Moapa Paiute Travel Plaza and Casino | 500+ Slots, Table Games & Dining

I was just killing time on a Tuesday afternoon, had stopped by after picking up some groceries on my way home from work. I'd been playing this machine for maybe twenty minutes when suddenly it all lit up and started going crazy. My hands were shaking so bad I could barely hit the button to call the attendant over. When they confirmed the number, I honestly thought I was gonna be sick—in a good way, you know? I'm using most of it to finally pay off my truck and put some away for my kids college, but I'm taking a week off to just breathe for once.

I came in with my buddy around 8 PM on a Friday, and we sat down at the blackjack table just to have some fun and maybe lose fifty bucks each like we usually do. I was hot that night though—like every hand was going my way, and I kept doubling down when it felt right. My friend finally tapped out around midnight but I stayed for another hour and kept winning. When I cashed out, I could'nt believe the number on the slip. That money's gonna help me get my dental work done and fix my roof before the monsoon season hits.

I'd been playing poker seriously for about two years, going to tournaments every couple months, but never cashing in the big way. When I signed up for this tournament, I wasn't expecting anything different, but something just clicked that day. I made some aggressive plays in the final table that paid off, and when I won the whole thing I remember just sitting there stunned for like a minute. My wife cried when I called her from the parking lot. We're paying off the house and I'm finally quitting my overtime shifts so I can actually see my kids before they go to bed.

I was nervous that day because I'd just gotten some bad news at the doctor's office, and my sister suggested we go to the casino to get my mind off things. I wasn't really in the mood but she insisted, so we went. I statred betting small on roulette just because it was simple and didn't require much thinking. After about thirty minutes, I hit a number I'd played on a whim and suddenly everything changed. I felt lighter than I had in weeks—like maybe things were finally turning around. I'm using it to cover my treatment costs and take that trip to Arizona I've been putting off for years.

I was on my way back from Vegas and stopped here to break up the drive, figured I'd play for maybe thirty minutes. I was sitting at Buffalo Gold, which is one of my favorite machines, and I kept hitting small wins that kept me in the game. Then the bonus round hit and it just kept going and going, which was surreal because I'd never seen it play out like that before. By the time it finished I was shaking and had to walk around for a minute to process it. My mom's been needing a new car so that's my first priority with most of it.

I'm not usually a poker player, but my coworkers were going to the casino for happy hour and I thought why not, it could be fun. I sat down at Three Card Poker because the rules seemed straightforward enough, and I was just making small bets and enjoying a drink. Then I got dealt a straight flush and pushed all my chips in—I just had a feeling about it. The whole table went quiet when I won that hand, and people starting cheering. I'm putting most of it toward my daughter's wedding next year and keeping some for a nice vacation.