby, took a look at the chocolate fountain, and shared a cup of gelato.
Took a 30-minute ride on the High Roller Observation Wheel. I was lucky enough to nab a voucher for $25 for 2 for a daytime ride with open bar a couple months ago on Travelzoo (prices have gone way up since). We went right as the sun was setting and it was wonderful. The bartender was great and churned out drinks like a boss. She gave us shots to do together as a group at the top, and even made everyone drinks "to go" at the end. If you go, be sure to grab a spot on the side facing the strip (the close side when you walk in).
Had dinner at Gyu Kaku using a Livingsocial voucher I had gotten with a promo code. We had never been to a grill-your-own-meat place before. We got some kind of meat sampler. Everything was delicious. My husband was obsessed. Weirdly, the place was nearly empty, even around 7pm.
Wandered around Caesar's Palace and the Forum Shops. Worth a visit. Watched the fish in the big tank for a few minutes, then caught the 8pm Fall of Atlantis animatronic show. We had a good laugh at the plot of the show and lost it at the king's broken hand dangling and flopping around during his grand gestures. There must have been a screw loose. We thought it was totally hilarious, and it became a running joke of our trip.
Caught the 9pm Fire show at the Mirage. Very cool free attraction to see up close...you can hear the fire whirring and feel the heat whack you in the face.
Saw Cirque du Soleil Beatles LOVE show at the Mirage at 9:30. Yeah, okay, we overdid it. We were really tired at this point. I had gotten one free ticket through MyVegas so it was basically half price. We were too tired to really enjoy the show. It looked really cool, the costumes and props were spectacular, and the performers were talented, but we just never really got "into" it. We were jet-lagged and had trouble staying awake after our long day. We were in the back row of section 201, and while we could see pretty well, I think being just 3 or 4 rows closer (with a cup of coffee in my hand) would have been an improvement.
Day 3 (Fri 10/21)
Decided to head out of town for Fri-Sat to see Zion and Grand Canyon, to avoid the crowds and higher weekend hotel prices.
Stopped by Donut Bar in downtown on our way out toward Zion. These donuts in there were completely bonkers and we had trouble deciding which ones to get. They were very good. We got a couple extra for the next morning, but they were no good by the second day.
Drove to Zion National Park, parked on the side of the road in a stretch where there were some other cars already parked, and rode the bus to the last stop to hike the Narrows. We both felt this was one of the major highlights of the trip. The hike was exhilarating and a bit challenging without being too frustrating. We had the. best. time. We didn't bother renting any gear and we were totally fine. We wore $8 neoprene fin socks for scuba diving I bought on Amazon with some old beat-up sneakers. This worked great because our feet were warm, and we didn't get blisters because our shoes were already comfortably molded to our feet. A lot of other hikers seemed to be stopping for breaks because they were having trouble with blisters and/or cold feet. We scavenged for walking sticks down at the entrance to the narrows. I had read there were usually some left there from previous hikers. My husband found a scrap of 1x2 and I found a pool cue. They looked a bit silly, but you really just need them for feeling around in the water. I doubt the sticks they had for rent would really be a vast improvement.
Waited on a long line to get a bus back to the front of the park. A lady mentioned something about some kind of school holiday in the area, so maybe that's why there were so many people there.
Went back to our car to find a $50 parking ticket. Damn!
Drove up the scenic drive overlooking the park on the way out. It was a bit too dark to see very well at that point, but we got a bit of the view.
Drove to Page, AZ for the night. Stayed at Best Western - View of Lake Powell at $94/night. I don't stay at Best Western a lot, so I don't know what they are usually like, but this was much nicer than I expected for the price! It was situated atop a hill overlooking Lake Powell.
Day 4 (10/22)
Stopped by Wahweap Marina on Lake Powell to check out the views of the lake. It was very beautiful and serene here. Not too many people, either. Would be great if you have a boat.
Stopped for pictures of Glen Canyon Dam, the dam that forms the lake. Cool dam.
Drove to Horseshoe bend and hiked the short hike to the edge. Definitely worth a stop. Lots of photo ops. There were more people here than I expected, but plenty of rocks to climb on for everyone.
Had reserved a spot on a tour of Antelope Canyon, but skipped it because we had decided to sleep in somewhat late that morning. Maybe next time. Heard good things from other travelers.
Drove to Grand Canyon National Park and followed the route along the south rim, stopping at the various viewpoints (Desert View Watchtower, Navajo Point, Lipan Point, Grandview Point). It was a beautiful day to see the Grand Canyon. Ate a bag lunch at one of the overlooks. I was a bit sick with a cold and unable to hike long, but enjoyed some light walking along the Rim Trail starting at South Kaibab. If I come back in the future and I'm not sick, I'd like to do some more rigorous hiking. For our purposes on this trip, one day at the Grand Canyon was sufficient.
Rode a bus to one last viewpoint for sunset. I believe it was called Hopi Point. It was a bit crowded, but a very nice view.
Had some mediocre pizza at a place called We Cook Pizza and Pasta. I can't say I recommend it. It tasted a lot like frozen pizza. There really wasn't any restaurant in town we could find with decent reviews online except RP's Stage Stop, but that one closed at 5pm, so we had to settle.
Stayed at Best Western again-- Best Western Primier Grand Canyon Squire Inn, in Tusayan, at $106/night. We were able to upgrade to the newest building for free by signing up for Best Western Rewards. This was another pleasant surprise! Our room was very nice, and everything was brand new. The main building had a little bowling alley and arcade, where we ran into a couple from Ireland we had encountered already at Penn and Teller and Caesar's Palace in Vegas. What are the chances of that?
Day 5 (Sun 10/23)
Drove from Tusayan toward the Hoover Dam and pulled off at Williams, AZ for breakfast. This was an unplanned stop that we really enjoyed. Williams really plays up the Route 66 and "small town USA" nostalgia. We ate at Pine Country Restaurant simply because it looked popular. Our meal was very good. We enjoyed strolling down the main street for a little bit and popped in a few kitschy little gift shops.
Visited the Hoover Dam. We looked at the dam from the bridge, then looked at the bridge from the dam. It is a very impressive sight, and definitely worth pulling off the highway to see it. We impulsively decided to go on the dam tour after we chatted with some people finishing up the tour who gave it glowing reviews. It was a decent dam tour, but we probably could have done without the dam tour. It was interesting, but crowded and a bit anticlimactic, in my opinion.
Drove back to Las Vegas and checked into Excalibur. Definitely a step down from where we were, but not too terrible. The location was good, and the price was right. I booked two nights at $44/night with a $30 dining credit using a promo code from smartervegas.com, and the third night was free via MyVegas points. My research had indicated that the "Royal Tower" was newly renovated, so we requested a room in that tower at check-in. The lobby and hallways looked like they needed an update, but our room was pretty nice once we were in there. I had no major complaints, except that the TV gave us some trouble and Robert Irvine from "Restaurant Impossible" was peering into our window at all hours. We didn't hang out in the casino much because the service wasn't great. There were a lot of glasses and ashtrays laying around, and the machines had trouble reading vouchers. We did enjoy the $5 blackjack tables, which were a little bit harder to find elsewhere.
Went on a club crawl. This was unnecessary. I booked it through Groupon in advance, thinking it would save money on cover, but we were handed a lot of "free entry" passes from club promoters on the street to get into decent clubs, so we didn't really need it. It would be good to go this route if you had a group of all males, or if you were going out on a busy weekend night, or if you just wanted to meet a group of random people. In the end, we just ended up spending half the night trying to track down our group (of about 12 male accountants who already knew each other), which wasn't really worth it.
Day 6 (Mon 10/24)
Went to check out the older casinos downtown this day. Downtown was a bit more rough around the edges than the strip (as expected), but still worth the visit.
My schedule had an option have breakfast at The Beat, but we decided to sleep in instead.
Went to lunch at Carson Kitchen. It was raining, and everyone was kind of freaking out about how it was raining. The place was mostly empty, so we got a great seat at the counter where we could watch the chef working and see all of the food coming out. Everything we had was delicious. Everything we saw coming out looked like it would be delicious, too. Our waiter was good. He insisted we get the bread pudding, because it would change our lives. It did.
Walked to Fremont Street and played the vintage slots at The D. We enjoyed a bay of penny slot machines with some sort of Inferno/Devil theme and won a bit of money. We also played the vintage horse derby machine, which ate up a bunch of our money but was a fun time. There was a lot of screaming and cheering going on.
Popped into Golden Nugget and watched the shark tank for a bit. We were surprised at the number of sharks they fit in there. Very interesting to watch. Also looked at the giant gold nugget on our way out (it's just a giant gold nugget).
Ate dinner at Itsy Bitsy Ramen and Whiskey. We had a Groupon again. This place was virtually empty as well (maybe it was the rain?) but was also very good. My bowl of Ramen was big enough to swim in, and the broth was perfect.
Walked back to Fremont Street to watch the Fremont Experience light show at 7. It was some kind of weird alien show and the graphics weren't great, but the scale was impressive. The Slotzilla zipliners were fun to watch and added to the festiveness.
Went to Banger Brewing Company because I had a Groupon to use on a flight of beers and a couple pints. We had a reservation to go on their free tour earlier in the day, but missed it because we completely forgot about it. Oops. Either way, sitting at a table in the bar to drink our beer was a good little break from the sensory overload. We sat and played a couple board games while people-watching through the window.
Grabbed a couple of cocktails at The Golden Tiki. Groupon again. Just a fun little tiki bar. I had something with Dole Whip which was pretty good. It was the most busy place we had seen all day, but we were still able to find an empty table.
Went back to the strip to see the Cosmopolitan. This is a very impressive, glitzy hotel. If I were to describe it in one word, it would be "sparkly." We had fun looking for the Secret Pizza restaurant. We tried to not cheat too much in looking for hints online. We were on the guest list to go to Marquee, but were too tired to get dressed up and go to a club at this point.
Walked the middle part of the strip on foot. Walked farther north than we planned. Stopped in the Piano Bar at Harrah's and sang along with a few oldies. The pianist was entertaining and worked his own funny/dirty lyrics into the songs. Even more fun to watch was the crowd getting really into it. People from all walks of life belting out songs in unison. We didn't stay very long because there was nowhere for us to sit.
Day 7 (Tues 10/25)
Had lunch at Capo's Speakeasy. I got a voucher on Travelzoo for $30 worth of food for $15 with a sign up discount of $10 off. I figured for $5, I'd be happy with anything. You need a password to get in. Well, kind of. It's silly and fun. They were playing some hilariously over-the-top old mob movies on the TVs. The food was pretty good and portions were generous. I really, really liked the fries drizzled with sauce.
Visited the Wynn. It is a very pleasant place. Saw the flower sculptures, parasols, lake, and water features. We weren't here too long. Just wanted to check it out.
Visited the Grand Canal Shoppes. Watched the gondolas and some performers milling about. Got a piece of chocolate from a guy on stilts.
Visited the Palazzo. Admired the waterfall in the atrium. Visited the casino and won some money on a Britney Spears slot machine. Thus began our addiction to Britney Spears slot machines.
Showed up at to the Flamingo to see a show by a guy called Jeff Civillico. Turns out, his show is cancelled through the end of the year. No biggie. The tickets were cheap on Travelzoo. They said they had already sent refunds out. I must have missed the memo. Went to look at the live flamingos for a few minutes instead. This wasn't bad, but nothing spectacular. A bit smelly.
Went to Paris, walked around, and did a bit of gambling. Britney was good to us again. There was a live band playing on one side of the casino and some random exotic dancers on a bar in the middle.
Had dinner at Hexx with a Groupon (of course). We had a reservation and were sat out on the deck with a good view for people watching. Our food and service were very good. We had some fries that had a bunch of gravy and stuff on top that looked like a total mess but tasted really good.
Went to the top of the Eiffel Tower with a Groupon (duh) for $30 for 2. There was no line. We just had to wait for the elevator to come down. We got to the top a bit before 9pm. Of all the views of the strip we saw, this was probably my favorite. You're high enough to see everything, but low enough to hear the hustle and bustle and street performers below. The view of the Bellagio fountains from above is spectacular. We caught 2 full shows. We were even able to see the Mirage fire show again at 9.
Went back downstairs to the bar at Hexx for cocktails. I had a voucher for BOGO specialty cocktails from MyVegas. They were decent. We didn't really need them, though.
Went into Omnia at Caesar's Palace for a little while, mostly just to see it. Very cool atmosphere. Very crowded, even early in the night. Male to female ratio was off, if that's important to you, but that didn't matter to us.
Day 8 (Wed 10/26)
Had lunch at Tacos El Gordo. We had no idea how to order, but whatever tacos we ended up with were very good and authentic. The line wasn't too bad when we got there around 11:30. We ordered 6 tacos, but probably would have liked a couple more because they were small. The line was too long by the time we finished to bother getting more, though.
Popped into Peppermill Fireside Lounge nearby, just for a few minutes, out of curiosity. Very cozy, retro-looking little place with little fires at the booths in the lounge. The restaurant seemed to be popular at lunchtime.
Last stop was Treasure Island. There wasn't much to see here in terms of sightseeing except a pirate ship out front and few artsy pieces here and there, but we read it was one of the better casinos on the strip for low rollers like ourselves. We found a $5 blackjack table with a 3 to 2 payout. I hadn't seen many of those on the strip. I started with $20 and walked away with a little over $80. You know we hit those Britney slots one more time before we left, too.
I headed back to the airport to fly back home while my husband stayed for work the next day.
Thanks for reading! I might try to come back and add some pictures and links here as I get the chance. Feel free to ask me about anything we did!
Compared to Atlantic City and Las Vegas, Baltimore is not exactly a major American gambling hub, but this is what makes the opening of a new casino a special event. Orioles fans who also have a secret passion for gambling in land-based casinos, will rejoice knowing that Horseshoe Casino has finally opened its doors. The event was highly anticipated and Caesars Entertainment made no secret of the fact that they will be opening a new casino in Maryland. Four more companies opened casino resorts this year, which says a great deal about the rising popularity of gambling at this stage. So far, the legislators are yet to take decisive actions in terms of legalizing online gambling, but such laws are probably closer than they seem. Delaware and New Jersey are two of the neighboring states who already jumped on the bandwagon and there are plenty of governors who contemplate the possibility of following their lead. There is no shortage of interested investors either, with prominent poker rooms, bookmakers and online casinos being interested to spend money here. 32Red Casino announced its intention to establish a more permanent position in the United States and Baltimore looks like a great place to start. For the time being, state residents in general and Baltimore folks in particular have good reasons to check out the Horseshoe Casino, because there is plenty of action waiting for them behind these doors. A total of 2500 slot machines, in excess of 100 life table games and even a World Series of Poker room are bound to provide all the adrenaline rush that poker players could hope for. As stated above, there are other casinos operating here, but in terms of size and magnitude this is by far the most successful one and this should translate into a huge number of customers. The partnership with William Hill casino is supposed to be mutually beneficial, making the Horseshoe Casino the only one to offer outdoor gaming. A lot of money is expected to go towards state coffers, but even more important is the fact that the new venture will lead to the creation of thousands of jobs. The vast majority of those working here are Baltimore residents, which is great news for the cash-strapped city. The initially agreement stated that casino operators were supposed to hire at least 51% of their staff from the city, but it is only fair to assume that they will go a step further. from via Casinoreviews
Trip Report: Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs, Iowa (Part 1)
WARNING: this is going to be really really long and not overly exciting. Also my grammar is pry going to really suck because I’m writing so much and don’t really care to proofread it a ton. For about the past month, I haven’t been very active in terms of any kind of poker. I started studying for the CPA exam about a month and a half ago. I decided to cash out pretty much my entire online roll and the relatively small live roll I had left and just focus on studying. I figured this would help with any distractions as well as the devil on my shoulder saying, “just take a day off of studying and go play.” Anyway, about two weeks ago my brother was getting ready to move back to college. It’s pretty much on the other side of the country and my parents usually end up making a vacation out of driving him out there and moving him in. I live in central Illinois and he goes to college in Wyoming. My parents asked me if I wanted to come for the 4-5 days and hangout because I really like the area that he goes to school in. It’s right next to a huge mountain range so there’s tons of cool stuff to do: hiking, climbing, fishing, etc. I was way ahead of pace for the studying so I decided to take a break and cruise out there with them for a week a so. I know there’s a decent amount of casinos on the drive there so I figured I could also convince them to stop at one on the way back and I could play at a new poker room that I’d never been to before, so I decided to go. After dropping him off at school and having fun in the mountains for a few days, we started the drive back and the Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa was about halfway home. I convinced them to stop for the night and stay in the casino’s attached hotel, saying I would split half the cost of the room. I was pretty stoked about playing in a new room as well as playing some live poker for the first time in a long time. Night 1 I looked up the information for the poker room on the website and it said they were spreading something like 3/6 limit, 4/8 limit, 1/3 NL, and 2/5NL. I was pretty excited about this because I’ve never played limit live before, so I was planning on trying that out. I have friends that have said live low stakes limit poker is literally worse than Hitler, but I decided I’d try it anyway. I got to the room and asked about limit and they said the only games running were no limit. This was a Thursday so the room wasn’t super crowded. Damn, there aren’t any limit games running. Oh well, I’ll just play no limit. My first impression of the room was that it’s really big. I’m used to playing in home games and underground rooms so this was cool. The couple of casinos that are by me have small rooms (like 5-6 tables) so it was cool to see a room that was this legit (like 20-25 tables I would guess). The WSOP circuit stops there, so I would assume that’s why the room is so big and nice. Keep in mind my opinion of the room is all relative as I’ve never been to Vegas. I ended up playing that night for about 4 hours. Every single dealer I had was great. Didn’t have a single complaint about the poker room staff at all. I didn’t do so hot the first night and ended up leaving down $150. Here are what I think were two interesting hands from the first night: I’m in the cutoff with As9d. Effective stacks are something like $225. Folds around to aggro asian guy in the hijack who raised to $13. I call. Button folds. Both blinds call. Flop is Ac4d8s. Asian bets $15 and I call. Blinds fold. Turn is 7h. Asian bets $15 again and I call. River is 7x. Asian bets $20 and I call. Asian shows AT and wins. I think I played this hand pretty bad, but not entirely sure. Probably should have just folded pre, I think. Oh well, a couple hands later he bought me a beer. He was a nice guy. The second hand I opened an unopened pot with AcQc from the CO by raising to $14. An older kind of nitty player called from the BB. Flop was 4cTcJh. Old guy checked and I cbet something like $20 into $30. He raises to $55 and I jam for something like $175 more and he calls. He shows queens and I brick. I was really confused by this hand. I think it’s okay getting it in here? Would like some comments on this hand. Effective stack was mine at something like $225. I think this line was spewy when looking back at it. But originally I thought both my pairs were live, obviously I was wrong. So anyway, I had fun and got kinda drunk so it was a solid night overall even though I left down some. I went out to find my parents. My mom has become a slot degen lately so she can pretty much occupy herself for hours haha. But she said my dad had been wondering around for a long time and watching her not really doing any gambling at all. I felt kind of bad about this. He doesn’t really ever gamble and seemed kind of out of place, so I wished I would have hung out with him a little bit more and shown him how to play some of the games. A couple of the negative things about the first night, I signed up for a players card hoping to get some sweet comps or something. The only thing you get when you sign up for a players card is a free t shirt. No slot dollars or table play or food comps or anything. Pretty bogus imo but whatever. One thing I was excited about for this casino was that I figured beer and food would be cheaper than I’m used to. The beers and food are pretty ridiculously expensive at my local casino so I was thinking that one that was this big would have much better deals. I was wrong. Beers were like $4. Pretty ridiuculous that a casino charges that much for a beer imo. I would think that they would have better deals for people paying rake and losing money to them. I guess not. Their food was also ridiculously expensive imo. I ended up getting a rebuen and fries from one of the little walk up restaurants outside the room before going back to the hotel room for the night and it was like $12. Again, too expensive imo but whatever it tasted pretty phenomenal actually. Link to part 2: http://www.reddit.com/PokerBlog/comments/2g2e9a/trip_report_horseshoe_casino_council_bluffs_iowa/
Yes, I'm an executive so I'm in touch with most everything that goes on. Most of the time when I see something like that, I just say "good for us" and try not to think about whether or not the person can afford it or not.
I, obviously, like to think I'm uber classy. But in general I think paycheck cashing promotions are pretty tasteless. E.g., Cash your paycheck and get 5% of the total value in free slot play.
Let's say your check is $1,000. The casino will cash your check and then also give you $50 in promotional credits to be used on the slot machines. The idea is that since we've given you some "free" money to begin playing the machines you will also dip into the $1,000 cash that we also handed you.
No, you get the $1K in cash and the $50 can only be used in the slot machine. I've done this once when I started my new job and my direct deposit wasn't set up yet so they issued me a live check.
I really don't like them so not often unless someone is in town that wants to go. I don't have a moral objection, just think it's a waste. "Hey do you like to eat steak? Give me $20 to smell this delicious steak! No, you can't try it!!!".
So that having been said, I might spend $20 to give to the girls on the stage and maybe a lap dance.
No, I don't get treated better because of my title really. They usually just care about how much money you spend and that's it.
Ummm... Off the top of my head I think the sneakiest thing is probably side bets on table games (e.g., play an extra $5 and if your two cards are a pair then you win $25) because the odds are terrible or things like advertising low table game limits but modifying the rules (e.g., blackjack pays 6:5 vs 3:2) to increase the house advantage.
First, we quantify most everything by "theoretical worth". That is, how much we can expect to win from you based on the house advantage of the game you play and how long you play. The general formula is decisions per hour X house advantage X hours played X average bet. So, $25/hand at blackjack X 1.5% house advantage X 2 hours played X 60 decisions per hour = $45 in theoretical worth.
Second, It really depends on the particular property. The number is a lot higher for Wynn then it would be at Joker's Wild (a really, really dumpy casino on the outskirts of Vegas). That having been said, most places will be very happy to have you if you are in the $150-300 a day in theoretical worth range.
I just threw the 1.5 number out there. We also factor in skill into house advantage so as to be more favorable to the player, comp wise. comp wise we'd probably give you 15% of the $45, or $6.75. That's just in what we call discretionary comps that the pit supervisor or host can give you. Then you could expect another 30% in the mail via free bets, hotel, food, etc.
Well I've worked all over the country and, yes, of course we always keep an eye out on new competition that would impact our existing customer base, especially as the business has seen much more legalization in new jurisdictions in the past 20 years.
For Vegas, I think most strip properties have dealt with this by investing in properties in regional markets so as to send their customers to their Vegas properties so it is pretty accretive. Someone from Harrah's Ak-Chin in the Phoenix area gets offers from Harrah's Las Vegas quite often.
The bigger problem really is for the markets where they were a monopoly for some time and really rested on their laurels. Reno and Atlantic City come to mind. Those markets are dying fast and there really isn't much upside. In Atlantic City, for example, you have casinos buying competitors just to close them so as to reduce the inventory.
I worked as a slot analyst (analyzing machine performance) years ago and never on the floor so I don't know/remember the exact steps. Essentially, though, it's verifying that the machine is functioning properly and recording the details of the jackpot for audit/regulators. If it is a taxable jackpot ( >= $1,200) then we are required to fill out the IRS W2G form to report it to them for tax purposes so at that point we have to get your ID, etc. to facilitate that. Then of course, there is the matter of actually paying you the money, verifying that it is the correct amount, etc. The tax form does get sent to the IRS. You can request the taxes not be taken out of your jackpot as you are only taxed on the net win at the end of the year.
4.) There's a lot of pressure to make money/meet your budget so all of the bullshit that goes along with that. Dealing with politics, having to adjust staffing, etc. And I don't like that at my level the usual tenure is 2-3 years so you move around a lot. I'd like to be more settled, especially in a place I'd really want to live for a long time and I don't feel like I have much control of that in this business.
1.) I mean there is only one of me at every casino so if something happens whether I don't like where I work or what something different (e.g., more money) or they don't like me (shocking, it happens!) then the likelihood that I have to move is high, especially if I'm in a city that only has a handful of casinos. 2.) I obviously feel like my skills could take me anywhere! But in reality, it has been tough to change industries when I've tried. Usually places like hotels don't pay as much as casinos and look for more sales-related skills and restaurants don't really have marketing people except at the corporate office whereas my skills are more analytics-oriented. And both usually pay less than casinos.
The problem with returning to that type of vibe is that it's difficult/impossible given how big the casinos are. Sure it was easy for Benny Binion to control everything and not be "corporate" when the old Horseshoe was literally 1/10th the size of MGM Grand.
I went there for grad school so was older and had a wife and a house. It is definitely a commuter school so there's not a lot of school spirit. I went to undergrad a school with a huge, huge, huge, football program so it was a bit of a change for me. I also didn't find the students to be terribly bright (with exceptions, of course). On the upside, a lot of people like living in Vegas and the Hotel Administration College (where I went) has very, very good brand recognition.
Yes, they hang out at the bars and then there are services you can call and have them sent to your room. If it's overt, casino security will clear them out of the bar area but the vice cops generally focus on human trafficking kind of stuff.
1.) The industry relies heavily on industry experience so job prospects are good if you're willing to start in a low position and work you're way up. If you go to UNLV and get the degree I got and expect for some casino to make you a Director of VP with no experience then you're going to be very disappointed.
3.) Definitely potential opportunity. I've read about that small tribe in Texas. It'll happen eventually in Texas. The people in Louisiana will not be happy, though.
Viable for what? Making consistent money? Then definitely not. If you are entertained by thrill of gambling and have the discretionary funds to do it, then by all means.
My undergrad degree is pretty bland, political science, so it wasn't hard at first. I did my grad degree in casino management because I was living in Vegas, wanted to get an MBA, didn't want to take 2 years off from work to get a full-time degree, didn't have the support of my job to get an executive MBA, and didn't like UNLV's MBA program.
Las Vegas Sands / Venetian is actively trying to kill it (which I don't really understand) but everyone just sees it as a means to make more money so are ready to pounce when it's legal.
1.) Generally there are poker dealers and table games (e.g., blackjack) dealers. Few do both. Among the table games dealers, most know multiple games as the more you know the more hirable you are. In terms of the qualifications it's just that you've gone to some sort of dealer school (there are commercial ones and some casinos do it in-house), experience, and a live audition. 2.) Really depends on the market and the casino. At the high end like Wynn or Venetian they will do close to $100K/year but at an entry-level place it could be more like $25K/year. It's base salary plus pooled tips (aka tokes).
3.) You've never thought of dealing the WSOP? They need as many dealers as they can find.
Encore and the new Barrymore are definitely designed for the Asian gambler. And you'd, obviously, have to assume the casinos in Macau are, too, although I've never been.
Typical work day is get to work and look at the previous day's financial results and react accordingly. I.e., ask the analysts to pull numbers, talk to the head of a certain department about their opinion on something, etc.
Emails emails emails.
Then it's usually a lot of meetings about upcoming things whether it be planning an event, approving new advertising, doing the strategic planning for the property for 2015, meeting with vendors, etc.
Emails emails emails.
By this time the numbers or reports I've asked to be run are ready so I sit down and look at them and act accordingly (e.g., hey, looks like we're spending too much on postage to mail to customers too far away, let's change the way we do this for next time), etc.
Emails emails emails.
Then it's usually time to go home but 2-3 times a week I'll have a dinner or event to go to with a vendor or colleague or someone from the press.
Emails emails emails.
Probably 2-3 Saturdays a month I'll go in and work for a few hours just to catch up on stuff or if there's an event to meet and greet players, make sure everything is going well, etc.
The masses don't care about either especially if you're able to offer low limits. The limit and the number of decks is what attracts people to a bj game. Still never going to allow counting.
Well certainly there are more what we call "front of house" positions (dealers, porters, servers, bartenders, etc.) than "back of house" positions (accountants, IT, warehouse, etc.) so in terms of pure numbers, yes it's easier to get -any- FOH than -any- BOH position.
That having been said, if you're wanting an IT position shouldn't be too hard if you're willing to work anywhere and have a little experience. If you're wanting to just jump into the CIO job at Bellagio, more difficult.
They aren't. The games have to go through pretty rigorous testing by the state or an agency of the state to be allowed to be sold. Gaming Labs International is one such company.
We definitely do SEO/SEM campaigns but primarily for hotel related keywords for people looking for hotel rooms. I worked at a place a little outside of the main city in the south one time and we'd buy broader search terms for people looking for "entertainment in main city" in case they didn't know there was a casino nearby.
I'd rather not say as I don't want to be outted but I have worked for large publicly traded companies, privately held companies (e.g., owned by hedge funds), and publicly traded companies where one individual owns the majority of the shares. I've never worked at a privately owned casino owned by one individual, though.
From a gambling standpoint, people in that age range like penny slots so we offer a lot of penny slots. We put on shows that would appeal to them. We would make the decor more classic vs hip. Etc.
It really depends more on the manner in which you win and how you behave. We're required by law to fill out a Currency Transaction Report for transactions over $10,000. So if you got to that point you would have already given us your ID, etc. We'd obviously make sure that surveillance is watching you to make sure you're not cheating but if you're on a random hot streak and betting $10K/hand then it wouldn't be a huge deal at most strip properties.
At my place, (which is not an uber classy place like Wynn or Venetian), you'd get pretty much whatever you'd want. Suite, dinners, limo from the airport, show tickets, etc. We'd generally reinvest in you 30% of your loss so just figure out what $3,000 in comps would get you.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I believe you really just need to be tenacious and take anything to get your foot in the door. It's a very crowded field, especially on the what I call "pretty picture" side of marketing. I wish I had a more specific answer to give you.
I usually say I'm in charge of driving profitable revenue. The departments that report up to me are charge of advertising, promotions, entertainment, public relations, direct mail/database marketing, and VIP marketing.
Absolutely. I think most of the major companies have management training/internship programs. Go to their careers websites. Caesars Entertainment, MGM International, Pinnacle Entertainment, Penn National Gaming, etc.
I think the best combination in today's world is to be more right brained with a creative bent as more and more the question asked of marketing folks is "quantify how your idea makes me money?" and less and less "what's the most most creative idea you have?"
It's a crowded field especially on the left brained side (e.g., advertising and public relations) because people think it's "cool". So if that's you're interest, I'd say being tenacious and creative is what is going to get you far in that world because it's tough to get your foot in the door and you have to have thick skin and then when you do get your foot in the door you are going to have a very short leash to prove yourself.
The hotel management program in general is not selective but the casino management program is difficult because it's pretty quantitatively-focused so there's a lot of attrition.
I'm not from here and my ex-wife hated living here thus why she's my ex. My friends and I go and see concerts, go to bars, we like guns so go shooting sometimes, and most Sundays cook for each other.
Doing what, exactly? Just be willing to make not a lot of money for awhile and be willing to relocate frequently if you want to move up the ladder. I guess those are the first things that come to mind.
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