Reznjun

that is a question in potawatomi that asks ‘did you win?’.  i dont get asked that very much. probably cuz not many speak the language anymore. my mother used to ask me that. i would put on my stoic warrior face and just kinda grunt. usually i didn’t.

i go to the ‘indian’ casinos now and then. they are always identified as ‘indian’ casinos. as opposed to what i dont know. i go there because i live about 10 minutes from ours. its only a short trip to the other two closest casinos, maybe 45 minutes. the silent drive home seems longer than that if i lose. really they are the only game in town. my hometown has two liquor stores, and two churches. usually they have to be balanced in numbers. it also has a coupla antique stores. since i dont drink or buy antiques i head to the casino for a night out. and the boarding school experience keeps me away from churches.

there was a big billboard on the highway that asks the question ‘do you have a gambling problem’. then it lists a hotline to call if you do. only gambling problem i have is that i dont win. that billboard was located close to another one that advertised our casino. the billboards that advertise indian casinos usually dont have any brown skins on them. sorta a paradox. must be some reason to that, but it escapes me.

gamblers are like alcoholics. often they dont admit they have a problem, even if they do. i see the same people in all the casinos i go to. i wonder if they got a problem. but then they must wonder the same thing about me.

some gamblers are a superstitious lot. they do little bits of mojo to help them win, like maybe carrying a good luck piece. or they rub the machine. as if caressing the machine will turn it on to a big win. personally i dont like someone that stands there and watches me. i know i dont lose cuz they are watching me  but sometimes i just wish they would get the hell away from me. i carry a ‘lucky’  beaded necklace that holds my players card. i dont carry all my cards. i travel alot so i have like 16 of them at last count. i didnt pick one up at a number of places. that would have been one heavy necklace.

the players card keeps track of your points. a great gimmick. if you spend one dollar, you get one point. then when you get some points built up you can redeem them for some playing cash. i never have many points built up. i cash them in if i got 5 bucks. sometimes i get a coupon from the casinos. it can be redeem for playing cash. i dont get many of them. maybe cuz i am not a high roller. i never get one from our casino. dont lose enough money there.

i hear gamblers say our machines are ‘too tight’. that dont stop anyone from going there. during the occasional promotion you cant find a machine. the place is packed. marketing should take heed of that. others say you can win at the other casinos. been my experience i dont win there either. i win enough to keep me playing. havent learned yet to stay  away from them. common sense will tell anyone that it is in the house’s favor. thats why we get a per cap every 3 months. the possibility exists though that any machine at any given moment can pay out the big jackpot. thats what gambling is all about. trying to hit the big one. i am happy with just winning free spins.

i play the penny machines. my limited cash lasts longer that way. i hear many people say ‘i only play pennies’. kinda like an alky that says ‘i only drink beer’. it minimizes it. penny players bring in the most revenue for casinos. the casinos kiss the high rollers ass though. they comp them for everything. maybe they should do that to the penny players.

so most of the time i can answer the question with ‘tto gip ka na ge si’. i didnt win. i have hit a few times. once my wins paid for my trip to a big pow wow back east. another time i had 11 bucks and hit a thousand. life is a gamble. so we all gamble to some extent. people that played the stock market the past year lost more than i did. i may have had more fun even when i didnt win. so if anyone asks me if i am going gambling i can give them my best cutesy palin ‘y betcha’. a penny saved is a penny earned. but a penny gambled can pay off.

my 'lucky' necklace

Tags: beaded necklaces, gambling, indian casinos, indian gaming, potawatomi language