Welcome to Las Vegas! My name is Victor H. Royer, but everyone just calls me Vegas Vic. I was named after that famous neon sign in Downtown Las Vegas, that cowboy with the hat on top of the Pioneer Club, always waving his hand and beckoning to his long love, Sassy Sally, on the other side of the street. I will be writing a few articles for AccessVegas.com, so I hope you enjoy them.
I eventually became tired, not only of the spectacle that never changed, but of my machine. It was dry, and I had invested almost one-third of my previous night's winnings back into it and I was not about to put in any more. So I motioned to the floorman that I wanted to leave. He and a change person came over, stacked up my coins, and then brought me the remainder of the money I had left in coins in the tray and on credits. After that, I took my drink and left. As I was leaving, the King looked over and gave me a little wave of his hand. I smiled and slightly raised my glass to him. He seemed to ever-so-slightly nod his head and then went back to pulling the handle on his machine. I stepped outside of the high-roller slot area, and into the freedom of the great casino expanse.
Once outside of the high-roller slot area, I asked the slot executive how much the King had spent so far. First he said that I was really lucky to have even been allowed to stay there, and that this had never happened before. He said that only Lady M would not be asked to leave when the King arrived and wanted to play, but that all other guests would instantly be asked to vacate that area. He asked me if I was somehow friendly with the King, because it seemed strange to him that the King wouldn't mind having me around. I said no, I didn't know the King, and that, I guessed, he just didn't mind me. The slot executive thought that this was about right, but he was still puzzled by the King�s willingness to have me stay there for so long. I asked him again how much the King had spent, and he whispered that he had signed for $2 million in markers, and won about $340,000 so far. I asked if this was good or bad, and the man replied that by the time the King has had enough of playing, he usually signs about $10 million in markers, and has about half that much left stacked around the slot machines in cash and tokens. The executive said that the casino has to bring in several cartloads of extra tokens when the King plays, because they tend to run out of them. The King likes to hoard all his coins and never replays any that the machines spit out.
About two days later, I came down to the same slot area at around midnight, and the King was there, playing. Lady M was there also, making a ruckus, and it was quite obvious that the King was not happy, and that the casino executives were sweating because they didn't want to ask either of them to leave. It was very tense there, so I didn�t go in. And that was the last time I saw the King. I only saw Lady M about three more times over the next few years. About fifteen years ago, she stopped coming and seemingly vanished from the face of the planet.
About a month later I came back to the casino and was sitting with my friend, the slot host, at the coffee shop. I mentioned the King and asked about him and his play. My friend whispered that the King was really quite an active player. But the most interesting thing that I learned about the King at that time was that he liked to play in his room. The casino brought up blackjack tables and craps tables, fully equipped with dealers, supervisors, floorpeople and clerks; and the King played blackjack and craps in his suite.
I also found out that at the time I was staying there a month before, in that suite with the terrific view, the King was actually staying in the suite next to me. It was a much bigger suite, and had much wider and better views of the Strip. I was tickled pink that we were neighbors, and also sorry that I didn�t know it at the time. But now it made sense. The King knew we were neighbors, I was sure, and that was why he let me stay and play in his presence and company. I wished I had known that at the time. I would have made an effort to thank him better, with more than just a nod and a raised glass of champagne. For a few days in my life, I was neighbor to royalty. I was the King's friend.
Victor H. Royer is the Author of 22 books on casino gaming. His newest series of 13 books -- including the new release Powerful Profits from Tournament Poker -- are now available in all major book stores, or from The Gambler's Book Shop at 1-800-522-1777, or at Amazon.Com. Visit his Web site at: http://www.GamingAuthor.com
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