Cat's home

[kidgloves]

Well the missus returns from Costa del drongo at 2.30 am so my little jaunt on the fruit machines has ended. Don't get me wrong likes, I'll go anytime I want to but when she's around we spend our time on other things these days.
So how did it all pan out ? So so, I've never been one to hype my mega winnings and superior knowledge so as usual I'll tell it like it went down, warts and all.
Saturday I had a gig in a place not far from Northampton so I thought with the gig being a 4.00 kick off I'd hit Northampton city centre in the morning. First port of call was a Nobles. Went in particularly for the exi bar and the Monopoly sit down. First problem, the Monopoly had been removed. Don't you hate that when you go to a location, particularly which is a fair drive away and find the hardware has been replaced/removed? So, onto the exibar. A good start, about £30 light and plenty of flavas with the *big streaky flava* kicking in after only 15 mins play. It went for £75 and I was £110 up off the first machine, nice. A little mooch around saw me randomly testing out some Magics and Bar x 7's..most were indifferent to my money, the odd one saw me catching a quick £30 or £45 but nothing worth settling into. An All Fired Up, one of the 4 hi tecs beckoned and I played a couple of boards, both of which red boosted upon entry so thought I'd have a pop. Strange, it kind of died after £20 of positive signs but by that time it had its claws into me. £60 ish later (still not full) saw a top streak of £32 then dead dead dead. Never mind. I left, wandered over the market place and dived in and out a few pubs but no hardware enticing enough to play.
This took me into the local Shipleys. Now that is a terrible place. Lots of sharks, some guy was furiously pumping the Elvis S16. Lots of dead machines, the place had such a depression about it. Highlight was a Vamp holding on £3 then losing on 3rd press of feature. I made a sharp exit.
Sunday was pokerfest all day. Nuff said.
Monday...car dropped off for mot, picked up the courtesy car, a nice Skoda Octavia with some power. Drove upto Loughborough. Showboat no.1: More chuzzy bar x's. The machine in question is streak capable of £200 on a blue moon day, but £100 is quite common. I was quite happy for the reflex to kick in after just £80 in and £60 in the bank. Sadly, it went for a mere £25. Knowing that the turn-around time to next feature is quite short after a minimum £25 (about 50 mins) I recycled. Like clockwork it came around for .. another £25. Getting a bit apathetic on the same machine at this time I called it a day and moved onto some uneventful Magics et al. Nothing much doing, a lad won £175 off the feature on Haunted House. I moved on.
Showboat no.2 : Golden Games 1 and 2 with (suprisingly) extreme flavas. I showed a profit of £170 over the next hour on these. The best was no.2's first feature going for £90. A stroll down memory lane as I played a 7 heaven £15. The Vamp in here begrudgingly gave a superstreak. Joker Pokers all full but loving those hi/lo gambles of 5's 6's and 7's at the bottom of the ladder, I wasn't going to get involved. My weakest moment came when I ploughed £50 into an 8 liner on £4 a spin to get one set of bells. What crap.
Drove back to the garage and the mechanic said it had failed on something in the suspension, but it was under warranty so no worries. I did however have another hour to kill before it was ready.
The local Gala bingo is just 10 mins down the road so I holed up in there for a bit. They've just installed 4 brand new S16's, the rot has set in there well and good. Still can't see why they don't hire/buy in Magics and Bar x 7's. A girl left a Golden Game full. I rubbed my hands with glee and set to work on it. A nice profit there, but greed set in as I set about a Monopoly not knowing the history. I was £120 involved when time told me I had to go pick up the car. I asked an attendant to put a reserved sign on the machine, I would be back in 20 mins. He quoted the 'rules' and pointed out the signs telling me that machines were not allowed to be reserved. It was 5.30 pm, there was nobody in the place save a couple of die hard Bingo addicts fuelling their Slot habits inbetween the Bingo sessions. I got a bit stroppy, quoting the old dear regulars, who always use the reserved signs. He said he'll keep an eye on it. I took him at his word.
Got the car back, went back to Gala and he'd all of a sudden managed to find one of these reserved signs and put it on my machine..oho.
He then, (being the flunky on duty in the front machine area) stood behind me watching my every move. I made idle small talk, but he questioned my turning down features and holding of o's, I claimed ignorance, saying that I thought it made it pay out more. In a way I'm glad when it did go that it didn't go big time, I lost about £20 in all or else it would have looked suspect for my future visits.
Monday I went to see the folks in Sunny Nottingham, not before frequenting some establishments. I went to one of 2 arcades in Long Eaton. Bit of a time warp really, I played a Battle Axe on £15 and an Addams Family on £15. Both potted after a medium fight but no follow ups. An old dear was raping the Bar x 7, isn't it always the way ? A *very* old machine called Aladdins Cave brought back memories from my student days, I got dirty looks as they called the bingo whilst it blared out the feature music.
2nd location was a little more up to date, but not much to play. The Joker Poker was being feisty but gave up the ghost after a mad session of losing gambles from me. I thought I was going to get caned on that one, but the block stayed off for another 2 JP's. An origional Nudge Wink £15 was played for comedy value. I hit my first Magic 10 of the whole trip that actually wanted to pay out. Dirty looks brigade were out in force at the other end of the arcade as I collected a good £140 or so.
Moved onto Beeston, just down the road. As soon as I entered, I saw Buffy (no, that really is her name)..the local player who has been in that Nobles for a good 15 years..she's even managed to get a manageress moved to another site just because she didn't like her...there lies the power of a regular player.
Now for a woman, she's good. Like really good, knows where all the machines are in their cycle, how far to push them, etc. So I pretty much knew everything was covered. I played Horn of Plenty. She doesn't play the 3 hi tecs so I thought I was pretty safe. It was showing £8 off the first 3 boards, but then it cost me £80 yes £80 to get crazy reels, no Jp follow up boards, just a few £5/£6 boards. Terrible stuff really. Lesson re-learned.
I got *fairly* involved with a Magic 10 and made about £70 off it before it went dead for £30. I played something else, Buffy the fruit machine player swooped over after allowing a 10 minute 'courtesy' gap. She proceeded to get the £75 after about £30 in aaarrrrgggghhhh...always the same.
So there ya go, a mixed tale of woe and fortune, I didn't lose my shirt too badly and did enjoy myself to a reasonable extent, but I'm glad I don't make a habit of it anymore, my blood pressure wouldn't stand it.

[Thor2007]

I'll have to give you some pointers on those Bx7's and magic 10's... It doesn't take much to tell whether or not to play on.

[mashman]

Its quite late but I read the whole post...without adding stuff up it sounds like ur about a grand or so up?!?!? I dunno...maybe I cant count

Sounds like u should take to the mc's more foten

Do u know what you were eventually over the 3 days?

[Slotterman]

Thanks for the tale kid, and for reminding me why I no longer have the slightest desire to do those sort of rounds.

If that lo-tec crap is what's mainly on offer,they can keep it.

TBH,it sounds like you had a fairly lucky escape - some of those machines can eat you alive.

I think your doubly lucky that 'er indoors has curbed your playing time.

[Scott]

fuck thats a hard read dude..

can you like split that up a little into paragraphs or something?

maybe its just the 9 pints of carling I have drank since like 11 thats messing me up... if so then I appologise in adavance

Anyways.. tonight I been traveling too much lol.. lets see what I have played:
1) Unchipped(does chip even matter?) Barmy Army.. offering super board after £10
2) Unchipped JJC offering SSS after £15
3) Yabba Dabba Darts offering £25 from darts shots after £6
4) Unchipped Dambuster
5) LS paying £50 for £20 in (chipped)
and a couple more but I lost track of stuff lol only just sober enogh to type now (4:30am) lol...

Got home with £180 in wallet and I left home with £25 so not too bad over all

Just to note.. me getting home with ANY money after a night drinking is always a major result so this may seem nothing to lots of you and maybe it will too to me in the morning :P

[jglenny]

What did you think of Long Eaton? Bit to many chavs/lowlifes about don't you think?

[kidgloves]

fuck thats a hard read dude..

can you like split that up a little into paragraphs or something?

You must be pissed Scott, I count 10 paragraphs.

[Scott]

Aye so do I now lol..
was cus of the blurring by the beer :P

still... would be nice with a line inbetween each paragraph to break that endless text up :P

[kidgloves]

I bow down to your grammatical superiority and will endeavour to avoid your red pen in future.

[kidgloves]

What did you think of Long Eaton? Bit to many chavs/lowlifes about don't you think?

I'm not gonna go back in a hurry. It's a shame really as there is a lot of passing trade, the arcade that wasn't in the square was really quite busy, but the calibre of machine really means they are letting the customers down, but the customers were nonetheless happily playing away anyway. I was quite suprised to see a Party Games 4 player in the main arcade...quite a jump into the modern era !