I’ll admit it, I’ve been pretty lucky in my casino escapades, but casinos are my oyster and there are still so many things I would like to experience.
As an example, on my way to Rudies Weekend in Las Vegas this past April, I was able to cross something off of my own casino bucket list of sorts that I have been dreaming of for a while. No, it wasn’t jumping off the top of The Strat nor was it taking a gondola ride around The Venetian.
Instead, what I have been dreaming of (for an embarrassingly long time) is the day that a casino would send a car service to pick me up at the airport. My dreams became a reality when I descended the escalator to baggage claim and saw someone holding an iPad that said “courtney carr.” Capitalization aside, it was instantly stored in my mind as a core memory.
After collecting my bag we headed out to the parking lot where I was in delighted shock to see a full sized Sprinter van waiting just for me (yes, like the kind shown on Bravo all the time). I relished every moment of that 16 minute ride from Harry Reid International Airport to Plaza Hotel & Casino, FaceTiming my parents to show off the humorously large vehicle for one person and purposely trying to make Nathan, my husband, jealous that he missed the trip. Having secured what I view as the “gold standard” of gambler transportation, I began thinking, what other Vegas dreams did I have left to accomplish?
Fair warning, the word “yet” is used very liberally in the following article. If I’m anything, I’m a hopeful gambler with my eye on the bucket list prize!
Gold Buffalo Heads
If you ask any given avid slot player, chances are they’ll say some iteration of Aristocrat’s “Buffalo” series was one of the first games they’ve played and enjoyed. For me, I started gambling when Buffalo Gold Revolution was very popular.
Similar to the big names of today, creators (including Brian Christopher) could be easily found on YouTube playing and hoping for a big win. Although I’ve seen it done many times before, I have yet to collect a notable amount of gold Buffalo heads on this game. It is definitely on my bucket list to collect all 15 heads, if only to avenge all the other times I have come up short.
Grand Progressive
While I’ve won the top billed jackpot on a three reel machine before, I have yet to capture the Grand Progressive on a newer release. I’m of course not going to be picky about which machine will finally bestow this honor, however, if I was able to choose, my dream Grand Jackpot would come in the form of either Lock It Link or Huff N’ Puff.
Win a Drawing
After all of the hours I have logged at various casinos, I have NEVER had my name called as a participant or winner for a promotion. Surely, I thought after all this time, I would have had the honor to take home at least one promotional prize but alas, I am still waiting. Seeing as my gambling has slowed down since moving away from Vegas, I’m not holding my breath waiting for the day I hear “Courtney Carr” ring out over the casino.
Note: Somehow, Nathan beat me to this. We were playing table games when his name was called and announced as the winner of promotional chips. While it still annoys me, I tell myself those are easier to win based on the number of seats available. I typically do not play tables when solo gaming.
VIP Treatment
Now that I have fully embraced focusing my play on one or two properties when I visit Vegas, I am not only classified as “out of state” but I am also viewed as a higher level player. It is my hope that this new classification will help me achieve my bucket list goal of true VIP treatment. This includes concert tickets, comped rooms, experiences around town, and whatever else a casino may deploy to win me over.
Slot Tournament Victory
I am not the biggest fan of slot tournaments simply because of the highly structured play style and the need to return for repeated rounds of scoring. Instead, I prefer to play with real money and do my thing on the casino floor without time constraints. Despite my ambivalence towards the tried and true casino activity, I still want to take home the slot tournament win at least once.
Share Yours!
Now that you know some of my casino bucket list items, I’d love to hear yours! Share them below in the comments!
